"Paws & Hearts" is a Pet Therapy Visitation Organization serving the Coachella Valley
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Another Monday and a Volunteer Report from “Chloe” and her Mom Linda. We just featured a report a few weeks ago from Chloe, but the pictures from last week were so adorable I had to share them!
The last 2 weeks have been incredible. Everyone is so excited to see Chloe and several patients are waiting ahead of time for Chloe to arrive. Not only do the patients want to see her but the staff as well.
She has become Bayshire’s little celebrity therapy doggy!
Another Monday and a Volunteer Report from “Thor” and his Dad Bob. Every Monday morning these two do a really heart-felt visit to the residents at Vista Cove Memory Care in Rancho Mirage. This report from last week was really special as was this picture!
Gail one of the long-term residents who is always happy to see us was sitting in the recliner chair in the 1st building. Usually Gail sits on the couch and always wants Thor to jump on the couch to sit next to her. Since Gail was in the recliner chair, I was not able to place Thor next to her. Therefore Gail asked Thor to jump on the recliner with her - see attached photo (both lounging on the recliner).
There was also a resident sitting in a lounge chair just next to Gail and she is very hard to understand when she speaks. Plus her native language is German and she does not speak much English anymore. Today she asked me in her broken English, "What's his name?" I think that is the 1st time she spoke where I could understand her, but it was a very sweet breakthrough of sorts!
All in all, a lovely Monday morning for many of the residents to spend a little time with Thor!
Another Monday and a really lovely Volunteer Report from “Bailey” and her Mom Mona who visit Monterey Palms every Monday morning!
As we were walking into Monterey Palms today, two ladies said that their sister loves dogs, and she was just coming into the facility. We followed them outside, where we met Lois. She was very happy to see Bailey, & really liked her. Apparently Lois will be in there a long time, and we will see her often.
Next, some people were taking a wheelchair stroll around the block, and asked Bailey to come along, so of course we did.
We met another new woman who has been in MP for two days after 8 weeks in the hospital for surgery. She has 4 dogs at home. Bailey got up on her bed & put her head right below the womans stomach where the surgery was. The lady kept petting Bailey, & then started to cry. It was very touching. Bailey was so quiet.
Our last stop was to hang out with Janet. Up on the bed Bailey jumped, where she was hugged & played with. Janet told us at least 5 times what a difference this visit makes for her. We had a very busy morning!
The first Monday of June and a very heartfelt Volunteer Report from “Frank” and his Mom Heidi, and they are the Monday morning visitors to The Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Great visit. Frank at his best. Had the whole room laughing when we entered the basement. He greeted everyone and then pulled me to the elevator.
First floor was crowded. Frank announced himself chatting away. One family of mom and two daughters were especially interested in Frank. He gave them all loves and just kept working the room.
Great story for the finale. As we were leaving the basement for the garage a lovely woman came up to the reception desk and saw Frank. I picked Frank up so he could get closer and she loved the extra attention. She said that she is 81 and terminal but that’s ok, she is good with that. She said she wants to hug a baby elephant then talk with the elephant mom and apologize for all the problems that humans have caused. It was a very heartfelt moment and she meant every word. I wish I had a connection for that to happen. One of the Doctors was standing there and heard the conversation. She was very moved. After the lady sat down the DR asked for her name. I know we are about canines but it was something I will never forget.
We need a senior Make-A-Wish!
Another Monday Morning and another lovely Volunteer Report from “Starry” and her Dad’s David and Stephen. These three visit the Comprehensive Cancer every Friday morning. Here is their report from last week!
It was a very slow Friday at the Cancer Center. However, since there were so few people around, we were able to have longer conversations with the clients we did see.
One woman approached us on the first floor and asked if she could hold Starry. The woman was thrilled to see another Schnauzer because she had lost her own 3-year-old Schnauzer one night in December when she let her out in the backyard to p*e before bed, and the dog was attacked by an animal--any dog parent's worst nightmare. Anyway, this woman held Starry in her arms like a baby for a few minutes, and Starry didn't seem to mind too much. We felt good after the interaction because she's probably one of the clients who most needed some love from Starry that we've met so far at the Cancer Center.
We also ran into a man we've seen before in the basement. He and his wife have an Irish Setter who has two names. His American name is Lucky, and his Persian name (the husband is from Iran), is Persian for "pretty". He's always very taken with Starry, and she sat on his lap for a good 5 minutes while we talked about dog parenting. Starry lapped up his attention.
We also had a long conversation with a woman who owns a Shih Tzu, emphasis on the first syllable "s**t" she said. Apparently, her dog is very spoiled, but her mom loves her just the same. The woman told us about her dog's grooming routine and the issues with that, etc. But the whole time we listened to her, she was petting Starry, and Starry just drank it all in.
So even though it was a light day at the center, Starry was able to touch some hearts in a deeper way because we spent more time with each client. It was a nice way to end the week.
Another delightful Volunteer Report complete with new pictures from “Chloe” and her Mom, Linda, who visit Bayshire-Rancho Mirage every Monday morning!
The last couple of visits have been relatively quiet. However the patients we did see this morning were very receptive to Chloe girl. One woman in particular was waiting patiently for her to arrive. She wasn’t happy being at the facility so when we walked into her room she perked up and then she held onto Chloe for the longest period of time. We sure did make her day!
We walked in and out of rooms in skilled nursing and visited with many of the patients who were all very receptive to a visit from Chloe who likes nothing more than to be cuddled and played with!
All in all, a very productive Monday morning at Bayshire!
We have featured “Shelby” a few times recently and it is probably because she writes such a great Volunteer Report! She and her Mom Sandie visit the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional every Tuesday morning. Here is their story from last week.
Today was a longer visit than usual - not because of the numbers of patients seen, but, because people were very talkative and engaging (except for one person whom I will talk about later!).
In the basement, one of the male staff technicians was walking down the hall and saw Shelby. He stopped to pet her for a long time, giving her a whole body massage (which, of course, she loved!). He went back with a patient and then came back to pet her some more! The staff is always welcoming, but, this man just seemed enamored with Shelby today!
On first floor, we ran into a Spanish speaking woman waiting for her mom. We communicated with gestures, but, she pulled Shelby into her arms and I guess we didn’t need words after that! She was interested in Paws & Hearts, so I helped her find the Face-book page in her phone (which was all in Spanish).
On third floor, we met a woman waiting for her son in chemotherapy. She was very grateful for Shelby and talked about how difficult this journey with her son has been but, as she put it, “We received good news today and now I met Shelby. It’s been a good day!”
On the way back down, we stopped in the basement again. We met a woman who was nonstop chatter about losing her dog (turns out this happened 17 years ago!). She was very enthusiastic about our program and couldn’t say enough good things about Shelby.
We were on our way out when Shelby noticed a man sitting in the corner with his head down. We headed over there and asked if he liked dogs. He said he did, but, then shook his head and said he was having a bad day. He sort of waved us off. But, Shelby would NOT leave. She went over by him, jumped on the chair next to him. Her nose touched his hand and he started touching her. She reached across the arm of the chair and kissed him gently on his cheek. I could tell he had been crying. But, he accepted Shelby’s overtures. We stayed with him for awhile - in silence. We didn’t need words; Shelby and this man formed their own bond of affection. Eventually, we quietly left him. Shelby had done her job!!!!
Another Monday and a lovely Volunteer Report from “Muffin” and her Mom Toni. These two volunteers visit Valencia Palms in Indio, and this was the first place that “Lucky” and I started to visit at almost 25 years ago. How can that even be possible?
Anyway, a charming report from Canine Ambassador “Muffin!”
Muffin and I had a great time visiting our friends today.
Edward, who’s totally blind, was giddy when I told him Muffin liked him. I explained exactly where she was and what parts he was petting and she gave him a kiss on the mouth, which he got all gushy over.
Good news! Sheryl Lynn is doing much better and gets to get out of bed in the afternoons. She’s upset that her boyfriend left her. The lady is so boy crazy. It’s hilarious 😂.
Vicki still claims Muffin is her dog and it breaks my heart to take Muffin away from her. She’s still jabbering when we leave the room. I don’t think she realizes we left.
We look forward to visiting our friends at Valencia Palms and they look forward to seeing us!
Another Mondy morning and a lovely Volunteer Report from “Poppy” and her Mom Gail who visit Manor Care in Palm Desert every Wednesday morning.
Again this week there were quite a few of our regulars in the activity room when we arrived. That makes it easier and more enjoyable for Poppy and for me. They are all awake and out of bed so they are very happy to see Poppy. She can go from chair to chair visiting and getting hugs.
I was a little worried that Poppy would not want to go into Maggie's room this week because of the table that fell over last week and upset her. I guess she didn't remember and was her usual friendly self. In fact, Maggie said that our visit is her favorite part of her day.
One of our other favorites, Al, had not been feeling well for a few weeks and was not able to visit with Poppy. This week he was much better and he put Poppy on his lap and told her, "Thank you for your kisses.”
A perfect Wednesday morning visit for Poppy and I!
Sunday April 28th, and today is exactly one-year to the date that Drew passed away. I couldn’t let the day go by without acknowledging his loss one more time. I pretty much said all I had to say a year ago and then in August on the date of his 80th birthday. It still doesn’t seem possible that an entire year has gone by without having him around.
“Paws & Hearts” has carried on after both Valerie and Drew left us. I have to say that a lot of the ‘fun’ of running this non-profit left with them. So many little things have come up over the year that I desperately wanted to share with them. When we got a big grant check in February all I wanted to do was run to the bank with Drew, deposit it, and have P & H’s treat us to lunch like always. Talk about anti-climatic.
I’ve often said that I’m sorry that I am more than half-way through my journey with P & H’s. It has been one hell of a ride, and I would love nothing more than to start all over again because that way I could meet Drew and Emelio at that Halloween party and Drew could become my side-kick for the next 16 years. Quite honestly, the presentations to clubs and service groups this last year have been no-where near as much fun without Drew at my side. All I ever had to do was introduce him to a group and that was it, God love him, he started to talk about our program and I never got a chance to say one word! His enthusiasm and his love for our organization was evident in every word he shared with the audience. And who didn’t love him? The handsome old Greek God that he was!
In Hebrew custom I lit a yurtzit candle last night at sundown for Drew, and today I am going to see Father Ted at the Greek Orthodox Church to light a candle. This way Drew is doubly covered in heaven!
“Marefos, I can honestly say that life without you is lousy. I miss you at the office, I miss all those phone calls we shared, all the time spent together, and even the arguments weren’t so bad looking back kiddo. I’d give anything to do it all over again!” Waxman
We have another amazing volunteer report from “Shelby” and her Mom, Sandie who visit The Comprehensive Cancer Center every Tuesday morning.
Today’s nice surprise was that there were a number of patients we had interacted with before who were back again - and they remembered us, even Shelby’s name. I loved seeing their faces light up when we entered the waiting room!
One woman said the last time she was here she had her 5 year old daughter with her and that Shelby was very calm and sweet with her (Shelby loves kids!). It was heartwarming to see people’s warm reactions when they recognized Shelby. It was like greeting an old friend!
I know I’ve said this before, but, the people I least “expect” to engage with Shelby, sometimes turn out to be the most expressive and thankful. One lone man sitting by himself was a little reluctant at first to be interrupted from his phone. But, Shelby snuggled up to him and before long, he was petting her and accepting kisses! He said we turned his day into a “good” day! As always, we enjoyed all the patients we met and Shelby loved helping them feel comfortable and loved!
Another Monday and this week’s report is from “Oliver” and his Mom Abril. Oliver and Abril visit Rancho Mirage Healthcare every Tuesday morning and these two do our new volunteer training. The potential volunteers—the 2-legged ones-shadow Abril and Oliver so they can witness the most amazing example of Animal Assisted Therapy. Trust me, all of our volunteers are amazing, these two just happen to do the training for the program!
This report and the picture are just so representative of what our program is all about. When a volunteer has gone to a facility for many years and the dog is so very comfortable with the patients, this is what happens! Pictures truly are worth 1,000 words!!
Today was a mellow visit, many of our friends were sleepy. Even Oliver! He took naps on most of the patients’ laps today, that’s a little bit unusual. Still, he had a great time and everybody was super happy to see him.
One of the activity directors told me that she has heard conversations amongst the patients and they constantly talk about Oliver visiting them. She said we make such a difference in their days and they look forward to seeing us. I love the love we receive from them!
Until next week!
Monday again and this week’s report is also from one of the volunteer teams who visit the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional. “Frank” and his Mom Heidi start the week of with a Monday morning visit, and Frank is a little ball of fire on his visits!
Frank was happy to start his week off with his Monday morning visit! He was so excited he ran willy-nilly between patients. He could not see them all fast enough!
Busy morning on the first and second floors. We met a lovely lady waiting to go into surgery and Frank loved her. He sat next to her for a few minutes while she was waiting. She told Frank he was the best thing while she waited her turn. She wanted him to go with her…This was pet therapy at its very best!
It was a great visit. Frank gave out three sloppy kisses and three belly rolls. His favorite highlight was the new liver treats on the second floor. Everyone he greeted loved him!
He is snoring as I finish my report. He worked hard today…pooped pup!
A little different story for April 1st. On Friday afternoon one of our most beloved Canine Ambassadors, “Dunkin” left his Mom Suze and went to the Rainbow Bridge. Needless to say this is a lousy time for Suze.
Suze and Dunkin had been volunteers for many years visiting Premier Care in Palm Springs every Saturday morning. The pictures speak volumes about the level of love and affection Dunkin spread on every single visit he made. He would jump up on the bed, curl into the patients and just let them love on him. He was one of those dogs that could actually smile! Suze would tell Dunkin, “Go and visit Wayne,” and he knew exactly which room to head into. Dunkin was one of those special dogs who needed absolutely no training for this work, from his very first visit he instinctively knew to jump up on a patients bed, turn around and lie down so the patient could pet him on the head. Talk about an amazing angel!!
Dunkin was also part of our Paws to Read program at the Palm Springs Library. Dunkin was the most patient of all the dogs and he’d have the kids pet him and read aloud to him. He was just the best boy taking it all in knowing what a good job he was doing.
Dunkin had to retire a couple of years ago because he had arthritis and getting up and down wasn’t that easy for him. He had earned retirement and was quite content at home with his Mom.
“Dunkin” there was an amazing place waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. You made hundreds and hundreds of patients feel so much better with your visits. The words Canine Ambassador described you to a T! Rest in peace kiddo, you done good while here on earth, and you will never be forgotten!!!
The last Monday of March and a lovely report from “Bailey” and her Mom Mona, who visit Monterey Palms every Monday morning. Here is their latest report!
Bailey & I arrived to Monterey Palms early today, and Bailey pulled me right into the activity room where we greeted everyone as usual. A resident was helping another resident who is blind with some activity at a table. The blind man wanted to pet Bailey, so she jumped up on a chair. I slid the chair next to him so that Bailey was right at petting height!
Once again Bailey sat on the bed with Cheryl, as she chatted away asking Bailey how are you? She sat with Janet and played with the stuffed goat.
Today, Bailey jumped up on the most beds ever. One lady wanted Bailey on her bed, so Bailey jumped up, and the lady started to cry. I couldn't understand her, but I'm quite sure she has had a dog. Then Bailey got down, & turned around and jumped back up on her bed again! That almost made me cry.
Everyone loves Bailey! And we love our Monday morning visits!
This week’s Volunteer Report from “Billy” and his Mom Kerry who visit Atria, Palm Desert, every Tuesday morning. Billy was an extra special Canine Ambassador on this visit!
A beautiful day weather wise had most of our visits taking place on the patio today.
Billy greeted his friends like he had not seen them in forever! Lots of “talking” and if I were to interpret, I believe he said “It’s been so long, I’ve missed you so much!”
He made his way around to everyone and even found a way to get his ears scratched by one person and have his t**h scratched by another at the same time! All the while showing them both how much he enjoyed their touch.
On a slightly scary note, one resident who is almost mobile and walking was bent over petting Billy when she started to go faint. She was leaning on him and his old “balance dog” training kicked in until a chair arrived and she was checked out by staff. All is well!
Another Monday and back to our weekly Volunteer Reports! This week we have the best report with the most adorable pictures from “Poppy” and her Mom Gail, who visit Manor Care in Palm Desert every Wednesday morning. This is last week’s report. Enjoy!
Poppy and I had a nice visit this week. It was sad not to see Jackie waiting for us in the lounge. However, we did get to see our other friends. Nina was not smiling when we walked into her room, but her face lit up when Poppy jumped onto her bed. You can see her in the first picture. As usual she was talking to me in Russian but when I pointed to a picture on her wall and said the man was handsome, she told me in English that he was her husband and that the two people in the other pictures were her and her daughter.
Charlotte loves to see Poppy, and as you can see she was very happy today. But, as usual, she kept saying Poppy was a man.
David is not very talkative but always loves to have Poppy visit. His daughter visits with her dog.
Two of our favorite ladies are now sharing a room and they are so happy to be together. It's nice for us because we can have a conversation with both and Poppy can be on Jan's bed being petted the whole time. She does visit Barbara, as well.
The first Monday in March and something different to report on this week. Most of you know that last summer we started our very own Volunteer Book Club and we meet the last Wednesday of every month.
Last fall we had a local author come and give us a talk on his set of delightful books that are set in Palm Springs. But last week, we had an author from Key West, Lucy Burdette give us a Zoom presentation!
Lucy is the author of a series of Key West Mysteries and I have read each and every book. She has a dog that looks like Terry and I emailed her last fall and told her about our budding book club and she offered to have a Zoom with us.
She is every bit as charming as her books are! She told us how the idea for the series got started, she gave us a sneak preview of the two newest in the series and we all had such a good time with her! She got to see Terry in my arms and we got to meet her dog .
We hope more of our volunteers will join our monthly group. We have a really good time!
On Valentine’s Day, the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional had a little thank-you celebration for our 7 volunteers who visit every week. Everyone at the center were very kind to the volunteers. Not only were they treated to coffee and treats, but gift bags were given out and the Canine Ambassadors were each given diplomas for their service!
A lovely time was had by all, as the pictures show. Thanks to everyone who attended!
This volunteer report is from “Thor” and his Dad Bob, and they visit Vista Cove every Monday morning. This is a bit of a tough visit as Vista Cove is a memory care facility and sometimes the residents are hard to communicate with. However, Thor does an excellent job of getting responses from his fan club on Monday’s!
Today Selene, the Activities Director brought in her new 4-month old long hair French Bulldog and both dogs visited with the patients today. The patients who love dogs really enjoyed the double treat and both dogs got along.
Also there was a new patient who had a massive bruise on her right arm (most likely had fallen). Selene had asked the patient if she had fallen, the patient said "yes a few years ago". Once Thor was sitting next to the new patient, she started petting Thor with the bruised arm as though it did not hurt. The arm did look painful, but at least Thor was a good diversion!
This volunteer report is from “Poppy” and her Mom Gail and they visit Manor Care every Wednesday morning. You will see just how busy Poppy is on her weekly visits from this delightful report!
Not sure how we did it, but we saw 32 residents today. Many of them were new people. Some were very short visits. Poppy has become a celebrity and when someone new comes in, usually for rehab, he or she hears about her and then asks that we visit.
One of the new residents said today that she was so lonely and it made her so happy to see Poppy. She told Poppy, "I love you so much." It's obvious to me that Poppy has her favorites and those are the ones we spend a little more time with.
Today, as Poppy was licking Sharon's face and cuddling with her, she asked me, "Does she do that with everyone?" I'm happy that she feels that Poppy loves her the most. It makes her feel special and brings a little joy to her life.
The start of February and our first Volunteer Report of the month is from “Chloe” and her Mom Linda who visit Bayshire-Rancho Mirage every Monday morning.
The last two visits have been very uplifting. Many of the patients who have been there for a while look forward to Monday mornings because they know that they'll have the opportunity to visit with Chloe who often makes their day. The resident in the picture adores Chloe and wanted to spend all morning with her!
The last Monday of January and we’ll finish the month with a Volunteer Report from our Friday team who visit the Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Starry” is quite the star of these visits!
Starry and David visited the Cancer Center today without Stephen, and we missed him, but he'll be back soon. On this first Friday of 2024, the basement was empty, but the first and second floors had plenty of people to visit.
On the second floor, we visited one older couple who had two senior dogs that they had to put down last year, so they were itching for some canine love. Starry jumped up on the chair next to the man and she enjoyed getting a lot of attention from him. They were very appreciative of Starry's visit.
Just after we finished our visit with them, a young woman came off the elevator, saw Starry and asked, "Is that a Schnauzer?" When I responded affirmatively, she asked permission to take some photos and pulled out her phone, saying that she loved Schnauzers. Then Tanya, the receptionist, came over with her phone and snapped a few pics of her own. Starry felt like she was being pursued by the paparazzi! I'll send in some of Tanya's photos to add to Starry's P&H portfolio because they're some of the best photos of Starry I've seen. Anyway, people who witnessed this photo shoot started asking me about Starry, so it was a real conversation starter in the waiting area. Starry was the center of attention, and she loved every minute.
On the first floor, we met a woman waiting for a treatment who's also a nurse in the newborn ward at Desert Regional. She loves dogs and has a golden retriever of her own. She said she's known about P&H for many years and was so glad to meet Starry.
It was a full day at the Cancer Center! Hopefully, the next Friday we're there, Stephen will be with us, along for the ride.
Another Monday in January and another charming Volunteer Report from one of our Comprehensive Cancer Center volunteer teams. This report is from Winston and his little girl “Ernie Banks!” Yes, in this case, Ernie is a girl!
It's funny how things sometimes happen in themes. Yesterday's theme was "show me photos of your dog on your phone." I'm always happy to look at photos of dogs! Yesterday five people showed me their cuties on their phones. It was a nice visit.
Margie, who didn't have any treatment scheduled, still came to see Ernie, as she's done a number of times. Ernie is always happy to see her. Met some new people, including one woman who said she still wasn't over the loss of her dog two years ago. But when she saw how much fun Ernie was having, she said she might be ready. She started talking about finding a breeder, and I suggested she might find the perfect dog in one of our local shelters, and I think I convinced her to give that a try. I gave her the names of three organizations, and she wrote them down in her phone. YES!
Our second Volunteer Report in this year was from “Muffin” and her Mom Toni, and they visit the facility that we started at 24 years ago, Valencia Palms. Muffin and Toni walk the halls, stopping into rooms to visit the residents every Tuesday morning and this is their story from their first visit of 2024, complete with photo!
Our first visit of the New Year, but today there were several empty beds, so Muffin and I went and saw some residents who were there for rehab.
Muffin had fun in the activity room, that had 7 residents all excited to pet her. They all had questions about her. I said to a couple Spanish speaking residents, “Mi pero se yama Muffin,” (My dogs name is Muffin.) One of the residents started speaking to me in fluent Spanish as she was petting Muffin and I was totally confused. The other resident acknowledged what I said, and I think understood that I knew no Spanish, but called her Muffin anyway!
All in all, a lovely visit to start the New Year!
Our first Volunteer Story of the year was sent in last Tuesday by “Shelby” and her Mom Sandie. They were our first volunteers of the year to visit the Comprehensive Cancer at Desert Regional last week!
Today turned out to be a good visit, as usual. It started out slowly because there were so few patients, but, we hung around and visited with the people who were there and over the course of the morning, more people came.
One man said he lost his Pug about a month a month ago. I asked him if he had thought about getting another dog - absolutely, another Pug! And a puppy at that! Reminded me how addicted to a breed we can become!
Many people commented today on how calm Shelby was. I think she just wanted to greet, get pets, and cuddle - and that’s what they wanted from her. I love seeing people’s faces “light up” when Shelby approaches them.
It’s tempting, at times, to skip the lone person sitting apart from everyone in the corner, or the person “engrossed” in their phone. But, we always go up to those people even though it can be a little awkward at first because they give the impression they are occupied and don’t really care about us. But, almost 100 per cent of the time, those people talk the longest and are the most appreciative of our attention. Their reaction assures me that people don’t want to be overlooked. One woman actually told me she was happy I “came all the way over to her” so she could interact with Shelby!!! We try to “pick up” people who come to the waiting room while we visited with others. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned!
An excellent first visit of 2024!! Here’s to a year full of great visits!
42-600 Cook Street, Ste. 138
Palm Desert, CA
92211
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