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Downey dog walk: spring 2010

By Donna Littlejohn on April 25, 2010 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

From big dogs to little dogs -- and everything in between -- Saturday's annual spring dog walk at the Country Inn Downey seemed to draw a record crowd of people, kids and, of course, dogs. (See all the posts that include photos from previous walks.)

My dogs, Tess & Cowboy, have been participants in these walk-a-thons since fall '08 and I always enjoy seeing how the residents take to the dogs -- and how much the dogs love all the gentle attention they get when they visit.

The walks were started in summer 2008 by Manuel Guevara, the activities director at the assisted living home, as a way to get residents up, out and moving more. Offered three times a year -- summer, spring and fall -- they've become quite the affair, with numbers of participants growing each time.

Manuel teaches aerobics at the Lakewood YMCA and several of his students come with their dogs. A local church helps out with the logistics of the walk and many of the Country Inn residents invite their families and friends to attend and bring the family dogs. Some Herbalife representatives were on hand for this walk and conducted a free raffle.

But the interaction between the residents and the dogs is always the highlight of the event.

One thing I've noticed is how the dogs always seem to get residents to open up and reminisce about their former beloved pets. The man below told me all about Brutus, a dog assigned to him when he was in the military and who came home with him after his discharge. Brutus -- all black and 3/4 German shepherd, 1/4 Lab -- was never more than 12 feet away from him, he told me.

On Saturday he enjoyed petting Tess and also holding this little Chihuahua named "Pamela" who was very popular with everyone.

New this year was an effort to pose for a big, group photo. It worked pretty well:

Before the walk begins, everyone gathers in the patio with the residents for a time to check in and get acquainted. When it's time to leave, the residents -- some of whom use wheelchairs and walkers -- head out first, followed by those of us with dogs to handle. Some of the little dogs get lucky and are cradled in comfort the entire way by participants in wheelchairs.

Other dogs are left to walk in the more traditional way. (I love the little rock star hair style below!)

Shown below are "Nacho" and "Moose." One guess as to who's who:

The walk winds through the downtown district, with walkers often having to go single file. Volunteers help with traffic crossings and make sure everyone stays together. Along the way passing motorists will often wave or honk.

Volunteers pull a wheeled ice chest filled with bottled water so no one goes thirsty.

That's Manuel, above, offering a drink to "Pamela," who rode with Patty, one of the residents who used a wheelchair. Below, he asks another 4-footed participant if he wants some water.

Click on the link below to SEE MORE on the jump

Continue reading Downey dog walk: spring 2010.

Downey dog walk: spring 2010, Part 2

By Donna Littlejohn on April 25, 2010 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Once everyone arrives back at Country Inn, Manuel and volunteers grill hot dogs, served up with chips and fresh fruit, for lunch.

The dog below found a special spot beneath one of the tables. In this shot, he'd just stolen and devoured a hot dog from the plate in front of him.

Doesn't he look happy?

All's fair when full plates are left within a dog's "gulp" reach.

Here's Manuel's dog Dynomite slurping up some cold, refreshing H20.

Many, many thanks to Manuel, the volunteers and the residents -- and all the visiting dogs -- for making this grass-roots program such a success. I'm sure it's a lot of hard work to organize, but it has become such a blessing to so many.

Everyone's already anticipating the summer installment of the dog walk-a-thon.

dog walk spring 10 trio outside signs.jpg

Downey dog walk: spring 2010, assorted other photos

By Donna Littlejohn on April 25, 2010 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

More scenes from Saturday's dog walk-a-thon:

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of Tess with a group of kids who were quite smitten with her and Cowboy (shown at the left).

Eventually, Tess just flopped right over on her back for a group tummy rub (below).

Courthouse Dogs

By Donna Littlejohn on August 24, 2009 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) |

courthouse dogs best.jpg Here's yet another great way dogs are being used in remarkable ways.

The Dallas Morning News reports on a program called Courthouse Dogs in which dogs are used to calm the nerves of abused youngsters facing the prospect of testifying in court:

"Sometimes, these children will say things to the dog that they're too embarrassed to say to a person," Courthouse Dogs founder Ellen O'Neill-Stephens said. "We had a girl who had been severely abused and she could never talk about it. But she petted (service dog) Jeeter for over 90 minutes straight and she was able to tell what happened."

Stephens said the courthouse dogs, usually golden or Labrador retrievers, or mixes of the two, go through an intensive training regimen. And even then, only about 30 percent of the dogs that start out actually make it, she said.

The group's web site includes a link to a case study from the ABA Animal Law Newsletter.

HT: Dogster

Good dogs, good exercise, & VERY good therapy for all

By Donna Littlejohn on March 21, 2009 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) |

Some used walkers, others rode in wheel chairs, with more than two dozen dogs on leashes interspersed among them. And yes, we literally stopped traffic.

It was the third Dog Walk-a-thon at the Country Inn in Downey, an idea that is quickly picking up popularity and participants.

It all began last summer when Manuel Guavara, the assisted living facility's activities director and a Lakewood YMCA aerobics instructor, noticed how eager residents were to accompany him when he took his dogs, Peanut and Dynamite, out on walks during the work day.

So Manuel invited members from the community along with friends and relatives of residents who had dogs to join them for three annual dog walks (spring, summer and fall) through the neighborhood.

Cowboy, Tess and I took part in the fall walk, held around Halloween time, and I posted about it back then.

Several of the dogs from that walk returned for the spring walk today -- Cookie, Moose, and Truman, among others -- along with many new faces. Some of the best moments come when the residents have a chance to interact with the dogs.

Several of them were moved to tell me all about the dogs they'd had in their lives and how much joy they'd brought them. Having the opportunity to pet and play with the visiting dogs seems to really lift their spirits.

But the residents aren't the only ones who benefit.

The dogs? Well, they just eat up all that extra attention.

Here's Cowboy, at the right, loving the gentle touch and attention one resident lavished on him.

And Tess, left, made a very special friend as well. She sat there for the longest time at this resident's feet as he softly stroked her head.

(More pictures on the jump.)

Continue reading Good dogs, good exercise, & VERY good therapy for all.

Butt sniffing, a long walk, and romance -- what more could a dog want

By Donna Littlejohn on October 25, 2008 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) |

Cowboy & Tess are beat after a full morning participating in a special dog walk with the residents and friends of Country Inn of Downey, an assisted living residence where Carol, a friend of mine, has been staying since June.

Organized by activities director Manuel Guevara, the walk through the neighborhood with assorted dogs was designed to get people up, out and moving. And, boy, did it work.

The whole idea of having the walks came about during the summer. Manuel, who also is an aerobics instructor at the Lakewood YMCA, frequently brought his dogs, Peanut and Dynamite, with him while making his rounds at the Country Inn.

Along with the facility director's dog, Little Bit, the canines soon became a big hit with the residents. When they'd walk them outside, a number of residents began to ask if they could come with them.

"The people who wanted to go on the walk were people who didn't like to walk," he said. He realized that he'd hit on the perfect all-around therapy. What better motivation than the dogs to get residents outdoors and walking?

So this summer, Manuel organized the first official Country Inn Dog Walk-athon.

Saturday's event was only the second dog walkathon (they'll be held three times a year, summer/fall/spring). Manuel put the word out to his fellow YMCA instructors and students. Along with other assorted family members and friends, I'd say there were some 15-20 dogs, though I didn't actually count them.

The walk wasn't short -- we probably went nearly a mile. And it must have been quite sight, seeing all the folks in wheel chairs and walkers, along with all the dogs, snaking along the sidewalks through town.

Here are some of the photos I took (most will be on the jump).

Cowboy arrives.

Why does he always look like he's just been beaten?

He warmed up enough, however, to greet all the new arrivals as the crowd gathered at about 10 a.m. Among the guests were two giant schnauzers. Here's #1. Manuel, right, checked everyone in as they arrived.

This was actually Cowboy's second visit to the Country Inn. He seemed nervous the first time, but was a little more relaxed for this weekend's dog walk.

I think part of it is he hates having his picture taken!

Some people & dogs came in costume, but not us (unless you count Tess's cast for her broken toe).

This is Truman, the other giant schnauzer, with his owner, a pirate. Truman sported a coordinating pirate scarf.

(Lots of canine butt sniffing took place, as befitting any worthy dog gathering.)

At right is Mike, who knows Manuel through the Y, along with his dog Cookie, a border collie mix who is .... yeah, you got it, sniffing Cowboy's butt while he's sniffing hers.

What did I tell you?

Here's Tess getting a pat from one of the residents. (She just got her new pink-and-white cast the night before.)

The dogs all loved the attention and got along with each other famously.

(Well, for the most part. There was a brief vocal skirmish when Tess, who had already eaten 2 treats, got a little too pushy wanting a 3rd; a blind Samoyed named Bob -- is that a great name? -- let her know it was HIS turn, thank you very much.

Tess wisely surrendered and retreated in all meekness beneath my friend Carol's walker.)

More photos on the jump .....Click below

Continue reading Butt sniffing, a long walk, and romance -- what more could a dog want.

Puppy Professors

By Donna Littlejohn on September 25, 2008 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

Call them the Puppy Professors.

This Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, the dogs from PAWS to Read will be at the main reading bc.jpg Redondo Beach Library for a new Animal Assisted therapy children's literacy program.

Children can practice their reading skills by reading to one of the dogs in 15-minute sessions. "Dogs in the program help children overcome their fears by providing an attentive, uncritical, non-intimidating ear," said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, L.A. chapter. "The kids are then free to proceed at their own pace, leaving with a positive reading association."

The program, which is free and open to all readers, will be offered at the RB Library on the fourth Saturday of each month (Sept. 27, Oct. 25, Nov. 22, and Dec. 27). The library is at 303 N. Pacific Coast Highway. For information, call 310-318-0675, Ext. 6.

LA. for children

Pets: Sometimes the best therapy

By Donna Littlejohn on September 4, 2008 6:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) |

A USA Today story this week reports that nursing and senior-living homes are increasingly rewriting the rules to allow pets to move in.

"People grow up with animals, have had them all their lives, and this is their home now, so why wouldn't they have pets here?" says Helene King, communication coordinator for Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore, one of 300 facilities worldwide operating under the "Eden Alternative" philosophy, which integrates animals, plants and contact with children into daily routines to keep the elderly engaged. "It makes such a big difference in their lives." .......

"Animals re-engage people with life," says Loren Shook, who decades ago saw the positive effect of animals on the patients at the psychiatric hospitals where his family worked. Now, as CEO of Silverado (senior living homes), he has instituted a must-have-animals policy at all 17 facilities. "Having animals in our facilities reduces depression and anxiety and reduces the need for psychotropic drugs by 35%."

(Above, Phyllis Cornish pets a Pomeranian named Dakota)

Photo: Jeffrey D. Allred for USA TODAY

Continue reading Pets: Sometimes the best therapy.

« Thanksgiving | Main Index | Archives | Three dog bakery »

Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.

E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.

Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.

E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.

Recently in therapy dogs Category

Downey dog walk: spring 2010

Downey dog walk: spring 2010, Part 2

Downey dog walk: spring 2010, assorted other photos

Courthouse Dogs

Good dogs, good exercise, & VERY good therapy for all

Butt sniffing, a long walk, and romance -- what more could a dog want

Puppy Professors

Pets: Sometimes the best therapy

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