Date: Fri 20-Dec-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

health-Ahslar-therapy-dogs

Full Text:

A Good Reason To Wag Your Tail -

Esmerelda Pays A Visit To Residents of Ashlar

B Y A NDREA Z IMMERMANN

Residents of Ashlar gathered in the community room on Monday to await the

arrival of a grey-bearded visitor sporting a familiar red cap. But it wasn't

Santa who trotted through the door.

Rather, a wrinkled, four-legged canine was the guest for the afternoon. Essie,

a certified therapy dog owned by Caroline Jessup of Newtown, made her first

visit to Ashlar and was well received by the residents. The Shar-Pei is one of

three dogs that visits the Masonic Home on Toddy Hill Road in Sandy Hook. A

videotape about the breed and Essie's visit sparked a discussion and the

sharing of memories.

"Is her tail always curled?" asked one resident.

"Her skin looks three sizes oversized!" said another.

"It think that it's nice to see them here. When do we get to see them outside

and pat them?" said Betty Fairchild. "We always had Scotch terriers when we

lived in the city [of Glaskow, Scotland], and in the country we had collies...

We should get a little kilt and dress him up as a Scotsman," she added, with a

laugh.

"I like her to be in here - she's so good and gentle," said Lois Mourot, who

fed the dog a treat. "I like her very much, this little one."

Esmerelda, who was born on Halloween ten years ago and named after a witch, is

unique in another way - she understands commands in Chinese as well as

English. And she knows the non-command phrases: Bye-bye, Take a bath, Is it

snowing, and Where are the birdies? Essie is registered as Stoney's Lake Winds

Ching-Shia and is a fourth generation Shar-Pei in this country. She has passed

the tests to be a Canine Good Citizen as well as a therapy dog.

In the late 1970s, there were only 145 Shar-Peis known to exist; the numbers

have substantially increased during the ensuring years. Also called Chinese

fighting dog, this breed is distinct in appearance with its loose folds of

skin. Because Shar-Peis are strong and intelligent dogs, they were bred in

China to guard homes, hunt wild boar or mongoose, and protect livestock

against predators.

Essie enjoys visiting with the elderly because she, too, is a senior citizen,

said Ms Jessup. "It's just so rewarding. Once you've had dogs and are an

animal person, you really miss that," she said. "You have something in common

with them and you can talk to them about it, and it brings back good memories

of dogs they had when they were younger. And just laying their hands on the

animal relaxes them and makes them feel content."

Therapy Dogs

The primary objective of the therapy dogs and their handlers is to provide

comfort and companionship by sharing the dog with the elderly, disabled,

handicapped, and terminally ill. This is done in a way that increases

emotional well being, promotes healing and improves the quality of life for

the people being visited and the staff that cares for these people.

Therapy Dogs International (TDI) is a non-profit, volunteer organization that

tests and evaluates dogs to see if they are suited to visit institutions and

facilities. There are approximately 9,000 pure-bred and mixed-breed dogs

participating in the program. No fee is charged for the dogs' visits.

According to information published by TDI, it has been clinically proven that

through petting, touching, and talking with the animals, patients' blood

pressure is lowered, stress is relieved, and depression is eased. Some TDI

volunteers and their dogs are participating in a long-term clinical study

investigating the human-animal bond as it relates to the elderly and those

with Alzheimer's disease.

TDI was founded in 1976 by Elaine Smith, a registered nurse working in

England, who observed how patients responded when the chaplain brought his

golden retriever on daily visits. Ms Smith returned to her home in the United

States and worked to establish pet therapy at health care facilities. TDI was

formed so dogs could be certified and insured as volunteer therapy dogs. Dogs

registered with TDI work in the continental US, Alaska, and Hawaii, as well as

the Bahamas and Canada.

Essie has a picture ID which indicates she is a therapy dog. She also wears a

red harness, red leash, and bright yellow tag that announces she is a TDI

participant. Before each visit to a facility, the dog is given a bath, is

sprinkled with doggie cologne, and has her nails clipped and teeth brushed.

Although Essie is getting a bit old for regular visits, Ms Jessup plans on

continuing nursing home trips with one of the dog's offsprings.

It's nice to have dogs come regularly, and not have the responsibility of

taking care of them, said dog-lover Sherwood Scott. "A lot of people look

forward to it. Seeing something like this sort of gives you a pick-up," he

said. "We have an hour of fun, and know she'll be back again."

Mr Scott values the relationship he has established with the two standard

poodles who come to Ashlar every Thursday. The dogs, owned by Jane Hellman,

are certified by the Delta Society, another national animal therapy

organization. Ms Hellman visits the community rooms of Ashlar each week, and

also goes into each room and spends a bit of time with each resident. She

makes notes on the interaction for the therapy staff who run the Back Porch

and Pilot programs.

"If you ever watched it, you would be amazed. It's wonderful," she said. "The

thing that makes me feel so good is that people who very often have no reponse

to anything, will respond to the dogs. And my dogs love it. They know where

they're going on Thursday. It's something I never miss. It really makes me

feel I'm doing something important."