Volume 20 - 1st Quarter - Jan | Feb | Mar 2025 | |
A quarterly newsletter for PPOC members and friends!
Read on to find out more about who we are, what we do, and how you can join us
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Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast (PPOC), formerly known as Oregon Coast Therapy Animals, is a Community Partner of Pet Partners. A leading non-profit in the field of animal-assisted therapy for over four decades, Pet Partners registers therapy dogs and other animal companions, including horses, cats, rabbits, and birds.
Our visiting teams provide support, comfort and companionship to adults and children in institutional settings on the Central Oregon Coast, from Neskowin to Florence.
We welcome new members and opportunities to be of service to our coastal communities!
Contact us if you would like more information about arranging for a visiting team, or becoming a registered team with your animal companion!
| | Start YOUR Pet Partner Journey | | Young Writers Group - Waldport Library | | |
Team Bonnie and Riley at the Waldport Library to visit the Young Writers Group.
The young writers group decided to write about Riley's adventures as a Pet Partners Therapy team. They asked her many questions, while giving her many tummy rubs.
| |  | Riley enjoying much love from the Young Writers at the Library. On this day, January 9, 2025, Riley reunited with her first attendees of her "Read with Me" debut in 2015. These young writers spent many hours with Riley practicing their reading skills. Now these young ladies are putting their reading skills into their own stories. | | | |
The Auxillary Volunteer Group at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital - Newport Oregon
has awarded the title of
Pet Partner Therapy Animals Chair-2025
to
BONNIE RIMOLA
Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast
Executive Director
| | Presentation at the Gleneden Community Hall | | Chika takes advantage of the perfect photo opportunity to promote Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast. | | |
Many of the Gleneden Beach community members enjoyed our Pet Partners Presentation. We shared the 40th Anniversary video detailing the history of Pet Partners.
| | Bonnie Rimola, Executive Director of Pet Partners Oregon Coast, detailing the Pet Partners Registration Process | | |
Registered Team, Sonja & Nikki demonstrating one of the Pet Partners Evaluation Exercise Skill. We train our dogs to focus & watch their handler for guidance.
| | Nikki, registered therapy dog, loves to show off her visiting bandana and matching leash. Nikki is demonstrating how to patiently wait for her handler to give her the "come to me" command after she was asked to stay in place without her handler next to her side. | | Our neutral dog team, Stacey & Chika, setting up to demonstrate the Neutral Dog walk exercise. This exercise demonstrates how our teams should ignore another dog while visiting. | | | |
Training with Joy
by Caroline Spark
In recent years the dog training world has become increasingly focused on reinforcing (rewarding) “good” behavior (the behavior we humans want), rather than correcting “bad” behavior (the behavior we don’t like).
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South Beach Memory Care
visits with Sonja & Nikki
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Sonja & Nikki have many new friends at the Memory Care in South Beach, Oregon
Sonja loves sharing her visit experiences with the members of Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast. Nikki loves visiting with all her new friends.
| | | North Lincoln Samaritan Hospital Appreciation | | Welcome our new Therapy Dog | | |
Marnie is a 2 yr old Miniature Dachshund. She and her handler, Michele Dell'Olio, joined Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast in July, 2024. This team has put in many hours of training to achieve thier goal of becoming a registered Pet Partner Team.
Congratulations to Michele & Marnie for their dedication and hard work. The team will bring many smiles to the children who visit the Toledo and Waldport library for story time with Marnie.
| | | Marnie is demonstrating her attentiveness to her handler, Michele. She may be small in size but has a big heart full of love. | | |
Tips on Correctly Fitting a Harness
Recommendations Instinct Dog Behavior & Training
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The features to look for in all harnesses, especially front-clip harnesses, are:
- Y-shaped
- The front-clip attachment sits high on the chest
- Every part of the harness completely avoids the shoulder blades
- The strap that goes under the rib cage sits far back enough to avoid contact with the underarm
- Minimal fabric covering the body
The popular brands found that fit this criteria are Balance Blue-9, and Sparkpaws.
The Blue-9 brand is recommended for a leaner, daintier dog and BB/Sparkpaws for a more muscular dogs because of their bigger buckles and straps.
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Bear: A True Story -
How A Big Yellow Dog Helped Kids Learn To Read
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Author : Susanne Severeid
Susanne, a dedicated Pet Partners therapy animal handler, has written a heartwarming book inspired by her experiences with her therapy dog, Bear.
Bear: A True Story, How A Big Yellow Dog Nobody Wanted Helped Kids Learn To Read follows Bear, a rescue mutt in her senior years, who becomes a beloved therapy dog for students with intellectual and physical disabilities. With Bear in their classroom, many children began reading for the first time. Bear and her students celebrate birthdays, school events, holidays, Special Olympics, and more. Bear: A True Story touches our hearts with unconditional love and reaffirms the magical bond between kids and dogs.
Susanne hopes to share Bear's story widely to inspire others and make a difference. She is working to get the book into schools, libraries, and animal shelter, and plans to donate a portion of sales to related causes.
If you have suggestions for getting the book into these spaces or would like to learn more, feel free to reach out to her directly at windsweptbooks@gmail.com.
Click on Bear's picture to review his story and purchase a copy of this inspirational book.
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Current Board Members
President - Dr. Caroline Spark, PHD
Vice President - Katharine Harding
Treasurer - Lee Derbyshire
Secretary - Erica Fruh
Lindee Cunningham
Dr. Claire Lohn, DVM
Executive Director - Bonnie Rimola
About our Board Members
Board Meeting Schedule
1st Qtr 2025 Business - Apr 14, 2025
2nd Qtr 2025 Business - July 14, 2025
3rd Qtr 2025 Business - Oct 13, 2025
4th Qtr 2025 Business - Jan 12, 2026
Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in finding out about opportunities for serving on the PPOC Board, or volunteering your skills and talents in other ways.
please email Bonnie Rimola at oregoncoasttherapyanimals@gmail.com
| | Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast recommends Instinct Dog Training | | | |
Pick of the Litter Thrift Store- the place to find gentle used toys for your pet.
The flagship of FOLCAS’s fundraising operations is the Pick of the Litter thrift store, opened in July 2009 in a building on the County Commons in Newport. Thanks to our ever-growing ranks of donors, shoppers, and volunteers, Pick of the Litter quickly became a thriving success, filled with with terrific bargains and fabulous finds, with new items every day.
After a five-month hiatus beginning in mid-March 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Pick of the Litter reopened on August 27, at our new
location at NE First & Fogarty.
All proceeds benefit both the Animal Shelter and FOLCAS programs to assist domesticated animals in Lincoln County.
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Non-Team members are important to the success of Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast. Your knowledge, talents and time are valuable assets needed to volunteer in the background operations of our group. If you are interested, contact us by email to become one of our many supporters. | |
You’ve felt it yourself—the undeniable boost you feel when you’re with your animal companion. PPOC volunteer teams share this gift with others, by bringing joy and improved outcomes to people in hospitals, schools, libraries, detention centers, court houses, assisted-living facilities and other community settings.
We’d love to have you join us. We'll help you get started and support you along the way.
| | | Support Pet Partners with a Donation to honor or in memory of a loved one. | |
Did you know you can support Pet Partners with your donation in honor of a special loved one or in memory of that therapy dog that visited you during a hospital stay? Visit the Pet Partners website to donate today. | |
Do you have a question on a topic that would be of interest to our readership? Or a story? An idea for an article? A photo of your pet partner? Feedback on this newsletter?
Please don't hold back! And if writing isn't your thing, we can help. The work and the heart of our teams are what we want to feature. Help us make this newsletter a full reflection of the wonderful work of Pet Partners of Oregon Coast! And please forward to anyone who might be interested Thanks!
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