Therapy Dogs to The Rescue

An interview by Barbara M. Goodearl

Not only is she an amazing caregiver, but Wendy DiGiovanni is also the official Therapy Dog provider for “Just Like Family”.

Wendy began using her two Golden Retrievers, Jackson and Simon seven years ago at Lakeland Elementary School in Elk Rapids, Michigan for the special needs students of teacher Judy Cunningham.  These 1st – 5th grade students have a variety of disabilities which sometimes prevent them from interacting with others and growing academically. Jackson and Simon visit weekly and give the children support and encouragement which increases their self-esteem and scholastic abilities.

Wendy particularly recalls a student with Autism who sat right next to the classroom door the first time she visited with Jackson.  This child wanted nothing to do with dogs or reading and was content to just observe his classmates.  The next visit found the youngster moving a bit closer to the calming and friendly dog.  By the end of the year he would grab a book, lay his head on the dog’s comfy body and read a whole story to his canine friend.

Wendy finds that children who are emotionally scarred often refuse to talk to adults, but will cozy up to a long haired friend and pour out their feelings and experiences (even thought Wendy or the teacher are sitting close enough to hear this catharsis).  The improvement in children academically and socially is astounding.

Jackson and Simon were trained by Wendy in about two years.  Jackson was first and had to endure the sound of pots crashing onto the tiled kitchen floor until he became oblivious to the noise.  He also had to be taught to ignore pills and food (which were placed on the floor) with a “Leave it” command.  Wendy took the dogs to large grocery stores and areas where there were many people, to teach them to be calm and quiet amidst chaos.

When she felt that the dogs were ready to be certified, she took them one at a time to the Therapy Dogs International dog show.  In a portion of the large room (apart from the competitions) each canine was put through its paces – showing calmness and the ability to ignore loud sounds, milling people and tempting situations.  The dogs passed and are yearly issued a new license.  All veterinary papers must be up to date and the dogs must be clean. (Wendy bathes, grooms, and cleans their ears at least twice a week.)

Wendy has found that people react very well to her dogs.  An Alzheimer patient living at a local live-in facility had lost his ability to speak when she first met him.  As the visits continued the gentleman began petting the dog, and sure enough soon began to chat with his new friend.

What a blessing we have in Wendy, Jackson and Simon.  Just one more thing that makes “Just Like Family” unique and special.

Go to www.tdi-dog.org for more information on therapy dogs.