See that smile?
That's what it's all about!


A camper at Camp SummerTribe/Krewe de Camp enjoys the thrill of a snuggle with Mozart.

Once again this summer, our dogs and handlers were eager to be of service to area summer camps.

First on the list was LSU Medical School's Camp Tiger, put on by the medical school students for children with special needs. On the last Friday in May, hundreds of children and camp counselors filled the grounds of City Park eagerly awaiting the arrival of the therapy dogs. Volunteers offering their services were Cathy Burch, Julie Chalmers, Leslie Davis, Gayle Kroeger, Dot McIntyre, Kim Pizzo, Claire Sommers, Joy Sturtevant, Linda Wegmann and Donna and Greg West. Many of these volunteers took time off from their jobs to make the special effort to attend this memorable event.

Volunteer Barbara Hyland and her Greyhound, Penny, participated in the LA/SPCA's Care Cadet Camp. The VPP team gave an educational presentation to the young campers to explain to them exactly what therapy visits are all about and why they serve a very important purpose. Following their training, the Care Cadets will serve as volunteers at the shelter and may also make an appearance at an upcoming VPP evaluation.

Camp Summer Tribe participants from left to right:
Joy Sturtevant and Oban, Barbara Hyland and Penny, Donna West and Ellie, Greg West and Sassy, Fay Schultz and Mozart, and Linda Wegmann and Maxx. Missing from photo is Ellen Goldring and Lucy Jane.

Crossing over to the North Shore, our pets participated in Camp Summer Tribe, also known as Krewe de Camp, a 7 day residential camp for children with Cerebral Palsy and other similar conditions. VPP volunteers Ellen Goldring, Barbara Hyland, Fay Schultz, Joy Sturtevant, Linda Wegmann, and Donna and Greg West participated in this special visit. Held in Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville, this camp annually serves about 50 Louisiana campers, ages six to twenty years old, offering a traditional summer camp experience. A visit from our special pets added a little untraditional flavor.

As always, our volunteers were exceptionally generous with their time and talents to make sure that campers all over our area had a memorable pet therapy experience.

Post-Katrina, your Board of Directors has been functioning without the assistance of two Board members who relocated after the storm. At our last meeting, we decided it was time to fix that situation and welcome two new members.

Taking over the newsletter duties will be Malay Ghose Hajra. Malay has been an extremely active volunteer for the last two years and is always the first to volunteer for anything. He has extensive newsletter experience, doing a wonderful newsletter for Gulf South Golden Retriever Rescue.

Danna Morris will also join the team as the new Web Master. Danna and hubby, Mason, have been volunteering with VPP since 2003 and have been active participants at all of our evaluations. Danna's advanced computer skills will be put to good use keeping our web site updated.

With the resignation of Denise Mehurin (see Four Paw Salute), we went in search for the perfect Reading To Rover Coordinator. With tons of Reading to Rover experience under her belt, volunteer Fay Schultz has agreed to take over that position. Fay has been volunteering with VPP since 2003 and has regularly attended RTR events with dogs JJ and Mozat.

Please congratulate these exceptional volunteers and thank them for their additional service to our organization. Without dedicated volunteers like Malay, Danna and Fay, there would be no Visiting Pet Program.