Miss-Delectable
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Deaf therapy dog helps sick kids
Personal pain pushed Julie Marzolf to get her French bulldog, Jay, involved in the St. John's Ambulance pet therapy program.
The winner of the $1,000 First Prize courtesy of Bosley's Pet Food Plus in the Province Pet Superstars Pet Hero contest category is a fixture on the wards at B.C. Children's Hospital.
The kids know that, if it's Sunday, Jay's on his way.
The affable animal even has an additional connection with those he cheers up. Jay is completely deaf, so touch contact is as important to him as it is a positive experience for those he visits.
"When I found out about this program was when my father was terminally ill with cancer that had spread to his brain," says Marzolf. "We had just been given that news when a pair of these therapy dogs were coming down the hall and I asked if I could pet one.
"I realized right then and there that having that familiar furry friend around at a difficult time can provide that dog-away-from-home experience to people who are somewhere they really don't want to be."
Jay's an "unconditional love bomb wrapped in a small, furry package" who loves his role as a caregiver. To get permission to do this, he had to go through the St. John's therapy dog training and then a second round of vetting to get into B.C. Children's Hospital.
"It's not as much about training as [it's about] really testing that the animal has the right temperament and is accepting of strangers, walking in crowds, with wheelchairs and so on. They do a criminal check, too, but he was OK."
Yeah, even though he's got a tattoo, this brute just looks tough.
He's a lover, not a fighter. Relying on his eyes and his sense of smell works really well for the work he does. Jay is hyper-attentive to the people around him, because he just can't hear them. He has his routines.
"He always has to drop in on the people in the gift shop, then he visits the play room, and a few other spots are regular on his 'rounds.'"
Jay had been working with seniors at Vancouver General Hospital before moving over to Children's. He let Marzolf know he was interested in being around kids by always getting into a submissive position when he saw them, literally inviting them to come and say hello. He never showed anything but complete calm and care when children were around.
Now he gets to meet all shapes and sizes of children and it's pretty awesome for him and Marzolf.
"I submitted him to the contest because I think that it's good to let people know about the positive benefits of volunteerism. The truth is, when you feel like you're actually volunteering as a team, it's pretty cool. It's like doing good things and getting to hang out with my dog at the same time."
How good is that?
While Jay and his guide-dog buddy share some kibble in celebration of his big win, the Cutest Dog finalists are in the voting round. Voting ends Thursday at noon.
Speaking of cute dogs and their people, the B.C. SPCA hosts the first Must Love Dogs mix-and-mingle cocktail party at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Tickets are $100 (with a $55 tax receipt issued) and can be reserved online at mustlovedogs.ca or at 604-681-7271.
Personal pain pushed Julie Marzolf to get her French bulldog, Jay, involved in the St. John's Ambulance pet therapy program.
The winner of the $1,000 First Prize courtesy of Bosley's Pet Food Plus in the Province Pet Superstars Pet Hero contest category is a fixture on the wards at B.C. Children's Hospital.
The kids know that, if it's Sunday, Jay's on his way.
The affable animal even has an additional connection with those he cheers up. Jay is completely deaf, so touch contact is as important to him as it is a positive experience for those he visits.
"When I found out about this program was when my father was terminally ill with cancer that had spread to his brain," says Marzolf. "We had just been given that news when a pair of these therapy dogs were coming down the hall and I asked if I could pet one.
"I realized right then and there that having that familiar furry friend around at a difficult time can provide that dog-away-from-home experience to people who are somewhere they really don't want to be."
Jay's an "unconditional love bomb wrapped in a small, furry package" who loves his role as a caregiver. To get permission to do this, he had to go through the St. John's therapy dog training and then a second round of vetting to get into B.C. Children's Hospital.
"It's not as much about training as [it's about] really testing that the animal has the right temperament and is accepting of strangers, walking in crowds, with wheelchairs and so on. They do a criminal check, too, but he was OK."
Yeah, even though he's got a tattoo, this brute just looks tough.
He's a lover, not a fighter. Relying on his eyes and his sense of smell works really well for the work he does. Jay is hyper-attentive to the people around him, because he just can't hear them. He has his routines.
"He always has to drop in on the people in the gift shop, then he visits the play room, and a few other spots are regular on his 'rounds.'"
Jay had been working with seniors at Vancouver General Hospital before moving over to Children's. He let Marzolf know he was interested in being around kids by always getting into a submissive position when he saw them, literally inviting them to come and say hello. He never showed anything but complete calm and care when children were around.
Now he gets to meet all shapes and sizes of children and it's pretty awesome for him and Marzolf.
"I submitted him to the contest because I think that it's good to let people know about the positive benefits of volunteerism. The truth is, when you feel like you're actually volunteering as a team, it's pretty cool. It's like doing good things and getting to hang out with my dog at the same time."
How good is that?
While Jay and his guide-dog buddy share some kibble in celebration of his big win, the Cutest Dog finalists are in the voting round. Voting ends Thursday at noon.
Speaking of cute dogs and their people, the B.C. SPCA hosts the first Must Love Dogs mix-and-mingle cocktail party at the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Tickets are $100 (with a $55 tax receipt issued) and can be reserved online at mustlovedogs.ca or at 604-681-7271.