Well, we have been working for quite a long time with the State Mental Hospital to pair up one of their brightest, sweetest patients with the perfect SDIT. The psychiatrist, social worker, case manager, nurses, and entire staff (including the Board of Directors who will be paying for the training) have had this young woman consistently taking care of a foster dog to teach her how to properly care for a dog - feeding it, taking it for walks, teaching basic commands, snuggling with it, etc. She is doing a fantastic job. We finally found the PERFECT dog, who the client decided to name Sammie, short for Samantha, with the help of amazing foster and rescuer, Val Moore. Val has fallen in love with the gentleness and beautiful temperament of intelligent Sammie - and we were ready to take her to her new permanent home at the hospital Monday. However, despite the utmost careful watch of Val, Sammie, who was spayed at ACS, did pop an outer stitch due to improper spaying procedures (its like a warehouse at ACS, so this is certainly not the first time spays have had problems). The good news is that Val immediately took Sammie to her own personal veterinarian, who healed that outer stitch, and Sammie will be good to go - but our poor waiting client who calls daily to see how Sammie is healing has to wait another week! Val has graciously offered to bring Sammie to the hospital swaddled in a blanket (with me along, of course), after her work hours just so that the client can meet and touch Sammie, spend some time bonding with her, and know that things are moving in the right direction. It is very sad for Val and I and the staff at the hospital to know that the client has been so eager and ready for so long - but we feel that if the client can at least touch Sammie and know she is for real, she will not lose hope and the waiting period of a week more will be easier! I personally cannot wait to start training at the State Hospital. I used to work at one years ago, and it was so educational, inspiring, yet challenging. Its an environment in which I feel extremely comfortable working, and I know that once they see the benefits of a Service Dog for their inpatients, the seed will keep growing. They have beautiful green grounds for the dog to play and walk on, and the client will be able to take her SD, once trained, out on her public outings, which are always accompanied by her staff. Imagine the joy of having this amazing alternative to traditional therapies for these patients who struggle but work so hard to heal!!! Here are some adorable pictures of Sammie with Vals daughter.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Aug 2014 17:41:18 +0000
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