Meeko Helps a New Friend

Today Meeko and I were doing our regular visit with a small class at a school.  Our visit went really well and the students had a great time working and visiting with Meeko.  That was awesome enough.  Meeko is truly turning into a fantastic little therapy dog.  He may only weigh 6lbs, but he really has a big heart for kids and just seems to know who needs a little extra therapy at times.

We had finished our classroom visit, exited the room and were making our way down the hall to leave when we came upon a student and a staff member sitting in the hall.  Meeko immediately went to this student, I asked the staff member if it was okay, noting that it appeared the student had been crying.  He nodded and the student asked if he could hold Meeko.  I said certainly, and placed Meeko in his lap.  Meeko looked up and began licking this child’s tears.  The child began smiling and talking to Meeko.  He had Meeko do a few a tricks, sat on the floor and played with him for a couple of minutes, got up turned to me, smiled and ran off into the classroom.

I looked at the staff member sitting on the chair who had been with this student, obviously consoling this child.  He looked at me in wonder and said, “That was the most amazing thing I ever saw.”  He proceeded to tell me that there was speaker in the class talking about smoking and the effects of it.  This student’s mother had just been diagnosed with lung cancer from smoking.  He had become upset when they began talking about it in class.  The staff member said he had been trying to console him for about 20 minutes but was unable to.  He said he had never seen anything like that happen before.  I smiled and said that is the magic of pet therapy.  We peeked in on the child in the classroom before we left, he looked back with the biggest smile ever, gave us two thumbs up.  I returned the thumbs up, smiled and winked, then as we turned and made our way down the hall, I thought, “Isn’t it amazing how our dog’s just know what to do?”  I am so proud of Meeko.  He will forever be the Chihuahua that touched the lives of so many children.  The little dog with a big heart!

Reading goes to the dogs at Butterfield Elementary (AZ)

From their school newsletter and local newspaper in AZ ! !

Butterfield Elementary School played host to community readers Monday as part of the 12th Annual Read to Kids Day; but the stars were dogs, Luke and Zoey. 

Patti Rulli and her dog, Luke, were on hand to read to kindergarten students about something they could see firsthand—a collie. 

“This dog really likes books,” said one young man, who tried to get the dog to smile for the camera. 

Rulli and fellow dog handler Bill Townsend, with his dog Zoey, are regulars at Butterfield, working with special needs students there. 

Both dogs are certified in Reading Educational Assistance. They lay quietly on the floor, surrounded by kindergarteners who petted them over and over while listening to the stories. 

Volunteers like MUSD Curriculum Director Krista Roden, dressed in a pink Mother Goose costume, read to students in Butterfield’s five kindergarten classes. Participating teachers were Kayla Colling, Jacque Irwin, Amber Jensen, Benita Polidore and Jennifer Seaman. Other readers included Maricopa Mayor Anthony Smith, Maricopa Police Chief Kirk Fitch and Assistant to the City Manager Patrick Melvin. 

Melvin read “The Grouchy Ladybug,” a story about a self-important bug with no manners who was always trying to pick a fight. 

“With kids you really have to get the animation right,” said Melvin. 

The purpose of the annual Read to Kids Day is to create a love for reading while building strong vocabularies in young children through kindergarten. 

United Way, the sponsoring organization, donates a book to the child’s classroom or library for every book a volunteer reads. In addition, every child receives a book to take home.

Volunteer Award Goes to Jasmine and Moose! - by Jasmine Grimm

Moose and I were nominated for the Humane League of Lancaster County's Henry C. Brandt Volunteer of the Year Award at their annual Wags & Whiskers Gala. 

Since KPETS are the ones who certified Moose, I thought you'd want to share in the nomination. Thank you for all you've done for me, guys! The letter for the nomination is below. 

Dear Mr. Hess,

Its difficult to even write this email to you without my eyes brimming with tears.

My heart fills with pride when I think of all the time and love that Jasmine Grimm has extended to her passions - helping people and pit bulls by bridging the gap that has been created between them over the years.

Jasmine and her pit bull Moose are always on the go.  Whether it be to comfort dying patients at Hospice, let children who have no home read to Moose, or simply using her words to reclaim a breeds integrity - Jasmine is there.

She has organized and rallied her friends, business partners, family and even complete strangers to donate, volunteer or simply lend a hand to the Lancaster County Humane League.

She is writing for Stubbydog.org to help pits worldwide and, to help us all with understanding.

All this and holding down a full time job would be too much for most of us.  Not Jasmine!  Her grit and determination combined with intelligence and caring allow her to move mountains to achieve her goals.

She has taken steps to certify her pitt as a therapy dog, one of less than 40 pit bulls certified across the USA.

She shared with me one occasion at Hospice where the patient was passing. She and Moose were the only ones there with the patient.  They knew the end was near and she said the patient looked over at her, as Moose lay gently beside him.  She said his hand stroked Moose's paw and a smile came to his face.  H
How many of us could or would withstand that type of emotional drain and still keep going?

Jasmine does and continues to do it daily. I don't know if you would consider her Volunteer of the Year, by personally, I consider her Volunteer of the Century, because that is just who and what she is.

e thanked Jasmine for bringing Moose in to see him that day.  He said it was nice "not being alone".  It was his last day on this earth.