Mikey and I do animal assisted therapy through the WNYDDSO which is a state run agency for the mentally ill. At one time, there was a large facility near my home which was known as the West Seneca Developmental Center which was home for hundreds of mentally handicapped people. Through the years, the state has moved most of this population into group homes throughout the Buffalo area. Mikey and I started our therapy work with this organization after he was certified by their tester to be a suitable therapy dog for this group of people. We went through several weeks of training at the facility which now houses a very small percentage of folks than it did when I was a teenager. We worked at our first assigned home for over a year visiting on a once a week schedule. When one of the staff members at that home trained her own dog to do the therapy work, it was decided that Mikey and I would be re-assigned. We have been working for the past three years at a home with four consumers and it is amazing to look back and see the progress these individuals have made because of Mikey. "Mark" is the main reason Mikey was requested for this house. He just adores Mikey and brushes him almost the whole time we are there. At first, he didn't verbalize much at all and now talks to Mikey a lot, telling him he loves him and kissing him on the nose. One other young man in this house would not come out of his room when we first started and now joins in and interacts with Mikey on our visits. He's a little more boistrous than Mark is and has to be reminded to be gentle but he now spends a good amount of time petting Mikey when we visit.
This is such rewarding work and it takes a special dog to be able to work with these folks as Mikey has. Mikey is that special dog. |
