Happy Fall to All,

Remember that classic Joan Jet song " I love Rock and Roll"?  Well, I have my own version that goes " I love volunteers!".  

The best part of Austin Dog Alliance is it's 300 plus volunteers who give to our community every day of the year; even on Christmas and Thanksgiving we have volunteers visiting nursing homes with their therapy dogs.  Volunteers are the life blood of this organization.  This month we will host our 8th annual volunteer dinner and welcome our 100th pet therapy team.   WOW - One hundred trained dogs and their awesome handlers are visiting nursing homes, hospitals, schools, libraries and more.  These dogs and about 20 other volunteers are also providing our autism program on a weekly basis for students with social skill challenges.  

On the adoption side of the organization, we have our tireless leaders, Judy McCarthy and Carla Elmore leading a team of dedicated fosters who ensure each dog and adopting family is treated like VIP's.  We recently placed two special dogs that required almost 6 months of training before they were ready for their own homes.  Training a dog to have really nice manners and then giving it to another family is quite the selfless act of kindness.  Big thank you to Susan Windham and Donna Fessler.

Next time you call us on the phone or stop by the office, please take a moment to say thank you to the person at the front desk.  Our front desk is staffed for 64 hours every week by a team of 29 dedicated volunteers.   

As a growing organization with services currently outpacing donations, we have learned to rely on a very talented pool of volunteers to help with all sorts of tasks.  For example, right now Bill Maloney is developing office staff training materials and developing a class survey, Laurie Baalman has been using her talent with graphics to create flyers and webpages, Michael Murray is writing contracts so we can host birthday parties and private events, Laura Wright is busy writing press releases, Carol Nemir is maintaining the website, Beth Krugar is lending a hand by coaching us on fundraising, Valarie Mullen and Micah Prine are busy coordinating events, Mae Moorhead is leading the charge on our volunteer dinner preparation and .......OK - I better stop or this will get way, way to long.

Lastly, we all owe a big thank you to our Board of Directors who donate time, talent and financial resources that allow us to flourish.  

Oh - just one more.  Thank you to my wonderful husband Bill who spends every weekend mowing and trimming the lawn at our New Hope Ranch.  

Thank you Austin Dog Alliance volunteers.  Your contribution is priceless.

Sincerely,

Debi Krakar

Executive Director and Founder

Austin Dog Alliance

 PS - Fall is a perfect time to train your dog.  Check out our schedule!  ( I teach on Wednesday nights if you are needing Pet Therapy or Dog Manners 1), We now have Lure Coursing on Monday nights, Fungility for Tweens on Saturdays and expanded agility classes for adults on Saturdays.  Come have some fun with us!

Being a pet therapy team requires dedication, training, and a love of serving the community.  Pet therapy teams cover their out-of-pocket expenses for training, uniforms, and equipment, so there's also a financial commitment.   

Why do we do it?  Learn more about the experience through a pet therapy volunteer, Traci Fowler, and her therapy dog, Lina.   

Therapy dog Lina

"Visiting Hearthstone Health Care has become the highlight of our week.  We have come to adore so many of the residents there, and many of them tell us that we are the best part of their week.  Then there are the residents who can't verbally communicate that tell us even more.  I don't know their names, nor do I know their conditions, but I know visiting with Lina is very special for them.

One such resident is a young woman at Hearthstone confined to a very elaborate chair.  She's seat-belted in and tilted back as her body spasms constantly.  She is always alone as I imagine others don't know how to communicate with her or that perhaps her body spasms scare them.  All the same, Lina and I never miss a chance to visit with her.  She can understand me and I can tell she wants to communicate back but her words are incoherent.  

When I approach, I tell her Lina is here to see her, and her face lights up and she gets very excited.  Lina finds an ideal position beside her chair so the woman may easily reach over to touch Lina.  Her pets are slightly rough due to the spasms but Lina doesn't flinch.  I also notice tears of happiness as she's petting Lina.  On a few occasions, I think I can vaguely make out her telling Lina, "I love you".  I always tell her that Lina loves her and is so happy to see her again this week.  As we part, she continues to express joy in her face and we know we've positively impacted her day and it's truly a blessing".

Thanks, Traci, for the work you and Lina do in our community!