Chester Wins Their Hearts

Chester won the hearts of the judges at Calcareous Vineyards pet-costume-contest. He took home Best of Show ~~ meaning, he gets to pick out a treat from PetCo and I get to take home a delicious bottle of Chardonnay from the vineyard.  I'd say it's a win win for sure !

Prison Visit #2 - Sunshine and Blue Skies

(in the grand order of blog posts......this actually should be sandwiched between Prison 101 (our first visit when the storm hit)  & Graduation Day .....  It just took me awhile to gather my thoughts and write.....)

The day had finally arrived. And thankfully the day dawned calm and clear on California's Central Coast. ~~no storm or thunder or lightening, just bright blue sky, with a few whispy clouds of white. Chester's kind of day. It was time for our second visit to the Men's Colony, and hopefully a day we would meet the 15 men in the Paws for Life training program, the inmates who had been chosen to train & rehabilitate rescue dogs.

Before leaving home, I took some time to sit quietly, and pray....asking God to help us bring His love and kindness to the lives we would touch on this Sunday.  My Bible literally fell open to Matthew, and  these words jumped off the page... Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for Me.  I knew that I knew, I was not alone.  And so, with my pockets packed with pupperonis, Chester and I drove to the California Men's Colony ~~ and I assured my buddy that the day would unfold better than our last scary-thunder-visit.

I don't know how to describe the morning at the prison. It's like trying to capture a sunset with a black and white photo. Or measure the ocean with a thimble. Impossible to tell you. But I will try to share a glimpse.

....After being escorted through security and numerous clanging gates we arrived at our destination.  Picture 15  men in blue scrubs, sitting on folding chairs in a semi circle in an old gymnasium. Armed guards standing at every corner. A handful of people from the PAWS program and my friend Lisa,  the trusted trainer, seated alongside the men.  As the inmates settled in, Chester and I greeted each one, I with a handshake and encouraging word, Chester with warmth and wags.  He thoroughly sniffed each one ~~ obviously picking up & enjoying the scent of canine of their uniforms. Since the men did not have their pups with them,  Chester had their undivided attention, and he poured on the doggie love.

After being introduced by Lisa,  I stood in the center of the gym with Chester sitting at my side.  I talked with them  about Chester, myself, pet therapy.  We did a few demonstrations with enthusiastic audience participation ~ then I began sharing Chester 'tails' with the men.   All were attentive and engaged. Nodding. Asking appropriate questions. However, as time went on, it was clear one individual was not engaged. ....Chester. He was totally bored.  My visual aide was droopy and pathetic. Seriously?  Seriously.

As I've said so many times, I've learned to listen to my furry friend. And so, rather than stand in the middle, speaking eloquent & dazzling tails with my "visual aide" bored out of his furry mind,  I decided to stroll  around the edge of the circle while I spoke,  closer to the men.

As soon as the men could reach out and touch my friend, or I should say, as soon as Chester could reach out and touch the men, he transformed from pathetic pup to dazzling dog, wagging and smiling. I stopped mid sentence and said to them, "Whoa, did you see what just happened with Chester? THIS is pet therapy! He doesn't want to listen to me say blah blah blah, he wants to be with you! You."  Laughter erupted.  ...."And you want to be with him, don't you?"

And so I changed my PLAN A, and shifted to something else. I don't even know what I shifted to. I just let it unfold. I walked the edge of the circle and talked story, letting Chester and the men have their time. Chester gave nuzzles, some slobbery smooches, a calming gentleness, and a swishing- waggy tail that just seemed to bring a life-giving breeze.  The men responded with gentle touches. Soft, kind whispers. Stories of their own dogs from long ago. Ear rubs and back massages. When Chester waited. I waited. When Chester moved forward, I moved with him. And so went our morning.
 
This was Chester's job. His delight.  And he knew this was why we had come. Not to be out-of-reach. But within touch. I could bring words of encouragement and hope, and tell pet therapy stories til the cows come home, but that was only a piece of the puzzle. Chester could bring physical touch. And unconditional love to the mix.  Touching Lives Warming Hearts it's what he does best.

As I drove home.  The morning replayed over and over in my mind.  These men. Many of them lifers. They would not get out of prison. But we had the privilege of going in. And what a privilege it was.

I often wonder if Chester is getting ready to retire. And then we have days like today. And I know we're not done yet.  Good job buddy.  I'm so proud of you. You walked back into thunder alley....and hit it out of the ballpark.  Ice cream for you tonight!

Prison Again....Graduation Day....Kleenex Please

Just a few thoughts on yesterday. Yesterday, behind prison walls and fences, I attended one of the most memorable and touching graduations ever: PAWS FOR LIFE, prison program, inmates rehabilitating and training rescue dogs. . Kleenex please. A few weeks back Chester and I were invited & honored to meet and speak with the men about Pet Therapy. We were invited back for graduation day. 15 men. 5 dogs. You should have seen each man, in prison uniform, proudly receiving his diploma. And the dogs ~~ calm ( well, mostly calm smile emoticon ), obedient, and well-loved. All passed with flying colors. When I arrived, I had time to speak with each of the men, shake hands, tell them how proud I was of them (and how proud they could be of themselves!), and listen to some of the 'tails' of his paws-for-life-journey. One man, moved to tears, stroking 'his dog's soft ears and head, quietly said to me, "These dogs come here afraid, battered, and abused from off the streets. If they weren't in this program, well, they'd probably be euthanized. No one has ever taken the time to love them, be patient with them, teach them, have compassion. My dog, well, he was a lot like me...." He paused and looked at me, his eyes were not only filled with tears, but with hope, and with pride. It was crystal clear, his 4-legged friend was not the only life changed. heart emoticon kleenex please.

Thank you Lisa Horowitz my friend, and superstar dog-trainer who is full of wisdom, love, PATIENCE, and compassion. PAWS FOR LIFE is blessed to have you, and you my friend are the reason 15 men and 5 pups are being given hope and a second chance.

PS Stay tuned... In the days ahead I will share the tail of our (Me & Chester) second trip to prison, the one that happened after the lightening storm lock down. Lifechanging.

Prison 101

 Yesterday, Chester and I went to Prison.  A FIRST for me and my pup.

 I didn't know what to expect... but NOTHING went as planned. NOTHING.

My friend Lisa, dog trainer extraordinaire, is piloting a program at the prison called PAWS FOR LIFE. Lisa was chosen by PAWS to be the trainer. Lisa works alongside the inmates who are accepted into the program, teaching them how to train and rehabilitate the rescue-dogs. She is doing an amazing job. And as you can imagine...the dogs are not the only ones who are rescued and rehabilitated.

Lisa and the PAWS FOR LIFE program invited me to share with the inmates about Pet Therapy.  I felt honored, And for Chester......well, it was just another opportunity to meet new friends :-).

Of all things, ........., the night before our visit, and during our visit, there was this STORM that landed on the Central Coast of California. Seriously, a STORM?  We have not had rain, let alone a real STORM for y.e.a.r.s. ~~  I mean YEARS.  All night long, Thunder. Lightening. LOUD BOOMS. Lots of rain.  Though I was woo-hooo-for-the-rain, I was not so woo-hoo about the thunder booms for my buddy.

Chester doesn't do so well with fireworks or cracks of lightening or booming thunder. Let's just say he gets rather stressed.  And needless to say when Sunday morning arrived, my buddy was not in his best form for a therapy visit to prison.   Had it been any other situation I would have cancelled, but because of security issues and scheduling, we needed to move forward with Plan A. I promised him TREATS big time.

Our team met together in front of the prison, and after passing through the security process,  the  5 of us + Chester were driven to a point of entry where the men and dogs were located.

We entered through 3 tall fenced clanging gates with the barbed wire loops on top.  We all signed in again and waited in an outdoor courtyard area .... in the rain ...with the booming thunder noise loud and close.

And then...while standing in this courtyard, a guard informed us we could not meet with the inmates......the prison had gone into lock down.

Really?

Apparently, a lightening bolt struck very close to a guard tower. Too close. And rather than risk the possibility of a power outage due to lightening strike...well, the prison just shut-er-down and went on generator mode.  And lock down.

I think that meant we were sort of on lock down as well.  The 5 of us + Chester stood and waited.

And then .... this series of events occurred.   For privacy reasons, I cannot tell you what happened.   But I will say, as this crisis unfolded, all 5 of us +Chester, were exactly where we needed to be in exactly the right moment in time  

NOTHING went as planned. But His timing was perfect.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chester and I hope to return to prison soon (on a bright SUNNY day), so we can meet the inmates who are doing this good work with the pups.   When we do ...  I will bring rib eye steak treats for Chester.   He totally deserves it.

When Caregivers Need the Love-n'

I was told that Mr. P might like a visit from Chester. In the past, Mr. P totally enjoyed large dogs. All were in agreement, Chester just might be a good fit for
 Mr. P during his Hospice Care.

And so, Chester and I went.

 My GPS lead me to a residential home. The home, converted into a care-home was lovely.  Mrs. P greeted me with a tender and appreciative hug.  She introduced me to the staff, then  lead me down the hallway to  Mr. P's room.  It was bright, full of light ~ with one hospital bed positioned close to the large window, 2 wing back chairs, and  a small dresser and a nightstand. The walls were simply decorated with  one of Mrs. P's beautiful handmade quilts and family pictures.

Chester and I attempted to meet and greet Mr. P with all the doggy charisma he could muster. However, as it turned out, Mr. P was not so interested in the big dog. In fact, maybe even a bit annoyed.  We tried paws up at the end of the bed. Chester smiled, "Cheese!".  Not connecting. We tried edging close to Mr. P's hand, so he could pet Chester's soft furry head. Nope- not interested.  I used treats to lure Chester's fuzzy head through the side railings, nudging Mr. P with a wet nose and a tender muzzle-nuzzle. But Mr. P was not interested at all. In fact, Mr P, who talked very little, mustered up the strength to say to Chester and me and Mrs. P with conviction... "Too Precarious!" To that we laughed -- knowing that Mr. P's strength and humor were still tucked inside his failing body.

It was clear....Mr P and Chester were not a fit.

However....the unexpected,  unfolded.   After each attempt to connect with The Mr., Chester would settle down next to The Mrs., snuggling by her chair, at her feet, or leaning into her side for a scratch behind the ears.  Chester and Mr. P may not have connected, but Chester and Mrs. P clearly did.

The road of a loved-one and caregiver on the Hospice Journey,  can become long.

Enter Chester and his 'mom'.

Our once a week visits became a bright spot in Mrs P's week. And ours.  When Chester pranced in, Mr. P's room became homey...and Mrs.P's load became a bit lighter.  And while Mr P rested in bed, Mrs P and I visited about teaching and travels and dance and pilates and concerns about Mr. P and sewing and art and family.  During our conversations, Chester would nestle at her feet, or lean into her legs.

Chester enjoyed visits with Mrs. P. The staff greeted him with warm hugs. Chester liked cruising through the kitchen on his way to Mr. P's room, nose twitching and savoring whatever was being cooked up for lunch. He delighted in annoying the two little doggies who lived upstairs, and he totally loved poking his head into Mrs J's room who had more pictures of dogs up on her walls than people.  Mrs. J would tell us each week how she didn't like those yippy dogs who lived upstairs but she LOVED BIG DOGS like Chester. She would always give the BIG DOG a hearty hug, and sometimes throw the tennis ball for him...down the slippery hallway...and he would scramble extra LOUD to retrieve it, just so the yippy dogs upstairs would know he was there, in THEIR house, having fun! :-).

After months of visits, Chester began to disconnect. I wasn't sure what was going on with my buddy, but it was clear he was not so-much interested in being in Mr P's room, or at Mrs P's feet. Minutes after arriving, he was ready to go ~~ his big brown eyes were on the doorway, he tugged at his leash to leave,  his tail drooped, and overall he was edgy, not relaxed one little bit. Did he know more than I did, that our time was done?  Mrs. P commented, "I don't think he likes being here anymore."  :-(

She was right, and this was a tough call for me. If Chester was burning out, for whatever reason, I needed to pay attention and respect what was going on with my buddy. However, I knew the visits meant so much to Mrs P and I hated to end our time together while we were still needed.  I wrestled with what to do, not knowing how much longer Mr. P would be with us.

Over the weekend I pondered and prayed, gathered advice from pet therapy friends and trainers, AND,  I took Chester for a long walk at the coast. He romped and ran off-leash for hours and just enjoyed being a d..o.g. !  The spot by the sea where I chose to 'play' just happened to be near Mr. and Mrs. P's home.  It was a last minute decision to go to this spot. I thought it was 'my' last minute decision.

Though I doubted Mrs P would be at home, (usually, 7 days a week,  at this time of day, she was by Mr P's side), I decided to drop by before making the 1/2 hour trek back to our house.

Mrs P greeted me at the door. We embraced, and then she said....."Mr P died this morning."

oh no.....

She told me she had just walked in the door, she was home alone, and was making some calls to her children. Her phone rang, and after answering, she motioned for Chester and me to come inside.

Talking to her daughter, Mrs. P smiled warmly and said, "You'll never guess who's here... Chester!"

After wrapping up her conversation, Mrs. P gave Chester a delicious bowl of cool water. 2 bowlfuls. He slobbered and drooled all over her clean shiney floor. I asked for paper towels please :-) .

We sat together in the study, overlooking the gorgeous rugged coastline. Chester leaned into Mrs. P's legs, she stroked his head and back as she told us the details of the morning and her last few days with Mr. P.  She shared her thoughts, her plans,  for today and tomorrow....and at some point she gently asked me, "How did you know to come?"

"I didn't ... we were just taking a walk nearby, and I wanted to stop in to give you a hug."

 *****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~ *****~~~~~~~~~~*******~~~~~~~ 

A few afterthoughts..
As I think back to our time with Mr. and Mrs. P and write down the memories, things become so much clearer in hindsight.   It is easier to see God's gentle leading and prompting, like a Shepherd...

How I didn't need to stress or question when Chester knew we were not needed in Mr. P's room anymore.  He knew it was time to go.   And Mr. P's time to go.  

How on that final day when we were needed...God made sure we showed up, at the right place in the right moment. His prompting, His leading.  

I am amazed. And humbled. Again.

It reminds me of what Jesus says in Matthew.  The Message says it this way:

"Walk with Me and work with Me, watch how I do it. Learn the unforced 
rhythms of grace.

 I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.  

Keep company with Me, and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

and from Amazing Grace...

Tis grace hath  brought me safe thus far, 

and Grace will lead me home.

A perfect day for me to write and remember.  Thank You.

Our First Hospice Moment ~ Light Up A Life

Our First Hospice Moment. Light Up A Life.

The Christmas season can be especially hard for those who have lost a loved one.

Each year Hospice of SLO offers a beautiful event, giving people opportunity to remember their loved one in a   ceremony of remembrance called "Light up a Life."  And the year Chester and I came on board, they added an additional night of remembrance for those who were grieving the loss of a pet.  Hospice understood the need to  make an evening separate for pet owners,  as it is not appropriate for Rover's name to follow grandpa's in an event as tender as this.

So to honor all those dealing with a loss...the pet night was added. And Chester and I were invited.

There were not many people in attendance that evening. Just a handful. And, since we were new to Hospice, except for 2 familiar faces, everyone was new to us. Chester was drawn to one man in particular. While people mingled before the ceremony began, Chester wanted to be with Mr.D.

And so, when it was time to sit, we asked Mr. D if we could sit by him.

He welcomed us.

Chester sat between us.  Actually he lay across Mr. D's feet.

At one point big  tears leaked out of Mr. D's eyes, he began to share publicly about his dog,  ...He was my best friend. I don't know if I would be here today if it hadn't been for him...He was by my side throughout my chemo treatments, always there for me....  The tears flowed.  

As he talked, Chester sat up and nestled his head onto the man's lap. Mr. D. hugged him and cried healing tears.

Not a dry eye in the room, as we watched this miraculous moment unfold.


P.S.
As it turns out, I later learned that  Mr. D was the only non-staff  person at  Light Up A Life.  He was the reason we were there.  And Chester knew.

Hospice of San Luis Obispo...An unexpected journey

While settling into this new land on California's central coast...  it proved challenging to connect with a pet therapy group.  Which was a surprise to me. After all, this IS California, land of dog friendly everything.  AND, as it turned out, my beginning here with pet therapy was not at all what I expected. shocker :-) 

While searching for a Pet Therapy group similar to KPETS in PA, (which does not exist here!), I discovered Hospice of San Luis Obispo on  my web search.  They had a pet therapy program. I called and emailed the pet therapy person.  . As it turns out "Mrs. Pet Therapy Program" moved to Sacramento about the time I moved to the central coast of California.  But at the time I did not know this... of course.

Actually, hmm, as I remember back ---see THIS is why I NEED to write things down WHEN they happen, or I forget the details.  Like...here I am typing away and there is this little knock on my brain door...."remember that chain of events???"  And I paws...and I'm like, oh wow....   

So here is the oh wow, I wasn't going to even write about today, until Someone knocked on my brain door.

As I said, Hospice of SLO and I were having a hard time connecting, and as days/weeks passed I sort of  convinced myself that Hospice was not really my calling.  Or Chester's. So I didn't pursue it any further.

But then, there was this one day~
Chester and I did a spontaneous visit to Garden House, (a lovely home in Morro Bay where they tenderly care for men and women with memory loss).  A woman in the waiting room approached me. She gave me her card. She worked with a Hospice organization. She would love for us to volunteer with them.

Same day.  I am in Costco w.a.i.t.i.n.g. to get my new cool glasses :-).   Sitting and waiting with me is my buddy Chester in his therapy dog vest. A woman sits down next to me. She is a nurse with yet another Hospice group. She gives me her card. She would like Chester and I to come volunteer with her group.

Same day, I get a phone call from Hospice of SLO from the director Kris, apologizing for the delay in responding, but somehow my email got lost in the email pile....because their pet therapy person moved to Sacramento...   She was so kind and genuine; I almost jumped through the phone and asked "Would you be my friend? I 'm new here and friendless."  

So, after 3 unexpected Hospice moments in one day,  I thought perhaps I should rethink my position on "hospice not being my thing" and take a peek at this possibility for Chester and me.

Good decision.

There is a quote on a greeting card I picked up in Estes Park, Colorado. I have it hanging on my office wall ~ attached to the Rand McNally USA map, charting our journey from sea to shining sea....

"Sometimes your journey will take you off of YOUR path,... 

 Life is full of exquisite diversions."

Volunteering with Hospice of San Luis Obispo has turned out to be an unexpected & exquisite journey for Chester and me. Such a wonderful group of caring men and women who continue to teach me so very much. We are blessed to be a part. Thank you, Kris, for calling me back that day, your timing was perfect.  

Warmly signed,

  Mrs. Pet Therapy, Hospice of SLO