PAWS for People Community Newsletter: Early May, 2022 |
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Doodles in Dewey was a Dandy! |
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The gathering of doodles of all kinds and their families this weekend was joyful sight. From the costume contest and parade in Rehoboth on Friday night, to Friday night Yappy hours to the fun-filled romp on Dewey Beach on Saturday, PAWS for People’s first year as the hosts of Doodles in Dewey was one for the record books. Over 1,000 people and 600 doodles registered for this year’s event which raised over $30,000 to support our pet therapy programs.
We had a rock star volunteer team that helped with the event. Thank you to everyone who came out to set up; work at the registration, merchandise, raffle and info tents; or pack up at the end of a long day. We could not have had such a successful event without each and every one of you!
PAWS is truly grateful to Amy Scott, founder of Doodles in Dewey, for asking us to take over the management of the event and become the beneficiary. So many in attendance had been coming for many years, and it has become an annual tradition. We truly appreciate being given a growing event with such a great following!
We are also grateful to our sponsors:
P.U.P.S. in Lewes
ChristianaCare
Beebe Healthcare
Concord Pet
Diver Chevrolet
Financial House
Counseling and Psychotherapy Services of Washington
The Ruff Life
The Starboard
WSFS Bank
Thank you also to the sponsors of our Yappy Hours and Special Events throughout the weekend:
Cooter Brown’s
Crooked Hammock
P.U.P.S. of Lewes
Salty Paws
The Purple Parrot
A huge thanks to the City of Rehoboth and the Town of Dewey for welcoming our pet friends and their families. We hope to see everyone again April 28-30, 2023!
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A Magical Visit With Some Special Kids |
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The ripple effects of COVID can be seen in many places but are perhaps most profound in the learning and development of preschoolers. That gap is even greater for students with special needs such as the 3-5 year olds at the Ridgewood Early Learning Center. PAWS team Debbie Anderson & Tucker were well aware of the impact as Debbie’s daughter, Lauren Niles, is a teacher and instructional coach in the program. Debbie and Lauren understood that pet therapy would be an ideal way to reach these students and coordinated with PAWS for Tucker work with the special needs students. Debbie and Tucker began visits in the winter and are turning the tide already:
“The visits have been wonderful for our students. They have increased language for students who struggle to communicate as well engaged our students in turn taking activities and social interactions with their peers. Some of the parents have shared that their child has a fear of dogs, yet those students were the most involved during the PAWS visits. It has truly been a wonderful experience.” - Lauren Niles
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Jackson (Maggie Bagnal) shares his amazing brand of love and happiness at a Special Request Visit. |
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Marigold (Eileen Clark) does a fabulous job DeStressing the kids at Cab Calloway School of the Arts. |
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Did You Know?
Recognition Comes in Many Packages
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Did you know that PAWS gets involved with all kinds of things that either help promote the organization or are a direct result of our good reputation (which in turn help us get our name out there even more)?
For instance – radio interviews. Clarice was interviewed on both WDEL and Radio Rehoboth last week touting our Doodles at Dewey event. Radio interviews are always fun because you get to talk about PAWS, tell some great visiting stories, and tell the world about this pet therapy organization. Our volunteer publicist Susan Moran is instrumental in writing up PSA’s for PAWS and brings us attention from many community resources.
On the other side of the coin are the accolades PAWS receives for YOUR outstanding service and the public recognition that comes from it. Recently Greg Ritter of the Wilmington dealership for Subaru called to announce that we had been chosen Subaru’s Playmaker which means our 15 minutes of fame in the soccer world. We received 10 tickets for the Philadelphia Union soccer team game at the Subaru stadium. We got to sit in the Subaru Suite on the 3rd floor, were wined and dined in style, and several Board and Council members were able to join me for an afternoon of fun. I am now sporting a Philly Union T-shirt and have some great photos of greeting the crowd before the game.
We never know who is going to be at the other end of the phone with an invitation to speak about PAWS or recognize our good work in some unusual way. Sometime ask me about my blue satin Hidden Heroes Cape!
-Lynne Robinson, Executive Director
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PAWS for People Upcoming Dog Training |
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There is still room in our May PAWS dog training classes! Whether you are just getting started or need to work on specific behaviors, we have the perfect class for you!
𝙋𝘼𝙒𝙎 𝙊𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙉𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝘿𝙀
PAWS Obedience 1 (5-weekly sessions)
Tuesday, May 17, 5:00 PM
Friday, May 20, Noon
PAWS Obedience 2 (5-weekly sessions)
Tuesday, May 17, 7:30 PM
Friday, May 20, 9:30 AM
Attention & Focus (5-weekly sessions)
Tuesday, May 17, 6:15 PM
Thursday, May 19, 6:15 PM
Friday, May 20, 10:45 AM
Therapy Dog Prep (5-weekly sessions)
Thursday, May 19, 7:30 PM
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Attention PAWS Members: The following were the winners of the PAWS Volunteer Appreciation raffle and received $25 PAWSwear gift certificates! Congratulations!!
Jennifer Costello
Jessica Levetin
Mary Morini
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Sue Spilecki and Archie, her 2½ year old Australian Labradoodle, are perennial favorites at Sean’s House, where they’ve been visiting for a little over a year. The staff and students love his exuberance and playfulness.
Sue’s PAWS journey actually started in 2015 with her charismatic Lab, Rudy. Together, they shared furry love at a number of sites, including Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution, Gilpin Hall, Nemours, St. Francis Healthcare, and PAWS for Reading/Pre K. A Master’s Certified team, they were even featured in the book Healers The Deeper Impact of Pet Therapy. Sadly, Rudy left the surly bonds of Earth in 2020, and Archie was introduced to the world of pet therapy, where he has settled in nicely. In addition to regular visits at Sean’s House, Sue and Archie frequent the corridors at St. Francis Healthcare delivering DeStress to staff and EMTs. They also participate in PAWS to Comfort – Bereavement Support and scores of Community Events.
Many thanks to Sue Spilecki for being such a loyal and dependable PAWS volunteer AND for sharing not only Rudy, but also the loveable, amazing Archie with all sorts of people, in all sorts of places.
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Marilyn Huebner joined PAWS for People in December of 2012, with her adorable mini Goldendoodle, Molly Bear and her handsome mini Schnauzer, Zenny.
Marilyn, Molly Bear, and Zenny have done a bit of everything when it comes to visiting. They have brightened the day for all the kids at Cecil Manor Elementary School and several libraries, with the PAWS for Reading program. They have participated in Special Request visits, prison visiting at Vaughn, hospice, Pre K PAWS, and too many community events to count. This wonderful team is spreading smiles and love at each visit, and has such people loving pups! Sweet Molly Bear passed in September of 2020, but that did not slow down Marilyn and Zenny, who continue to visit so many folks. Marilyn is also a very involved volunteer for PAWS in other ways, she is a new team trainer, she helps folks with their first visits, she completes intake calls and has been on several event committees. Since joining PAWS in 2012, Marilyn and her pups have completed more than 6,500 hours, amazing!
Thank you, to Marilyn, Molly Bear, and Zenny for your loving and warm manner of visiting, which leaves folks feeling happy and lighthearted.
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Thanks to our PAWS Partners |
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Donate While You Shop
The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases when selected by customers. Choose PAWS for People when you log in: smile.amazon.com
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