FINAL THOUGHTS.....MAYBE NOT!

You're probably wondering about the title of this post.  Until a few months ago, I firmly believed that there would be no therapy dog work without Casey.  I have had another dog(Chester) for about 4 years.  Chester has a great, friendly personality.  However, although I've had him for about 4 years and he's 8 years old, he just won't listen.  It's imperative that a dog listen, if he is to pass the therapy dog test. 
Recently, I got a new ILST(Independent Living Skills Trainer).  It just so happens(I wonder if God had anything to do with this?) that Bill, the ILST, recently completed training his third service dog.  Bill has met Chester and really likes him.  Not only has Bill offered to work with Chester, but more importantly, he'll be showing me his training techniques so that Chester will receive training 24/7.  Hopefully, we can train Chester to pass the Therapy Dog Test and become a therapy dog.

THANK YOU, GOD!

Casey was just over 141/2 when she was euthanized and the life span of Golden Retrievers is only a little over 12 years.
Daily, in my prayers, I thank God for bringing Casey and I together.  Casey had a positive influence on hundreds of people(including me).  I thank God that his love for me is so great and that he manifested it in bringing Casey and I together.  I also thank God that Casey's death was relatively swift and not a lingering process.  That benefited both of us. Finally, I thank God for his assurance that Casey and I will be reunited in the future.  Romans 8:21

THE REAL MEANING OF "NO CARROTS, PLEASE."

With the end of summer, school vacation was over and it was time to increase our work load.  I contacted the Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs and was advised that Casey, Sally, and I, would be part of the program, as soon as we could be scheduled.  I also contacted the Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs and was told that Casey, Kirsten, and I, were included in their plans.
On Monday afternoon, September 30th, Casey and I were at our usual job at Saratoga Bridges.  It was on this occasion that Casey turned down carrots.  You have to understand that Casey rejecting food is a real rarity.  I can't say that it hadn't happened before, but previously Casey had made a hog of herself at the previous job, and was just too full to eat.
Several things happened Tuesday morning, that set off alarms.  Casey was unable to get up from the floor without my assistance.  Also, and this is really unheard of, Casey turned down breakfast.  My home healthcare worker was present that morning, and we both commented that Casey seemed wider(bloated) than usual.
I called a taxi and took Casey to the vet.  The vet listened to her heart and did an ultra-sound on her.  The ultra-sound showed that she had a large tumor on her liver and listening with the stethoscope, revealed an arrhythmic heartbeat.  The vet, who was familiar with and fond of Casey, said to me, "You have a very sick dog."  At that point I made a decision which pained me greatly, but I'm sure was correct.  Casey was euthanized on 10/1/14 and subsequently cremated.

QUIET SUMMER

As the school year ended, things wound down.  We only had 2 jobs now, both on Mondays.  Every Monday, Casey and I would go to Saratoga Bridges day treatment program in Clifton Park.  On alternating Mondays we went to ACT in Gansevoort, where they have a facility for individuals with traumatic brain injury.

WHO'S ALL WET?

On the afternoon of 5/22/13 Casey, Sally, and I, are at our  usual job at Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs.  It was cloudy outside, but neither Sally nor I had worn jackets or brought umbrellas.  Everything went fine until we left.
Unfortunately, all the "good" spots were taken when Sally went to park her car and she had to park at some distance from the front entrance.  You can probably guess what happened.  It was raining outside like crazy.  I don't mean sprinkling.  It was pouring.
With the car being far away, having to get Casey in the car(someone had parked close to Sally's car so we couldn't put Casey's ramp down until Sally moved her car), and it pouring outside, we were soaking wet.  Of course the two of us are now seated in the front seat, dripping water.  As we were waiting to pull away from the curb, I laughed, looked at Sally, and said "Here's the two of us, in our 60's, soaking wet, and doing a job for nothing."

WINDING DOWN

Typically, the summer is our "slow season."  At this point, it appears that this summer will be no different(schools are not in session).  A couple of weeks ago, I had sent an Email to Bethany at the Maple Avenue Middle School, asking her to let us know if we were "on" for the coming Friday, as Kirsten and I disagreed on  the schedule.  I got a response back from Bethany and she advised that the students were fully occupied with field trips and outings until the end of the school year.  I sent her a return Email, thanking her, and expressing the hope that she would use our services in the coming school year,

A GOOD IDEA TAKES A LOAD OFF MY MIND

On Friday, 5/10, Kirsten, Casey, and I, were at  the Maple Avenue Middle School.  We went to Mrs. Douglas's room, where we met our usual group of special education students.  The children are usually arrayed in a circle and Casey will spend some time with each child.  However, on this occasion several students started to pay attention to Casey at once, so she laid down.  Then, she was unable to get up.  Several of us tried to lift her, with no success.  Unfortunately, for whatever reason, there is not a rug or carpet anywhere in the school.
Since Casey was unable to get on her feet, the students took turns, in groups of 4 or 5, being with Casey.  This actually worked out quite well, but we still had the problem of getting Casey up.  The school supplied an athletic mat from the gym, however, Casey was still unable to get up.  It was then that Kirsten came up with a pretty innovative idea.  She suggested getting Casey's ramp from her car and since it has carpet on it, Casey may be able to get up
The ramp is something I had purchased for Casey about a year and a half ago.  The decreasing strength in Casey's legs had made it impossible for her to get into cars, especially the "higher" models such as SUV's and vans.  Additionally, to further improve Casey's traction, I had cut and glued some carpetting to the ramp.  While I continued to work with the students and Casey, Kirsten went out to her car and got the ramp.  When we put the ramp on the floor, Casey was immediately able to get up.  It was about time to leave and we did so, rather than risk another" incident."

THE WONDER OF CASEY

Initially, you may think that this blog deals exclusively with Casey's impact  on those that she serves.  However, there is more than that involved and this is not  the irrational ravings of a dog owner about "his" dog.  Perhaps if I relate some conclusions that I have drawn based on Casey's most recent experiences, you'll understand where I'm "coming from."
Casey and I are working a reduced schedule now.  Whereas, we're still at Saratoga Bridges on a weekly basis, we are working in 2 Saratoga Springs schools and at ACT, every other week.  It is at these three locations where Casey's impact is  evident.
As you know from an earlier post, it has been necessary to make use of volunteers to satisfy our transportation needs, as I no longer drive.  I contacted a philanthropic organization, Carelinks, to see if they could provide voluntary transportation.  Carelinks assigned Kevin to transport us.  On the first occasion, Kevin asked if he could "come inside" with us at ACT.  Since then, he has become a valued co-worker.  My good friend, Sally, knew of the work we were doing and asked if she could work with us.  Sally now works with us at Lake Avenue Elementary School   Kirsten heard of the work we were doing and asked if she could work with us. On alternating Fridays, Kirsten works with us at Maple Avenue Middle School . 

CASEY SAID "WHAT, ME RETIRE, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING?!"

Well, Casey is "back in the saddle."  However, recognizing her advanced age(and mine too), I've cut back our schedule somewhat.  Instead of weekly, most of our jobs are biweekly.  For instance, we visit Lake Avenue Elementary School and Maple Avenue Middle School on a biweekly basis.  The same can be said of our visits to ACT.  Casey and I are still visiting Saratoga Bridges in Clifton Park every Monday.

Unfortunately, it has been necessary to eliminate our visits to Maplewood Manor and Wesley Nursing Home.  I was not happy making this decision, but I saw no alternative.  Several of the nursing home patients have grown quite close to Casey and look forward to her visits.  There is a common thread that our remaining jobs have, that is missing at the nursing homes.  That is, at the schools, the ARC, the TBI unit(ACT),  I'm pretty much able to sit in one location.  At the nursing homes we go to each room.  The requirement of being constantly on my feet and going from room to room, is just too much for me.  I have to deal with not only the fatigue factor, but also the pain in my legs.  If any of you have a possible solution, I welcome it.

RETIREMENT?----SHORTLIVED!

Right on schedule, Casey ceased working on 12/31/12 and began her retirement on 1/1/13.  However, something happened.  My computer is located in the backroom at my house.   I found, over the initial three weeks of Casey's retirement, when I was working at the computer, or when I was seated on the couch in the living room, reading or watching TV, Casey would come over, unprompted, and give me what I call "The Nudge."  Briefly, "The Nudge" is where Casey will come over, stick her muzzle under your elbow, and lift up quickly(if your trying to write or type, it's a real pain in the butt).

Basically, "The Nudge" is dogspeak for "Hey, pay attention to me."  Casey likes to be touched, petted, brushed, talked to, and generally fussed over.  Turns out, her needs are exactly the ideal charateristics of a therapy dog.  I was unable to meet her needs by myself, but her needs could be met if she worked as a therapy dog.  Casey's retirement lasted a grand total of three weeks.

A DIFFICULT DECISION

Due to Casey's advanced age(she would turn 14 on March 12), the reality of retirement for her was staring me in the face.  I had been using a ramp, for over a year, to transport her to and from jobs.  The weakened condition of her hindquarters made it difficult or even impossiblefor her to get in or out of vehicles(particularly the higher ones, ie. SUVs, pick-up trucks, and vans).  Her slip and falls at Lake Avenue and Maple Avenue, coupled with her inability to get up, confirmed that Casey would have to retire.  I announced to our various volunteer drivers and to the facilities that Casey serviced, that December 31st would be the end of Casey's working life.

DEJA VU?

After Casey's legs had gone out from under her, I assumed it was only going to be a one time experience.  Her weakened hind quarters, coupled with a highly waxed floor, are the requirements for a slip and fall, so when we were at the Lake Avenue Elementary School two weeks later, a slip and fall was unexpected.  The floors in Lake Avenue are not as highly waxed as Maple Avenue and some of thr rooms have rugs or carpeting.  Anyway, we finished work at Lake Avenue and headed to the front door to leave.  When we got about 3/4s of the way there, Casey went down.  Fortunately, one of the custodial staff, Joe, was present, and immediately got a flat-bed cart for Casey.  We put her on the cart and Joe wheeled her out of the school.  Casey was really enjoying herself, and although I think she could have gotten up anytime, she got Joe to wheel her all the way out to the street.  I accused her of really milking this opportunity

A NARROW ESCAPE

In the fall of 2012, two jobs that Casey and I had were at Maple Avenue Middle School in Saratoga Springs and Lake Avenue Elementary School in Saratoga Springs.  We usually worked at Maple Avenue from 9am.-10am. on Mondays.  The floors at Maple Avenue, both in the hallways and in the classrooms, are highly polished.  Therein lies the basis of this post. 
Casey and I always split our time at Maple Avenue between two classrooms.  On this day in mid-November, we finished work in one classroom and got up to go to the 2nd classroom.  As soon as we reached the hallway, all four of Casey's feet went out from under her and she was laying spreadeagled on the floor. 
Now comes the scary part.  Casey was unable to get up.  We honestly didn't know what to do.  Fortunately, one of the teachers got a flatbed cart.  Another teacher donated her coat.  Several people got together, put the coat under Casey, and lifted her onto the cart.  She was then wheeled into the 2nd classroom and did her work as usual.  She got the"royal treatment," as when she was done in te 2nd classroom, she was placed on the cart and wheeled out to the waiing taxi.

NEW JOBS

In my last post I had advised that the reading specialist at Lake Avenue Elementary School had contacted  me about Casey working at her school in the 2012-2013 school year.  We started working at Lake Avenue, on a weekly basis, in the fall.  Our transportation needs were supplied by generous volunteers; particularly the Malta Sunrise Rotary Club.
Also, during the fall, we started working at the Maple Avenue Middle School on a weekly basis.  In this case, our transportation needs were met by A&H Taxi and the teachers at the school.  A&H transported us for 1/2 fare and the teachers paid that fare.  Incidentally, Casey and I had previously worked with some of the students when they were in elementary school at Division Street Elementary School. 

NEW CLIENT

Earlier this month I received an e-mail from the Reading Specialist at the Lake Avenue School in the City of Saratoga Springs School District.  She advised that she had been contacted by her principal and wanted to know of our availability for the coming school year.  My e-mail to her stated that we welcomed the opportunity to work with her.  Look forward to further posts on this "new job" in the fall.

SPREADSHEET SCHEDULING

Recently, one of my fellow Rotarians made a suggestion which I have implemented and found very helpful.  That is, on a monthly basis, I have put Casey's schedule on a speadsheet.  This spreadsheet is passed among the membership at our weekly meeting.  The advantage in drawing up and distributing the spreadsheet a month in advance, is that potential volunteer drivers can consult their schedule and volunteer without the possibility of a conflict.
Right now we are working with Casey's August schedule.  The fact that the summer is a slower period for us, coupled with the "new" spreadsheet system, has allowed us to provide services  with minimal hindrance. 

IMPACT

Tradionally, the second and third quarters are the slowest of the four quarters.  As summer nears, the school districts wind down and have many year end activities that don't include The Therapy Dog, Inc.  In the summer there is no school and our services are not used.  In order to lessen the impact of "no school" I sent letters to the superintendents of the Saratoga Springs City School District and the Ballston Spa Central School District, advising of our availability for summer school.  Unfortunately, Saratoga Springs informed me that they wouldn't be using our services this summer and Ballston Spa never extended the courtesy of a response to my inquiry(even though I followed up with an e-mail to the superintendent).

In my last Post I stated that several volunteers had come forward to transport Casey and I to and from jobs.  This has been immensely helpful.  I have extended an invitation to the volunteer drivers to work with Casey and I.  Several have accepted this invitation.

NEW BEGINNING

Today, 6/8/12, was my initial experience using a volunteer driver to transport Casey and I to and from work.  In my previous post I had mentioned Kim(a friend and neighbor) and stated that she had offered to drive us some of the time.  Despite short notice, she was able to take Casey and I to and from our Friday afternoon job at Maplewood Manor.  At this point, Don(his daughter, Tiffany, attends Saratoga Bridges day program in Clifton Park) has volunteered to transport Casey and I to and from the Clifton Park day ptogram on Monday.  We akready have a volunteer to transport us to and from Maplewood Manor on Friday, 6/15.    God has placed it on the hearts of others to come forward and volunteer.  Look forward to future updates.

VOLUNTEERISM-A NARROW ESCAPE

Recently(5/18/12), I took my car off the road and ceased driving.  My feeling was that I posed a hazard to myself and other drivers.  Initially, it appeared that this decision would have a significant impact on The Therapy Dog, Inc.  Presently, I have Medicaid and Medicare.   However, neither Medicaid nor the county(Saratoga)  will pay to transport Casey.  They will pay to transport a service dog(ie. a dog that aids a visually impaired person).  Casey however, is a therapy dog.  Also, the taxicab company will not transport a non-service dog.
Needless to say , this was a depressing and desperate situation.  I, and several others prayed for a solution and thanks be to God, one has presented itself.  When we were at Saratoga Bridges in Clifton Park two weeks ago, I let it be known that I had a problem .  I was approached by Don, who is the parent of a daughter who attends the Saratoga Bridges day program.  Don offered to take Casey and I to and from the day program.  Last week, Kim, a neighbor down the street, was at my house to cut Chester's(my other dog) nails, and I told her of my dilemma.  She generously offered to help out with transportation.  At last week's Rotary Club meeting I described the situation to my fellow Rotarians and sent them a detailed e-mail that evening.  I've already received two offers of assistance.
It appears that what appeared to be a massive problem, is well on the way to evaporating.

500!

Today Casey received Therapy Dogs International's highest certificate, as well as a pin and blue ribbon emblematic of her documented 500 therapy dog visits.