Jeanie

Do you know an 'Angel' when you see one? They come in small packages as well. They touch your life and heal you in a way that you may not even realize. I know of one such angel, a little Pug named Jeanie who helped a little child learn to walk. Today i will be sharing her story.

Jeanie is frisky little Pug, from our Therapy dogs team in Pune. She is full of life and reminds us of how infectious the joy of an animal can be. She can make everyone around her smile, even if they are not dog lovers . She loves children and plays with the children from her building in the garden every day. She has this one friend, a child who was very different from others. This child was born with Downs Syndrome and even at age 2 1/2 years, he was not able to walk. But he adored Jeanie and would squeal with joy every time he would meet her. Jeanie was roped in to be his Therapy Dog and help him learn to stand up on his own and walk. This boy was already undergoing many other therapies but the progress was really slow and his mother had started to worry about him.

When Jeanie started visiting him, the first change that his mother saw was in his willingness to do the exercise that would help him walk. He was asked to do an exercise where his mother would hold him by his waist and make him walk, but he would just refuse to stand up. Then an interesting activity was introduced to the boy by the animal therapist. He was asked to hold Jeanie's leash while Jeanie ran around in the room. This got him so excited that he got ready not just to stand up but to try and run behind Jeanie, dragging his mother along with him. Initially he would not be able to walk for long and would scream out of frustration when he would fall down. At such times Jeanie would quickly go besides him and nudge him. This activity was such a motivation for him, that he slowly learned to place his foot properly and stand independently. Jeanie would put her paws on a small table and 'stand' and the boy would also try and imitate her, hold on to the table and stand. This is how he learned to stand on his own. He was so gentle with Jeanie, he would feed her small treats and play ball with her. He also learned to open and fix her collar leash. This also helped him to improve his fine motor skills. Gradually, his mother did not need to hold him by his waist, she would just hold his hand. In the other hand, he would hold Jeanie's leash and they would walk around the entire house. So much so that the house was not enough for the child to run and the sessions were taken in the garden. The boy's physiotherapist was amazed to see such fast progress in the child.

The sessions in the garden were even more fruitful. Now that the boy had learned to walk holding Jeanie's leash, the mother slowly tried leaving the other hand so that the boy would walk on his own holding Jeanie's leash. Yes he did fall a couple of times, but Jeanie was always besides him to motivate him to get up and try again. It was an overwhelming sight to see the little Pug help the little child to walk.

Today the child is able to walk, run, hop, jump and play with this friends. Jeanie is still a integral part of his life and he meets her every evening. Jeanie has not just helped him to learn to walk but has also provided him unconditional emotional support and given him self confidence to last a life time.

To know more about me and our team of therapy dogs at Animal Angels, log on to our website: www.animalangels.org.in

My Journey

Many say a pet dog's life is easy. You get everything ready in your bowl, you don't have to hunt or search for food. You make cute faces and you get extra treats when humans are eating. You get to sleep on the sofa rather than on the floor or you doggie bed. You get pampered and cuddled and liked by all. A therapy dog's life is a bit different than that. We do get all this coz we are living with families who have raised us like their own children. The only difference probably is that we are a bit more responsible. We understand what humans want from us, even those who cannot say it.

Though I am a happy and secure therapy dog today, my journey has not been simple from my mother to my current family. I had to go through a lot, like gold has to go through fire to shine. As a puppy I was taken and trained to be a therapy dog for a small child who could not talk and express himself. It was planned that I had to stay with his family as a companion for him. It was all good till then because that's what dogs do, be great companions for children. I was born as Ronnie but was renamed as Spongy by this faily as I was all furry and soft like a Spongy. The kid adored me and to say me name was abig effort for a boy who otherwise did not speak. But he did it - for me. I bonded with the child, he bonded with me, he also started showing great improvement in his behavior after I came. But it was very difficult for his mother to take care for a special child and a dog. Unfortunately, they had to shift to another place where they could not take me. I was still a year old puppy. I didn't understand much, but felt very restless. The days before they were going to move, I felt ignored. I felt the change in every one's emotions. I started sitting under the chair with by head buried in my paws to get away from the emotions I could not understand.

Minal was worried about me, I could not go back and stay with her. Oh how I wished I could stay with her again. But she found another home for me. I was given to a lady who was a retired business women, lonely and middle aged, looking for a companion. She also had some health problems like blood pressure or something. I was given to her so that she would have my company and that she would get up early to take me for my walks and so her health would inprove. She had a big house. The first few days were very enjoyable for me. Very different from my earlier family. Here I was alone with the lady. This lady was strict. I was still a puppy, a very frisky puppy. I would get in trouble many times. But what would I do. She would leave me alone in the house and go out for the entire day. I would get bored and find things to play with. How would I know that ' Ray Ban' sunglasses are not a chew toy to be chewed off!!! :D She would shout at me for the mess that I would make. It was so scary when she would shout at me, I would crouch and sit in a corner. The morning walks did make her healthy. I kept her company when she cried at night thinking of her loved ones or when she was sitting alone looking out of the window. But she was moving on with her life. It was I who had started feling lonely. I had no one to play with. I was not taken out that frequently. and I was not allowed to chew stuff!

But then I met these kids who stayed right next door. It happened so that my owner had to go out for a few days and there was no one to take care of me. So she asked this family next door to take me for a few days. They had two kids and i instantly bonded with them. They adored me and pampered me when I was with them. We had a blast playing ball and other funny toys they made for me at home. I fet like a happy puppy again after a long time. I loved to cuddly up with them and sleep. Back at the lady's house, I was strictly kept off the bed and had to sleep alone. My days with these kisd were the happiest. Then this lady had to go out frequently and I was often left with these kids to play. Things were fine until one day the lady suddenly decides to give to to a completely different family. The neighbours with whom i used to stay were very keen on taking me as their pet. But this lady did not even ask them. And I was sent away to a completely new home, new people, new place. And they had a dog too! Thank goodness for that. Her name was Pheobe. She helped me adjust to that home and to the people. They were good people but missed the kids, my neighbours.

But as fate would have it, this family also had to move and could no longer take care of me. That is when they contacted Minal as they didnot want me to go back to the lady. Minal called up my neighbours and asked them if they would like to take me. They were thrilled to hear that but the only problem was that the lady stayed right next door. She would notice if I came back with out her knowledge. The day my neighbour came to pick me up, I ran into her arms and jumped all over with the kids. I was happy again.

I came home with them and its been 4 years now that I am living with them. They are my family, the Srivastava family. They loved me and made me feel secure. All these changes had made me feel abondoned, had made me insecure. I would intially crouch when someone tried to pet me on my head. But slowly with the love from this family I regained my confidance. I played with the children, cuddled with them, went for long walk with my new 'mother'. I did many naughty things like eating up a scotch brite, chewing up Saket's branded foot ball, digging upp the plants, but never got scolded or beaten up for that. They corrected me in a way I could understantd that these things were not to be messed with. My life was stable again.


Minal was happier that ever to see me in a good home, with loving people and secure emotionally. Every time she used to visit us, I would be ready to go with her thinking I would be staying with her now. After all she was my first 'mom' I love her a lot. Now I had also started going to special schools with Minal and her team and continued with the work that I was originally trained for - to be a therapy dog. I had now matured, I had all this experience of being with different people, sensing a range of different emotions. I myself had gone through a phase where I felt ignored and unwanted and 'different' from other dogs. So I could understand these kids better. I could sense the pain of the families who had lost their loved ones in a train blast. I Felt really good when I would see smiles on their faces and when they would hug me I would feel my purpose in life was fulfilled.

To know more about our work log on to www.animalangels.org.in

My Guru - Kutty, India's first Therapy dog

They say, if you want to learn the good stuff, learn it from the master. A puppy learn to give a paw, fetch the ball, roll over, poop at the right place, not to chew the furniture etc, but I learned many more things that that. When i was just a frisky little puppy, I used to play with this super cool dog who used to come to a special school in front of our house. She was Kutty a big golden Lab. When I grew up I came to know that she was Kutty - India's first Therapy dog. The school had a big garden where we used to play. I was still very playful and naughty, doing crazy things like chasing my tail , running after butterflies etc. But Kutty was very patient with me, nudging me with her nose when I would stumble, bowing down on front paws calling me to play. They also had a pond in the garden which had little fish in it. As a puppy, once I got all excited and went to chase them. I don't know what got into me, but I jumped into the pool. I swear Kutty must have laughed at me, saying what a silly girl I was.

There were also many children playing around us. But they were different. They ran oddly, some sat on a moving chair and used funny sticks to walk. Some screamed and talked loudly while some did not talk at all. I used to be a little confused and would move back if a child came to me. But Kutty was a friend to all these children. She knew them and knew that they meant no harm. The kids would squeal with joy when they would see Kutty, they would run around and chase her. Some would come and hug her tight. Even while playing ball some could not hold or throw the ball properly. Still Kutty would fetch ball for them, every time with the same enthusiasm. Children who could not walk properly would hold her leash and try to walk. I was amazed to see who calm she was around these children, something that I had to learn big time. Slowly I learned to trust the kids and would play with them too.

But the most important thing that I learned from her was to understand human emotions and to respond to them. As dogs we have this innate quality of sensing changes in human emotions much before a human can even understand them. But not all dogs know what to do of this gift that we have. Kutty taught me to tune my senses to the changes in the emotions of the people around me. I would observe her connection with the special children. She somehow knew which once was about to cry. She would just go and sit besides him or lick his face and the child would break into a smile. She would look at a child with hopeful eyes and a waging tail and a child who would not speak would also try to call out her name. This was the Pawsitive effect of Kutty. Later when I did my first project at a special school, these teachings of Kutty helped me a lot to understand those kids and to bring a smile on their face.

Later we went on to do a program together which was very significant for me. It taught me a lot about how sad, unhappy and scarred humans can get at the loss of their loved ones. And what a big difference our waging tails and touch of our soft fur can do for them. It was rightly called Raahat Ka Ehsaas. There we met a lot of people who had lost their loved ones in a train blast. Some had lost their limbs, some were still in a state of shock and sadness. Before we met them, they were all sharing their grief with each other. Some were also crying. But as soon as Kutty entered, the mood of the entire room changed. Like a pro Kutty walked in the room full of people. From a dog's perspective I know how difficult it was to walk in a emotionally charged room full of strangers. But seeing Kutty, the emotional charge of the room changed. People came near her, hugged her, petted her, cried on touching her. When I came into the room sometime later, the people were much more relaxed. There were smiles all around us. I feel humbled when I think of the difference we could make in their lives.

Kutty is now seven years old and I am five. It will still take me many more years to be a super cool dog like her. She is truly an Angel.

To know more about our Angels log on to www.animalangels.org.in