had to share

[Billsbaby]

ok so i have been brainstorming for awhile on what i can do to volunteer in my area.i finally got ahold of a christian nursing home and talked to the events coordinator,and starting the end of the month i will be volunteering 8 days a month to be a companion to some of the elderlys there.i was of course very excited,but even better news.i have been wanting for a long time to get my dog into some kind of training,hes a yellow lab and is extremely smart and ofcourse very friendly.i have been working with him since he was 6 weeks old and he does so many tricks,including actually playing hide and seek with the kids,its amazing to watch.well i asked the events coordinator if they had any programs for dogs,she gave me a number for paws ministry,and i spoke to a wonderful woman on the phone.my dog is starting training the 14th to become a companion,once hes certified we'll also have a schedule for him every month to go visit.we will be visiting nursing homes,childrens hospitals,libraries,etc... i am so excited!!!! i have always loved working with animals and am hoping this may open up some doors for me in the future to work with animals.i just had to share my exciting news...jamie

[leelee88]

This is Great!! And Labs are such loving Dogs. We have a chocolate lab named gabby. She so hyper though. But I think that is wonderful of you helping and volunteering. I used to work at a nursing home and they had a program like that, where people would bring their pets and visit with the patients. It made thier day!! Pets can be so comforting and healing...

[Billsbaby]

thanks ronda,i know my furbaby is very comforting to me when i'm sick so i know he'll make other people feel better.and he'll also make people not feel so lonely.i can't wait to start volunteering,i have always wanted to.

[SharonA]

That is so wonderful, Jamie.

[Claredale]

That is wonderful news. I know pets are such a comfort to people. I am on a email list looking for people to foster or give permanent homes to dogs. I read one the other day of a dog that was 4 years old. His owner had to give him up since his wife passed away and he had to go into assisted living. They made a note on the info that the man would love for whoever adopted him to bring him by from time to time. It was such a sad situation.

Thank you for making such a wonderful commitment!

Tracey

[dancemomof2]

That's great. We use to take our oldest GOlden that passed away to retirement homes and just loved to watch there faces when the big furry lug came to seem them and thisone old man used to have a golden and he would spend forever cuddling Montana on his bed just petting him and it was so sad but rewarding at the same time. He also like to get in his wheel chair and walk around the nursing home holding his leash like he did his dog years ago. He would sa y this way old guy and tell him your doing good, and were not as yound as we once were. I missed that. THese 3 knuckleheads would never behave well enough to do that again

[Billsbaby]

ok leslie i just posted a really long message about how wonderful that your dog made that man feel young and normal ,and it disappeared!!! i saw it post but then it was gone,there must be something wrong,it keeps happening to me,lol!!! anyway,i love to see animals make people happy,that old man probably loved spending time with your dog ,i'm sure it brought back wonderful memories for him.i am hoping i can have just 1 experience like that..i love all these stories..jamie

[dg2901]

Sounds like a wonderful plan, Jamie! :puppy:

:)
Diana

[Berkshire Road]

That is so wonderful! I was visiting my aunt in a nursing home in New Mexico recently, and one of the nurse's aides brought in her dog just to play with the residents. There were so many smiles! It is just such a great thing. I'd love to do that, but neither of my dogs has the appropriate disposition. But I am so happy to hear that you're going to do that, because when I saw how happy it made my poor old aunt and all the other residents there, I nearly cried.

[dancemomof2]

Jamie I posted today also and it poof vanished I thougthit was me LOL. Montana was my baby and I miss him alot. THere are pic of him in my photo bucket below. He is lighter old faced golden

[Billsbaby]

yeah leslie you could say riley is my baby,i always joke that i have more pics of him than my kids,and i take tons of pics of my kids.he has taken over our $900 chaise lounge,nobody sits in it except for him,lol.and he has to sleep in bed with us every night.everytime i have to run to the gas station or drug store he is always in tow.the good thing about dogs is they don't talk back,never whine,and are always happy to see you,lol

[leelee88]

That's so true Jaime.. We are thinking on getting another little dog.. December my step daughter is still having a hard time from loosing our little man snowball. So everyone says that might be a good idea..But I want to adopt one.. So we might go visit the pound..

[Billsbaby]

that is really a good idea,i know how hard it is to lose a pet.it really does help to get a new pup,and going to a pound is awesome your saving a battered dog.i have rescued a few pups from the pound and its a great feeling to save one.i hope it starts to get easier for you ronda....jamie

[VickiB]

That is a really neat thing to do, Jaime! I'm sure you & Riley will bring a lot of smiles to the residents of that nursing home.

Pets are often the best medicine!

Vicki

[dancemomof2]

Hubby calls my ottoman the $500 dog bed LOL
Ronda I think adoption is a great idea and may help her alot.

[Claredale]

I am so glad that we have adopted our little blind Aussie. It's hard work especially since she is still so insecure with us still (of course she is more attached to my son Tyler, but he left to go back to college this morning), but she is such a joy. I especially love to watch her run around the backyard with my other dog Mollie. We are going to a special vet that has worked with some blind dogs and hopefully he can give us some advice! Well...it wasn't so funny watching her run this morning. It was pouring down rain and of course Mollie loves to run through water and get as wet as possible, so Misty was right there with her. Needless to say, I was late for work!

Leslie, our ottoman is Mollie's dog bed as well. It's my chair and ottoman, but she runs to beat me to it and won't budge from "her" ottoman! I used to be able to go sit on the couch with my hubby and that would bring out her jealousy and she would come over, but she long since learned that trick! LOL!

It's bright blue skies now and I so wish I could go home and let the dogs out and watch them run.

[Billsbaby]

lol leslie and tracey!!!! funny,my hubby says the same thing to everyone about our chair.it was supposed to be my reading chair,yeah right.everytime i try to sit in it he comes up to me and seriously lays his head on the chair and whine:lmao:.we laugh everytime,he really believes its his and does not like ANYONE sitting in it.

[leelee88]

Dogs can be So funny!

[SandyRN]

That's just wonderful!! What a great idea you had! I'm very happy that you and your dog will both be able to volunteer. I have thought about that with my australian shepherd. I think she's to the point now that she's calm enough and could handle it. I want to get her into some herding classes as well.

Good for you! :)

[Claredale]

Sandy doesn't have to adopt dogs, they adopt her!

[SandyRN]

Sandy doesn't have to adopt dogs, they adopt her!

This is SO true! LOL

[pingpong]

I used to volunteer in a children's hospital, and they had therapy dogs come in and visit with the children. It was so cute to watch a staff member encouraging the toddlers to come pet the dog. They always had them pet the "non-biting" end first!

[Billsbaby]

ok ladies i got a phone call yesterday afternoon from the nursing home,and monday i am going there for 3 hours or so to help the seniors play bingo,and then helping get them all back in their rooms afterwards,i am so excited.then i got an email last night from the paws ministry,and tuesday night i bring riley for his first meeting and testing!!!! after that we have 2 more tests to go through and he will officially be a therapy dog:woohoo::woohoo:.i cannot express how excited i am,i have been home with the kids for so long,and although i love them dearly,i really need my own time away from the house.i always worked,and very fast paced work at that,and lately i haven't felt like i am the same person,my work kind of defined me,ya know?so my spirits have been definately lifted and i am so blessed to work with these seniors and try to brighten their days....jamie

[leelee88]

Omg Jamie that is so Awesome!!! When you start this would you please share your stories with us and how the residents reacts to riley .. I think what you are doing is wonderful!!!

[Billsbaby]

thanks sandy,i didn't see your post until now,thats a good idea about the herding classes,the horse farm behind us hires peoples dogs to herd for them,and just last week they had an australian shepard doing it.labs are considered working dogs,my next door neighbor works for the police force and she said they are using labs now way more often than german shepards because of how easy they learn and how good they are at sniffing things out.

[Billsbaby]

thanks ronda,i sure will.i am hoping to have many happy stories to tell,lol.i will try my hardest to put a smile on these seniors faces.and i don't have to worry about when i bring riley,everyone cheers up when you bring a dog around,lol.i keep telling my hubby it was about time that dog got a job,geesh!!!

[leelee88]

i keep telling my hubby it was about time that dog got a job,geesh!!!

:lmao::lmao:

[Billsbaby]

hey ronda what did you decide to do about rescuing a pup??i know its probably really hard right now to know whats right,but i do believe its just what your family needs,it will cheer you up tremendously.