Volunteers cure loneliness with canines
| Tuesday, Dec 22 2009 07:50 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Dec 22 2009 07:51 PM
HOW TO HELP
Pet Therapy
Sponsor: Bakersfield SPCA, 3000 Gibson St., Bakersfield, 93308 323-8353 info@bakersfieldspca.org
Contact: Pam Roberts, 323-0135
Greatest need
More volunteers to bring their dogs for weekly visits to seniors living in retirement homes and care facilities.
Requirements
Dogs should have been through at least a basic obedience class and be able to follow basic commands.
They should be social with people and other dogs.
A copy of an updated shot record.
Bakersfield is a generous community, particularly during the holidays. To help readers find new ways to give back to neighbors and friends, The Californian is featuring a wide array of non-profit organizations this season.
Pat Willrith has a photograph of her dog Lady on the wall of her room at The Rehabilitation Center of Bakersfield on Mount Vernon Avenue.
Willrith's face lit up Saturday morning when Bonnie Green brought Bernie, her Shih Tzu, into the room.
"Gosh, he looks like Lady," Willrith said as Bernie was lifted onto her bed. "I want him on my lap. Does he kiss?"
No, Bernie isn't a licker, Green said.
So Willrith bent over and kissed Bernie on the forehead.
"I've had dogs all my life," Willrith said after Bernie left. "Lady was 17 in our years when I had to put her down two years ago."
More than a dozen dogs and their owners spent more than an hour Saturday visiting the residents of The Rehabilitation Center.
It's part of the Pet Therapy program sponsored by the Bakersfield SPCA. Each Saturday, dogs and their owners visit different senior residents and care facilities.
Many of the dogs were dressed for Christmas, wearing bells, ornaments and even reindeer antlers.
"I get such wonderful, warm feelings," said volunteer June Garbell, who brought her standard poodle Stanley and miniature poodle Zed to the facility. She said she participated in a similar program in Los Angeles for nine years before moving to Bakersfield. She's been part of the local program for three years.
"I just like to see the patients smile," said Brendan O'Neill, accompanied by his greyhounds Grace and Honey. "It's great when you see them smile; even the workers."
"Hello Peanut. You're so pretty," Margaret Johnson, 82, said to Pam Roberts' springer spaniel. "I love them all. I've always had dogs, cows, cats, horses, chickens. We had a farm just west of Weedpatch. Dogs would just show up and we'd take care of them."
Roberts, a volunteer for 10 years, has been the Pet Therapy coordinator for the past 4-5 years.
She said a group of 25-30 volunteers participate, with between six and 10 showing up any given Saturday. Each visit lasts about an hour.
The program now features only dogs, but Roberts isn't opposed to cats joining the group in the future.
Chuck Nordstrom, the Bakersfield SPCA community development director, said he gets a lot of positive feedback from the visits.
"People absolutely love it," Nordstrom said. "During the visits, a lot of them talk about the pets they had."
Roberts said the dog visits help the seniors in many ways.
"For many of them, they had to give up an animal when they moved into a facility," she said.
"Some don't have family members in town, so we see a lot of people who don't have any visitors. They're so lonely. It's really sad."
Roberts said dogs of all sizes participate. "They love it when animals are sitting on their beds," she said.
Roberts said if additional volunteers join the program, visits might be scheduled more frequently than once a week.
"You ask any one of our volunteers and they'll say it's a wonderful opportunity to give back," Roberts said. "You can't imagine how rewarding this is.
"Sometimes you'll meet people for the first time and they're ho-hum about it, but the next time they're so excited to see you. They can't wait to have you back. I've seen that so many times."
The dogs enjoy it, too.
"I have a springer spaniel who's been doing this for two years," Roberts said. "He's 7 and he loves to visit people. His tail is going a mile a minute when we're there."
