About Us
Canine Assisted Therapy is a non-profit,
501(c)(3) organization and relies solely on donations from the
community for support. Your donation will help us to provide
support, training, education and mentoring to those interested in
dog therapy programs. Please help us to continue our service to
those in need by donating generously today.
Thank you!
Donate to
C.A.T.
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Upcoming Events
Continuing Education
Seminar:
Alzheimer's Disease and Related
Disorders
Ft. Lauderdale,
FL
Thursday,
August 5th
LAST CHANCE
SIGN UP NOW!
Find Out
More!
C.A.T.
Temperament Evaluation
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Saturday, August 14th
Find Out More!
AKC Canine Good
Citizen Testing
Wilton Manors, FL
Saturday, August 21st
Find Out More!
Pompano Beach, FL
Saturday, August 28th
Find Out
More!
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Our Sponsors
"Thank You" Whole Foods Market in Ft. Lauderdale for providing food
for the August 5th Continuing Education Seminar
"Thank You!" to CPK in Ft. Lauderdale for providing food for the
June 3rd Continuing Education Seminar
"Thank You!" to Bayview Center for hosting the August 5th
Continuing Education Seminar
Salon Bark
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Content by C.A.T. Co-founder and Executive Director -
Debra M. Berger
Contributing Editor -
Charlotte R. Fee
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 It's hard to believe that on August 10th, it will
be a year since the incorporation of Canine Assisted
Therapy.
Our Mission: To provide a
network of qualified, dependable, caring Therapy Teams committed to
delivering a therapeutic benefit through the use of dogs to both
children and adults who need comfort, companionship, or the
unconditional love that only a dog can provide. To provide
support, training, education and mentoring to those interested in
dog therapy programs. To build connections between volunteers,
facilities and individuals seeking dog therapy.
We have been truly blessed by wonderful volunteers and supporters
who are helping C.A.T. to fulfill this mission. Because of these
wonderful volunteers and supporters, our services have expanded
beyond what we first envisioned.
C.A.T. volunteers not only provide the love and affection of their
dogs to those in nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living
facilities, but are going forth and providing other much needed
services with their dogs.
Some of our current and future services include:
Continuing Education: To
make Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy
(AAT) a great experience for those we serve and for the volunteers,
education of our volunteers is key. We have been fortunate enough
to have Laura A. Weber, M.S., LMHC to head up this wonderful
program which we began in December of last year. Those who have
attended the seminars have come away with a better understanding of
such issues as: Mental Illness; Working With Special Populations;
Infection Control in Facilities; Alzheimer's and Dementia. These
are just a few of the informative seminars. By having a better
understanding of populations that we serve, our volunteers are much
more prepared to provide the quality service that they have quickly
become known for.
The Senior Corps: Senior
Corps was created to involve the residents of assisted living
facilities. Many of these individuals are unable to travel outside
of their residence, so C.A.T. brings the volunteering opportunity
to them. The seniors assist in the new C.A.T. dog candidate
evaluations by providing their participation with wheelchairs and
walkers to insure that the dogs are comfortable around these
devices. They also help by putting together packages for special
projects and events held by C.A.T. The Senior Corps has provided
an opportunity for those confined in assisted living, to experience
the wonderful feeling of being able to give back to the
community.
Teen Corps: The Teen Corps
is currently in Oxford, Florida and is led by Susan McCauley. Teens
and their dogs work together with Susan to prepare for the AKC
Canine Good Citizen evaluation with the goal of becoming a
Certified C.A.T. Dog team. The teens then visit nursing homes in
the area with their Certified C.A.T. Dogs. This program not only
teaches the teens responsibility and creates a stronger bond with
their pets, but enables them to give back to the community and
fulfill their community service hour requirement.
Pack Readers Program: One
of the most exciting opportunities for C.A.T. volunteers is
participating in this program. Advanced Certified C.A.T. Dogs are
accompanied by their handlers into schools to help children with
their reading skills. Little did we know that the dogs not only
serve to help children with reading, but with social skills and
self-confidence as well. C.A.T. understands the importance of
having knowledgeable volunteers working with the children so we are
currently putting the finishing touches on a volunteer training
program specifically for those participating in this
opportunity.
Animal Assisted Therapy:
Beginning this month, many of our Advanced C.A.T. Dog Teams will be
participating in Physical Therapy programs with the disabled. The
dogs will be an important part of the program by performing tasks
such as walking alongside a wheel chair or walker, fetching a ball,
allowing participants to assist with grooming activities, and many
other activities. We all know how much more fun the most mundane
activities are if you do them in the company of a dog.
A very special thank you to all of our volunteers and donors who
have helped to make this possible. We can't wait to see what the
future will hold for C.A.T. and its wonderful volunteers.
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Blind Dog
Helps Us See Opportunity -
Nancy Kline and Kaydee
 by Nancy Kline, Owner of Kaydee and
C.A.T. Volunteer
What would you do if you saw a neon pink sign that said, "I'm not
perfect and I bet neither are you. I'm Blind."? It sure spoke to
me! That sign was on Kaydee's kennel at the Humane Society of Broward
County (HSBC). I thought, "Wow! a blind dog," and kept on
going.
So why did I just "happen" to go back the next day and the next,
and the next? What is it that tugs at your heart and says "This is
my dog"?
The first time I met her in the visiting room, she sat on my lap
but didn't really care for it - or me. In fact, she didn't care
for too much of anything. What I didn't know was that she was just
brought in two days before I first saw her. She didn't know anyone
and hadn't acclimated yet. Yet, if I were to be her "eyes", we
needed to bond somehow.
I was a P.A.L. Volunteer at the HSBC, so when I went back four days
later to work, I asked that Kaydee be brought to me in the front
office where there is a lot of commotion. When she got about three
feet away from me, she whipped her head around, air scented and
"knew" it was me. That was it! Kaydee adopted me. Not only did I
cry, but everyone in the office did as well. They didn't have much
hope that someone would adopt a dog that had been blind from
birth. Three and a half years later Kaydee is an important family
member. She is my life - and I am hers.
Knowing how special she is, I wanted to do something that would
show people what she is really like. When I saw an article about
Canine Assisted Therapy in the
ParkPaws newsletter, I wondered if they would even consider a dog
with no eyes. I also wondered if she would be allowed to get her
AKC Canine Good
Citizen Certification. Undaunted by something that
insignificant, both us gave it a try. Kaydee is now a Certified
C.A.T. Dog and has her AKC Canine Good Citizen certificate!
Are there obstacles to overcome? Certainly. Is it a little more
difficult to train her than another dog? Not really. Throughout our
journey together, I've learned more from her than I ever did in the
10+ years that I was an AKC professional handler and a licensed UKC
conformation and obedience judge. The most important thing is
patience. She's shown me how smart and willing to learn that she
is. I just had to find out the "how". Most people who see her
can't believe she has no eyes; she is that clever in her ability to
get around - even when I'm not there.
Is there a future out there for her? Certainly! We're working on
her Advanced C.A.T. certification so that she can volunteer at Joe DiMaggio's Children's Hospital and from
there, who knows? The sky's the limit!
Click Here to see
Kaydee in action taking her AKC Canine Good Citizen test.
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