September 6: Dog Swim at Monon Park
End of Summer Dog Swim at Monon Park. Stay tuned to our site for details!

September 17: Polo at Sunset, 6:00pm
Bring your kids, dogs, sandwiches, and drinks (alcohol permitted) and spend a fun evening watching a polo match! Pre-registration is not required. $20 per carload. Click here for more details.

October 3: Touchdown for Tails, 3:00-8:00pm
Come to Kilroy’s Downtown (Meridian and Georgia Streets) and cheer on the Colts as they play Jacksonville. The event will support Paws and Think and will include games, prizes and fun! Additional details coming soon!

October 30: Howloween Dog Walk On The Canal
Prizes will be awarded for the best costume and other events. Pre-registration is required. Details coming soon!

November 6: Annual Dog Talk Conference
Intervene with Human Abuse by Intervening with Animal Abuse. The fee is $85 with optional $15 lunch. Pre-registration is required. Click here for additional details.

November 18: Annual Wine Tasting Event, 5:30-8:30pm
Indiana Arts Council, Broad Ripple. Tickets will soon be available through board members and the website.

Geri Kiesler’s Tucker with Nancy Poppleton and son Noah during the Glendale's Paws to Read program.

Meet Tucker – A furry volunteer and therapy dog at the Glendale Library “Paws to Read” program. The “Paws to Read” program improves children’s reading skills and boosts confidence by pairing practicing readers with a trained therapy dog. Children read to dogs in a positive, non-threatening, fun environment.

Tucker, a yellow Labrador retriever, has a teddy-bear temperament his activities to date include visits to a nursing home, Brooke’s Place (for grieving children), and several libraries for Paws to Read.

A dog who works?

Don’t dogs just eat, sleep and fetch? Although that is the dog’s life most people picture, there are some dogs that really do like to work… like service dogs. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, 1990), a dog is considered a "service dog" if it has been "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. There are a number of different skill levels of service dogs, e.g. facility dogs and skilled companions, with varying levels of public access protected by the ADA.

But what about opportunities for dogs who are just great family pets, whose owners would like to share them with others in need? The answer is Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), commonly referred to as Pet Therapy. There are national organizations that provide testing and certification (e.g., Delta Society’s Pet Partner Program, Therapy Dog International, etc) and Paws and Think is a local organization that can provide classes, evaluation and support, and alliances with local organizations seeking animal therapy teams. Paws and Think serves at-risk youths, at-risk canines, and children and adults with disabilities/special needs in central Indiana (Marion and surrounding counties). Here are a few examples of where pet therapy can be beneficial:

• Children who are grieving the loss of someone special
• Children who need a non-judgmental listener as they read so they can improve their reading skills (literacy)
• Children in schools who need to know how to prevent dog bites or care for pets responsibly
• Children in hospitals who feel afraid and displaced
• Seniors who enjoy the physical affection and social interaction of pets; adults and children in physical or speech rehabilitation; and
• Soldiers with physical and emotional traumas who have served their country.

LITERACY

Our own local Glendale Library has embraced the AAA/AAT dog concept by participating in a program called “Paws to Read”. The Paws to Read program improves children’s reading skills and boosts confidence by pairing practicing readers with a trained therapy dog. Children read to dogs in a positive, non-threatening, fun environment. The dogs listen and don’t tease, laugh, or judge the child.

The Paws to Read dogs have been trained and tested for health, safety, and temperament. They work as a team with their trained handler who facilitates a relaxed and fun reading experience. Learning of any kind occurs best when children feel comfortable and assured. Reading to a dog makes reading fun and children look forward to spending time with the Paws to Read dogs. Reading to a dog can help your child:

• Increase his/her reading skills
• Develop communication skills
• Gain confidence
• Raise his/her self-esteem
• Build Social Skills
• Improve school performance

ALONG CAME TUCKER

In March 2008, I adopted Tucker, a yellow Labrador retriever, at the young rambunctious age of 8 weeks. At the time I was unaware of the therapy dog program/evaluation. But having discovered Tucker’s teddy-bear temperament, completing a series of obedience classes, then passing the Canine Good Citizen test, I explored the programs. In the summer of 2009 Tucker was evaluated through Paws and Think and TDI. His activities to date include visits to a nursing home, Brooke’s Place (for grieving children), and several libraries for Paws to Read. When Tucker is not playing with his big red Jolly Ball, or begging our neighbors (the Ogden family) for cheese, you can find him “reading” at Glendale library on Tuesday evenings, 5:30-6:30 (every other month, rotating with Wrigley – a wonderful golden doodle). For more information on the Glendale Paws to Read program, visit the library and pick up their informative brochure.

Nancy Poppleton says: I’m very glad we set up this partnership; Geri and Tucker have been a joy to work with! I hope we can continue our Paws to Read program (at Glendale Library) and the good benefits it brings.

Picnic supplies (both food and beverages) are permitted. Entry charge is $20 per car and all proceeds go to Paws and Think. Click here for additional details!

Board member Missy King, along with Interns Jessica Brookie and Stephanie Bennett

The 5th annual Get IndyVolved took place on July 28 and showcased dozens of Indy organizations, including Paws and Think, Inc.. Over 400+ young professionals attended the event which offered opportunities to get involved with various local not-for-profits. Special thanks to our interns, Jessica Brookie and Stephanie Bennett, who represented Paws and Think at the event! Paws and Think had many attendees express interest in our organization…and we may have recruited many new volunteers! Kudos to Indyhub for hosting Get IndyVolved.

Not only am I big and beautiful, I am also very well behaved! I love to follow Allison around the house and keep her feet warm by quietly stretching across them with my whole body. I also am fortunate to share the house with Einstein, a golden retriever and registered Paws and Think therapy dog, and Charlie who they tell me is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. My pooch pals and I make for a full house, and I have fit right in!

My favorite time of the day is when I wake up to see Allison or Jacob coming down the stairs. I wag my tail really hard and wait patiently in my kennel until I hear, “Ok! Let’s go!” I then run excitedly outside to potty because I know BREAKFAST is next! Einstein, Charlie, and I all sit at our food bowls until Allison tells us it is okay to eat. After breakfast, Einstein and I run to our toy bin (well the toy bin Einstein graciously shares with me), and we pull out our morning toy selections. I usually go for the quacking duck because it makes noise when I bite on it. Einstein will then bring over the rope and dangle it in front of my face. He thinks he is stronger than me, but I always prove him wrong. I will grab the rope and drag him around the house.

After a few minutes of proving to Einstein that I can still beat him, I take a nap. My favorite place to nap is in Charlie’s bed, which doesn’t work out well for Charlie! I have to discretely push him out of it, usually starting by just resting my head on his bed and slowly edging my way into it. He will eventually move out of the way so I can curl up in a tight ball. I have to do this because the bed is not big enough for a 90 pound Lab. Regardless, it is my favorite place to sleep and he is great to accommodate me.

I like to spend my day napping unless I am being paraded on the canal with Allison. The coolest thing I got to do was go shopping with Allison and my trainer, Kevin. Even though it was my first time out, I was on my best behavior! My previous owners and breeders taught me how to walk very nicely on the leash. I never pull on it and walk right beside Allison and Kevin. We walked all around Barnes and Noble and Best Buy. It was so fun to have people marvel at me as I made my way around all the aisles. I knew that this is what I was meant to do! I’m a natural. I love the attention I get from everyone who meets me. Allison loves to tell me that I am going to do special things for people. I don’t know what that is yet, but whatever it is, I know I am going to love it!

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