HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

I see examples all the time where the tables are turned. We think that we rescue dogs and cats, but actually, they have a way of rescuing us in the process. Whether we rescue a pet that becomes ours for life, or we rescue with the intent of finding them their perfect family – they teach us much. Shy people who have hang ups about talking to people they don’t know will learn to speak boldly, because its for the sake of that dog or cat’s welfare. The lonely can feel the unconditional love that an animal bestows. And those of us who feel we are pretty successful at life learn a boatload about patience and slowing down.

There are dogs out there that don’t do their work in a covert way, but actually have a job of rescuing people.

Gabriel’s Angels is an organization in Arizona where dogs do just that. They work in Pet Therapy teams to reach out to at risk and emotionally scarred children. Several years ago, I was skeptical at first about the validity of therapy dogs. I just thought it was an excuse to smuggle a dog into a hospital, and figured they weren’t doing anything special just sitting there. Sure, it puts a smile on someone’s face perhaps to see a dog, but I didn’t know if the whole rigamarole of “certifying a dog” was valid. Also, rescuers are often critical of groups that train assistance or therapy dogs for their reluctance to consider shelter or rescued dogs.

I was really wrong. The dogs at Gabriel’s Angels are not just any dog that likes an ear scratch. They help abused and at risk children learn empathy, to free them from the cycle of violence and abuse. Dogs are naturally seen as more trustworthy to children as they cannot lie or betray, and they are a catalyst to a child opening up. The group has done much early intervention. But what’s more, is that they teach children the responsibility of having a dog friend. Many programs stop short of that.

Also, I was happy to hear that not all, but many of the dogs that are in the program are mixed breed, former shelter dogs of just about any breed you can think of.

There is a Dog Walk in support of Gabriel’s Angels on Saturday, March 1, 2008. If you are in the Mesa, Arizona area or in traveling distance, please visit their website : http://gabrielsangels.org to learn more about the event.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.