[nagdu] Dog Therapy and Paws that Heal
Haben Girma
habnkid at aol.com
Fri Feb 13 03:45:07 UTC 2009
Excellent!
lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
> Hi Haben,
> Looks like we have a new member of the Paws That Heal staff!! Both
> person and dog passed their three interviews and now there just
> paperwork to complete. We're happy - the new team members will do great!
>
> Linda and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 7:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog Therapy and Paws that Heal
>
>
>> Hi Linda,
>>
>> The governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia do not get along at all,
>> they've been at the verge of war for the last few years, with
>> fighting breaking out at the border every now and then. The typical
>> civilian does not hate the civilians of the other country. I have
>> family on both sides of the border, and quite a lot of people have
>> family on both sides. The cultures are very similar, almost
>> identical, and some parts of each country share languages. Most
>> Eritreans don't like Ethiopia, but they have Ethiopian friends.
>>
>> Yes, I was able to read the attachments. I use ZoomText, so the pdfs
>> weren't a problem. I hope the interview with the woman goes well.
>>
>> I hope to have a dog by this summer, I'm in the application process
>> with The Seeing Eye at the moment. I've heard lots of good things
>> about that place.
>>
>> best,
>> Haben
>>
>> lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
>>> Hi Haben,
>>> Thanks. We have alot of Eritrians here in San Diego. I heard that
>>> the Eritreans and the Ethiopians don't like each other - is this
>>> true? I hope not - I don't like people having age-old grudges
>>> against each other - you know - it limits your friendships with
>>> people. (grin!)
>>>
>>> Were you able to read the Paws That Heal attachments I sent you? I
>>> know that screen readers and PDF files don't always agree with each
>>> other. Tell me what you think.
>>>
>>> Tomorrow, we're interviewing a local woman and her guide dog for the
>>> Paws program. I want to make sure we have another good person in it
>>> before I have to leave in July.
>>>
>>> I don't know if I missed something - do you have a dog? If so, what
>>> kind is it and what's its name? I do know that we have people on
>>> the list who are between dogs, exploring the possibilities for a
>>> first dog. My dog Landon is a Golden/Lab mix and he's red. He's
>>> from the Seeing Eye in New Jersey.
>>>
>>> Take care,
>>>
>>> Linda and Landon
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 5:13 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog Therapy and Paws that Heal
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thanks for the articles, Linda!
>>>>
>>>> I identify as female, born in California with family from Eritrea,
>>>> East Africa. Haben is actually a gender neutral name in Eritrea, so
>>>> it's a legitimate question all around. I like the ambiguity,
>>>> especially when filling out applications for various things.
>>>>
>>>> best,
>>>> Haben
>>>>
>>>> lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
>>>>> Hi Haben,
>>>>> Attached are a couple of articles and a flyer aboout the Paws That
>>>>> Heal program. One article and the flyer are in PDF files and the
>>>>> other article is in a work doc.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can't tell from your name if you are a male or female - I just
>>>>> like to know what I'm talking to! (grin). What nationality is
>>>>> your name? I'm half Polish. It took me an age to find out that
>>>>> Marion Gwizdala is a man!
>>>>>
>>>>> Enjoy the articles.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Linda and Landon
>>>>>
>>>>> PS: Your home e-mail didn't work so this is on the list.
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2009 7:03 PM
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Dog Therapy and Paws that Heal
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Linda, I am absolutely intrigued! That is such a lovely program!
>>>>>> I really hope I can find something like that in the Portland,
>>>>>> Oregon area. I am a college student currently taking an
>>>>>> anthropology class that requires students to go out and do
>>>>>> fieldwork. I am considering doing something with Guide Dogs for
>>>>>> the Blind in Boring, Oregon. Right now I'm going to search the
>>>>>> Internet for a dog therapy program in Portland. Thanks for
>>>>>> sharing LInda!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Haben
>>>>>>
>>>>>> lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Haben,
>>>>>>> There is no web page for Paws That Heal. We are a 3 year old
>>>>>>> program that is run out of the Health & Wellness Department for
>>>>>>> the Naval Medical Center of San Diego. The program manager is
>>>>>>> their Diabetes Instructor. She is visually impaired with a guide
>>>>>>> dog and she started the program after an encounter in the
>>>>>>> elevator with a Wounded Warrior in her building. The
>>>>>>> servicemember had a profound stutter and it took him five
>>>>>>> minutes to stutter out, "May I pet your dog?" My friend - the
>>>>>>> instructor - allowed him to pet her dog and the stutter went
>>>>>>> away just like that! He then shared his war experiences with
>>>>>>> her - the servicemember was wounded in Iraq.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Anyway, the Diabetes instructor happens to have been a friend of
>>>>>>> mine for years. She also knows several of the other guide dog
>>>>>>> users in the San Diego area who already had a program with the
>>>>>>> local blind center where we bring our dogs to an outdoor, fenced
>>>>>>> in dog park to allow the guide dogs play time together. We had
>>>>>>> exclusive use of one of the fenced in areas for two hours once a
>>>>>>> month. The friend of mine worked with us and her chain of
>>>>>>> command at the hospital and permission was granted to bring
>>>>>>> several wounded servicemembers to the park to play with our dogs
>>>>>>> - and Paws That Heal was born. We also have a portion of the
>>>>>>> program where we go to the locked mental health ward to work
>>>>>>> with the servicemembers with PTSD and depression. More great
>>>>>>> stuff happened as well.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I do have a flyer for the program but it is in a PDF file and
>>>>>>> turned sideways - don't know if a screen reader can desipher it!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> The program manager has written to Marion Gwizdala and he in
>>>>>>> turn had her contact Mike Hingson about the program. We are
>>>>>>> looking for some new teams to work with us who live in the San
>>>>>>> Diego area. The Paws program happens three times a month at the
>>>>>>> hospital so we need people who can get there, can commit the
>>>>>>> time, and pass the interviewing process - both human and dog.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I forgot, where do you live?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> HTH
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Linda and Landon
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma" <habnkid at aol.com>
>>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>>>>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 1:13 AM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Welcome Haben
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Linda, those volunteer programs sound awesome! Would you send
>>>>>>>> me the web address for Paws that Heal? I'd love to read more
>>>>>>>> about it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> thanks,
>>>>>>>> Haben
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> lindagwizdak at peoplepc.com wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Welcome to the list, Haben.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I'm Linda and I live in San Diego - soon to move to Vermont.
>>>>>>>>> Landon is my 3 year old red Lab/Golden cross from The Seeing
>>>>>>>>> Eye. I got him in the October 2007 class. I am 58 years young
>>>>>>>>> and have not had a paid job in eons. I've done lots of
>>>>>>>>> volunteer jobs to get experience to put on a resume! Right
>>>>>>>>> now, Landon and I work at two pet therapy programs. One for
>>>>>>>>> the Humane Society where we visit various facilities for
>>>>>>>>> disabled kids and adults. Landon is certified by the AKC's
>>>>>>>>> Canine Good Citizenship Test. Landon is their program's first
>>>>>>>>> actual working assistance dog they've had. Lots of guide dog
>>>>>>>>> and service dog pups, but we are their first working team to
>>>>>>>>> be in the program. The other one is a program called Paws
>>>>>>>>> That Heal that is at the Naval Medical Center of SD. Both
>>>>>>>>> Landon and I had to pass a series of interviews for this. We
>>>>>>>>> do a combo pet therapy, socialization, and reintegration work
>>>>>>>>> with our Wounded Warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan. We work
>>>>>>>>> mainly with the patients on the mental health ward.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Haben, you'll enjoy this list - it's alot of fun.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Linda and Landon
>>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Haben Girma"
>>>>>>>>> <habnkid at aol.com>
>>>>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>>>>>>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 9:27 PM
>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Welcome Haben
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Hi Mardi, thanks for the explanations. I love the names of
>>>>>>>>>> your dogs. I actually don't have a dog, I'm in the
>>>>>>>>>> application process for a Seeing Eye dog right now. So, I'm
>>>>>>>>>> patiently waiting to learn my fate.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>>>>>> Haben
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Mardi Hadfield wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> Hi every one, Welcome Haben. No, I don't live in
>>>>>>>>>>> Alaska. My Huskies
>>>>>>>>>>> are "south paws" We live in Tucson, Arizona. When I first
>>>>>>>>>>> needed a guide
>>>>>>>>>>> dog, I was told that the schools did not train for
>>>>>>>>>>> wheelchair users.Since I
>>>>>>>>>>> already had a service dog, who was a husky, I hired a
>>>>>>>>>>> trainer to help me
>>>>>>>>>>> train Lily to guide me. I had to retire her at age 8 as she
>>>>>>>>>>> had health
>>>>>>>>>>> issues and she died month later, leaving me with out a guide
>>>>>>>>>>> dog. I tried
>>>>>>>>>>> out a border collie and he did not work out as he had been
>>>>>>>>>>> abused before I
>>>>>>>>>>> got him and he could not handle being out in public. Then I
>>>>>>>>>>> got another
>>>>>>>>>>> husky, Nala,who was a fantastic guide. She will soon be 10
>>>>>>>>>>> years old and has
>>>>>>>>>>> health issues now.She has guided me for 8 years and it has
>>>>>>>>>>> been hard to
>>>>>>>>>>> retire her as she does not want to retire. When she sees me
>>>>>>>>>>> getting ready to
>>>>>>>>>>> go out, she brings me her harness and get all excited. She
>>>>>>>>>>> started picking
>>>>>>>>>>> fights with Wanagi, the dog that I was training to take over
>>>>>>>>>>> for Nala. She
>>>>>>>>>>> is a lot happier now that she is working again part time.
>>>>>>>>>>> Wanagi came up
>>>>>>>>>>> lame with a hip problem, so she was career changed. I am
>>>>>>>>>>> keeping her as a
>>>>>>>>>>> pet. I have been looking for a dog to take over as my new
>>>>>>>>>>> guide for over 10
>>>>>>>>>>> months. I think I have finally found a dog.I would love to
>>>>>>>>>>> get a dog from
>>>>>>>>>>> Fidelco,but when I asked about it ,I was told that they
>>>>>>>>>>> don't train for
>>>>>>>>>>> wheelchair users.I would have to pay my way to and from
>>>>>>>>>>> South Eastern Guide
>>>>>>>>>>> Dogs, which I could not afford, and really can't be away
>>>>>>>>>>> that long. Guide
>>>>>>>>>>> Dogs for the Blind would take me ,but again, I can't be away
>>>>>>>>>>> from my home
>>>>>>>>>>> and business that long. So I guess I will just continue to
>>>>>>>>>>> train my own
>>>>>>>>>>> guides with the help of my trainer. Haben, do you have a
>>>>>>>>>>> guide dog? If so ,
>>>>>>>>>>> what breed is it? I love hearing from others and about their
>>>>>>>>>>> dogs. Have a
>>>>>>>>>>> great day, Mardi and Nala,semi-retired, and Shaman ,
>>>>>>>>>>> possible trainee.
>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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