February 2020 – Me and the Doods.com

A Bittersweet Circle of Coincidence

About a month ago I was walking the dogs in the neighborhood and ran into the rabbi from Providence Tarzana Hospital and his wife. When they stopped to pet Gus and Stanley, the rabbi, a fan of animal therapy, began telling his wife about things the Doods had accomplished. Some I didn’t even know about.

One story really stuck with me. A couple of years ago, the rabbi had seen me in the hall, I believe with Elbee and Gus, and asked us to go in to see a critically ill young woman. He shared how much peace and comfort the visit with the dogs had brought to her. Unbeknownst to me, a short time later she passed away.

This week I was at the hospital with Gus when a nurse told us that someone really wanted to see him. We walked into the room to find the patient waiting to go to surgery but alert and upbeat. Her two adult daughters, one a veterinarian and the other a sports trainer, were with her.

We immediately bonded over our love of dogs, the Dodgers and the Lakers. We were so sad about the loss of Kobe Bryant and mad about the baseball cheating scandal. The trainer daughter had worked with UCLA athletes so we cheered the great year the women’s basketball team was having. I showed them silly Christmas and New Years photos of Gus and Stanley which got a laugh from everyone.

Suddenly one of the daughters turned to me and thanked me for a visit we had done with her sister a few years before. Her sister had been so happy to see the dogs and so comforted by them. It turned out to be the very same woman the rabbi had been talking about.

After a few minutes of serious conversation, I shared with them that Stanley was my late brother’s namesake. That simple act of confiding spoke volumes. The experience of losing a sibling is different for everyone but there is a mutual understanding. I told them how warm and funny my brother was and that I was sure he was making their sister laugh.

The Canine Cupids Are Back

Once again, several of the People Animal Connection teams, including Blue Moon the miniature horse and her person Victoria, gathered at UCLA Medical Center to spread some Valentine cheer. We always meet as a group ahead of time to give the dogs a chance to settle in.

ELBEE Trust me. It’s chaos.

Gus met Blue Moon for the first time and was much calmer than Stanley had been. That really isn’t saying much since Stanley acted as if he was meeting an alien, one he’d like to play with, but still an alien. Little Bichon Finley, “sister” to Gus’s best buddy Tommy, was totally taken with the small horse. She couldn’t take her eyes off of her. It was love at first sniff.

When we split into groups to visit the floors, the loving spirit of the day became the star. Donna and I took Gus, Tommy and Finley to cheer up kids on pediatrics. A toddler sitting on the floor in the hall didn’t know whom to pet first. Seemingly special needs, her response was pure joy and her mom was thrilled.

We went into a room to visit an adolescent girl, who, from what I understood, had been in and out of the hospital for years. She was cuddled on her bed with a favorite old stuffed animal, but when the adorable threesome settled around her they were all the comfort she needed.

Someone asked the patient what was her favorite animal. Surprisingly she answered, “elephants.” What would be the chance that I’d be wearing socks with elephants on them. She laughed when I showed them to her.

ELBEE What’s the chance that anyone would be wearing socks with elephants on them?

Joining us on our rounds was Reed, proud Doodle owner and long time UCLA photographer. It was very special to have him with us because over the years he has taken pictures of so many of the PAC dogs, including all of mine. This time I turned the lens on him and captured a sweet moment with Gus.

Also in our group was a student volunteer who was handing out cards and gifts to the patients. As we were leaving the floor I asked if she’d ever seen the dogs in action before. With a huge smile on her face she said that it was her first time and she couldn’t believe what she’d seen. She’d met dogs around the hospital but had no idea of the depth of what they could accomplish. I told her I felt as if they were walking valentines.

ELBEE That is corny but touching.

A Horse Is a Horse of Course

Stanley’s second pet visit station at UCLA Medical Center was very special. Not so much because he’s grown into the job, but because of the illustrious company he was keeping.

STANLEY What does illustrious mean?

ELBEE You don’t want to know.

First there was Blue Moon, a miniature horse who does the monthly visit stations in the peace garden outside of the lobby. Adorable and smart, Blue Moon was in this year’s nationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade.

When Stanley was still a puppy we went to the Gentle Barn, an amazing animal sanctuary. He was very taken with the horses and even nuzzled a blind one named Hiro. Apparently he blocked all of that from memory. When he saw Blue Moon he was baffled. What was she? A dog? A horse?

Initially he was a little hesitant. Then he moved in closer and decided she was okay to play with so he went for the puppy “bounce.” To her credit, Blue Moon was extremely patient even though I’m sure she thought he was ridiculous.

Then we headed over to the patio on the other side of the hospital where we joined a husky named Izzy and her person Melissa. Izzy has the most beautiful blue eyes. If we combined Izzy’s eyes with Stanley’s long eyelashes, they’d have a cosmetics contract sewn up.

Izzy was recently voted America’s most popular pet on Good Morning America, so Stanley was in very good company. Although Stanley doesn’t have her credentials, the two of them were a huge hit. I lost count of how many people going in and out of the hospital stopped to pet them and take photos.

I wonder if Stanley was blocking me on purpose.

ELBEE Yes he was.

As so often happens amidst all of the dog festivity, I ended up in a serious and touching conversation. An older man approached and jokingly said that he’d like to pet Stanley but was afraid he’d want to steal him for his son.

He confided that his adult son had severe psychological issues. The man often felt that a dog would be of help. Coincidentally, I had recently read an article about organizations that were training psychiatric service dogs.

They are taught to sense anxiety and depression. They learn to stop someone who is self-harming with cutting. An agoraphobic woman said that her dog enabled her to leave the house. A very young boy with severe problems was able to return to school.

I truly wished that I’d had specifics for the man but when I shared the information I had, he was so appreciative. He was glad to have a direction where he could search for help for his son. He even took a moment to hug Stanley.

Charity Begins at the Corner

Over the years, thanks to the Doods, I’ve been fortunate enough to do so many things in addition to hospital visits. Some, like parades and parties were fun. Others, like the movie I Love You Man that I did with Charley were fabulous.

ELBEE I cannot believe she’s bringing that up again. Maybe it’s because it’s award season and she thinks she should have won an Oscar for best cameo.

I bring it up because, believe it or not, this week two random people asked if that was really me. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Some of the events have been incredibly touching. Gus and I recently joined a few other Pet Partners teams for A Magic Penny Volunteer Fair. Located at the corner community center just a few miles from my house, it turned out to be a very special afternoon.

A Magic Penny is a philanthropic organization that believes “through diverse and frequent volunteer events children and their parents/guardians can grow together and connect with the community.” I love their messages of spreading love through service and experiencing joy in giving.

There were several adorable Girl Scouts who had made dog blankets. When I asked which dogs they were for they answered, “homeless dogs, shelter dogs, oh just any dogs who need them.”

Two teenage boys were sitting at a table encouraging people to write personal thank you notes to first responders. With the year we’ve had in California, people were happy to have a chance to express their gratitude.

I spoke with a woman whose son has severe autism and is non-verbal. She is trying to influence businesses to become inclusive for people with serious issues rather than exclusive. Another woman was selling jewelry that she had made but was donating the profits to charity.

Throughout the afternoon, as I learned about all of the good work being done and shared what Gus and the other dogs did, there was such a sense of mutual purpose. And of course Gus was in his element working the crowd.

There was a moment of excitement when a fire truck from the nearby station pulled up in front of the center. It was a special treat for the kids and of course for Gus and yours truly. We had the chance to meet the fire fighters and celebrate their heroic work during the devastating wildfires.

I realize that the positivity in this post may seem a bit over the top even for me. It’s just that in the midst of these difficult and often tragic times, I was grateful to be even a small part of an event that celebrated kindness, courage and generosity.