INTERVIEW: Tasha Welch - Research Poster Scholarship Recipient

Tasha Welch grew up around animals and hasn’t met an animal she doesn’t like. She grew up with a Labrador named Jasper and fell in love with her first rabbit at 15 years old. Currently Tasha has two rescued rabbits; Alice and Gilbert. Tasha’s experience with having companion rabbits and volunteering with a rabbit rescue created a passion for promoting responsible rabbit ownership and she has been able to pursue this at the University of Guelph with Dr. Jason Coe. Tasha has a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Biology and her Master’s degree explored companion-rabbit ownership and knowledge of rabbit owners. Now she is working on getting her research published in the hope that her discoveries will raise awareness to this understudied topic. Rabbits are gaining popularity as companion animals however they are also increasingly being found in shelters.

InfoStream (IS): Why do you believe that rabbits as companion animals has received so little attention?

Tasha Welch (TW): I think one of the main reasons companion rabbits have been so understudied is that the vast numbers of cats and dogs in households and shelters are perhaps overshadowing the popularity of companion rabbits. Over the years we have seen companion cat and dog research receive more and more attention, which is fantastic, however, as potentially the third most popular companion animal and third most relinquished companion animal rabbits should be included in the discussion. That brings me to my second reason, which is, we don’t really have any estimates of how many companion rabbits there are in homes and in shelters or rescues. If we could gather some numbers to provide evidence for their popularity and sadly the numbers of rabbits that shelters and rescues are overwhelmed with I think that others would see the need for attention in this topic. For me, it was my passion for companion rabbits and conversations I have had with organizations and shelter/rescue groups that drove me to pursue this research, so now I think I have a role to play in getting the topic of companion rabbits going. Lastly, I think that rabbits are a bit of an underrated pet. Through the conversations I have had with people, many are surprised I have rabbits as a pet and even more are surprised when they meet my rabbits how similar they are to cats and dogs in terms of having a personality and their affection. So a quote Dr. Coe uses that I think fits here is that ‘people don’t know what they don’t know’.

IS: What is your experience with rabbits as companion animals?

TW: Over the last ten years I have had four rabbits, three of which were rescues. My first rabbit, Thumper, I got when I was 15. She was a bit of an impulse purchase and I had no clue how to care for a rabbit. Luckily my parents supported me and helped me research about rabbits so I learned a lot about rabbits with Thumper. We found out all these things like they can be litter trained, they have personalities, they need access to unlimited hay and they need to be taken to regular vet check ups. I also learned how social rabbits are and after spending hours petting and sitting with Thumper every day she developed this goofy, affectionate and independent personality. After Thumper passed away, I started looking into rescues because of the research I had done and I noticed how there were so many rabbits without homes. So I ended up adopting my second rabbit, Henry, who bonded very closely with me; he would follow me around, sit at my feet when I was doing homework and beg for snacks in the kitchen. After Henry passed I knew I would continue to rescue bunnies since so many needed homes and developing a bond with a rabbit that has gone through whatever horrors in it’s life is a truly rewarding experience. The two rabbits I have now are Alice and Gilbert. Alice was actually a stray bunny we (I volunteer for Rabbit Rescue Inc.) caught when a friend of mine had seen a domestic rabbit roaming her neighborhood. Alice was a particularly rewarding rescue because when I first got her she bit and scratched and was very aggressive but with time she has become an absolute cuddle bug. Gilbert I acquired most recently and he was actually short listed for euthanasia because of an injury and his red eye, which is considered undesirable by people so he would be less likely to be adopted. So Gilly is my little angel bunny and luckily he bonded well with Alice so they both have their happily ever after.

IS: What prompted you study companion-rabbit owners’ knowledge?

TW: I think it really started from when I got involved with a rabbit rescue and noticed how many rabbits were coming in and how many rabbits other rescues and shelters had. Like cats and dogs, there seemed to be something happening to the bond between owners and their rabbit where that bond may either fail to develop or break down and the rabbits end up abandoned. From searching the literature, and going back to my own experience of getting my first rabbit with no knowledge of rabbit ownership, knowledge of caring for a pet is important in the development of the human-animal bond. I was lucky enough to have become educated on rabbit ownership, which I think supported the bond I developed with my first rabbit and I think that bond allowed me to work through challenges of pet ownership like going off to university, moving and changes with work and schedules. Without knowledge of ownership and the human-animal bond there is a risk to the rabbits becoming dispensable and disposable. So I think from my own experiences and passion for companion rabbits this gap in the realm of companion-animal research really stuck out to me as an area that needed to be studied in order to promote rabbit welfare and relationship between people and their rabbits.

IS: From what I understand your survey participants were rabbit owners. Did you survey acquisition sources and veterinarians? If so, how did their knowledge compare with rabbit owners?

TW: We did not survey acquisition sources or veterinarians, however, a study that is being prepared for publication in Massachusetts explored acquisition source staff knowledge of rabbit husbandry. The study found that rescue and shelter staff had the highest knowledge of rabbit husbandry compared to pet store staff. In my study participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest overall knowledge scores compared participants who got their rabbit from other sources. These are two different studies in different populations, so I can’t compare the two, but the findings do support each other and suggest an area for further research.

IS: Can you summarize the results of your research with us? What are the most significant pieces of information that you discovered?

TW: The two consistent factors that we found to influence both owner knowledge and whether participants’ rabbit was spayed or neutered was where participants got their rabbit from and whether they took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. So participants who got their rabbit from a rescue or shelter on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit compared to participants who got their rabbit from other sources. Participants who took their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups on average had the highest knowledge scores and were more likely to have a spayed or neutered rabbit. So these findings suggest that acquisition sources and veterinarians can play a role in education prospective or current rabbit owners on rabbit husbandry and care and provide information on spaying or neutering of companion rabbits.

IS: How will you share the results of your research and provide acquisition sources and veterinarians with the most up-to-date rabbit care information?

TW: I think the best way to share the results of my research is through conversation. Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend and present at local, national and international conferences and this has been an excellent way to share my research with vast audiences including individuals from various animal-related organizations, companies, groups and stakeholders. These events have been excellent opportunities to start conversations about companion-rabbit ownership and the research I have done and to make connections with people across the companion animal field. Another way to share this research will be to publish the findings, which we are in the process of doing right now. To date I have not developed an education intervention, such as a booklet or website, for acquisition sources and veterinarians to share with current or prospective rabbit owners, however, this is definitely a goal for the future.

IS: How do you feel your research will promote rabbit welfare and have a positive impact on the human-animal bond?

TW: Research on companion cats and dogs has articulated the importance of owner knowledge to play a role in the relationship between people and their pets. Poor knowledge of pet ownership has been linked to increased risks of relinquishment. These findings for cats and dogs support the importance of owner education and I think this needs to be said for companion rabbit ownership as well. The research I have done is really a starting point for companion-rabbit research to promote education prior to getting a rabbit and throughout rabbit ownership. The study I did suggests two important avenues for educating prospective rabbit owners as well as enhancing or correcting the knowledge of existing owners. Acquisition sources can prepare prospective owners by informing them on the basics of care prior to individuals bringing home a new rabbit, and as animal-health experts, veterinarians can support this information and provide additional details on health and welfare if owners are encouraged to take their rabbit for regular veterinary check-ups. Based on research that has been done on cats and dogs, I think education can go a long way to ensure people are caring for their rabbit correctly, not only for the welfare of the rabbit, but for promoting the development of a positive and long-lasting relationship between the owner and rabbit and ultimately reduce the risk of relinquishment of companion rabbits.

INTERVIEW: Tracey Robertson - Innovation Showcase Scholarship Recipient

Tracey and Bello

We recently asked Tracey Robertson of The Bello Project to tell us a little about herself so we could write an introduction for her interview. Tracey provided such a great introduction we need to let her speak for herself. 

Tracey Robertson (TR): Anyone who knows me would tell you two things ….

Hospice is my passion and Bello was my life. My husband used to joke that I would have thrown him into oncoming traffic to save Bello! 

On a serious note… I am a passionate person who has made it my life’s work to prevent our fellow Canadians from dying alone or in distress. We have so little resources available to teach us how to care for each other on that final path of the journey we call life and I want to change that. I have been working on this for 12 years now and most recently myself and two other individuals co-founded Home Hospice Association. We are working to solve two problems; If 69% of Canadians want to die where they call home…why can’t they? If 84% of Canadians have no access to quality hospice care…what are we going to do about it?   

I was the proud “non-fur” mommy to Bello who was the inspiration for the Bello Project. Bello had been with me since he was six weeks old and while I had plans on him breaking the world record of being the oldest boxer to ever live, he died on June 2, 2014 of a very rare form of pancreatic cancer. We were on a trip out west to see my brother when we found out Bello was terminally ill. He was diagnosed when we were in Vancouver and driving home both my husband and I prepared ourselves for the worse. My brother was so strong for me and he gave me some great words of advice and that was to enjoy the trip back with Bello and make lots of memories. While I thought I was doing everything to keep Bello alive for that final trip across the country I think he was in control because “he got us home”. Bello died in the sun-porch (which was his favorite room in our home) and he died in my arms while watching the sunrise.

I used to always say I had a four hour bungee cord attached to me when Bello was alive. And so, much of my time was spent doing things only he could participate in or quick activities that would get me back to him within that four hour time span!

Since Bello’s death my husband and I have become “experience evangelists” and we have reignited our love of travel and our “for a day adventures” on the motorcycle. Our winter experience at the Ice Hotel in Quebec City, while it met with a “what were you thinking” look from friends and family, was definitely a bucket list experience that fully embraces my personal hospice philosophy and that is to live big!

InfoStream (IS): The pet experience is clearly important to you, can you tell us how this developed?

TR: In one word…Bello.  He was not my first pet but for some reason we formed a bond that I cannot even describe. We went through some really tough stuff together and through it all he was my protector, my guardian. I was supposed to take care of him but he completely took care of me.  

When you deal with the reality of death and dying every day you actually approach life much differently. You understand that a good death comes from a life well lived. And so you make different choices; different decisions about your own life. You also look at your own mortality differently.  

When I started to think about Bello and what would happen to him if I died before he did (this was pre-husband of course) it sent me into a panic. I had visions of being with Bello in my home; in my bed and Bello being there when I died. I imagined the funeral home coming to get me and him sitting there having no idea what was happening. And then what? Logically, someone would call animal control and he would be taken away in a van and put into a cage. The idea made me physically ill. There was no way I would do that to him. No way I could take that chance. I have seen first-hand how wrong prognosis can be. So even if the doctor said I had months or even years to live I would have made it my only mission to find Bello a new home, immediately, so that I would not risk putting him through that kind of agony.

It didn’t matter if I died completely alone - he was the priority – he was my life – he deserved the best I could give him.

IS: What inspired your care for dying people and their pets so deeply that you created The Bello Project?

TR: My journey in the care of dying people began when I had three family members who were terminally ill and my thoughts turned to applying my business experience to the non profit “industry”. As most people do, I gravitated toward causes that were about how my loved ones had died, not thinking there were causes that focused on how someone lived. And then I learned about hospice. It, on a soulful level, made so much sense to me. My rationale was “we are all going to get there”. What causes our death will be myriad. And when someone is going to die, nothing can be done to change that outcome. But something can be done to change the life that is left to live; that was what I wanted to do. I had a chance to say goodbye to my grandfather in a way that has kept my heart full, but it was by chance. I wanted to make sure everyone had the chance to die well. That is not just for the person who is dying but for all of those who love them. If we all experience what dying well looks like we get a little less afraid and a lot more open to caring for each other along that journey.

Considering most pet owners (I was certainly in this category) think of our relationship with our pets as a familial relationship the idea of helping pets be part of the concept of dying well just made sense. When you consider how many pets are their “parents” primary emotional caregiver, yanking that relationship away prematurely seemed tortuous. Having someone die, worried about whether or not their family would then surrender their pet or worse have them euthanized, seemed more inhumane than anything I could imagine. 

I started to imagine a better way. I started to imagine a relationship with a new family that shared in Bello’s care while I was still alive. I started to imagine Bello under the dining room table of his “next” home getting fed turkey on Thanksgiving; but coming home at the end of the celebration to  me. I imagined Bello going to the “next family’s cottage” for summer vacation but then coming home to me. I thought about the “next family” being called when the funeral home was called and while I knew he would be sad, he wouldn’t be scared, confused and wondering what he did wrong that caused him to end up in a cage.

I started to imagine The Bello Project!

IS: What are the main goals of The Bello Project?

TR: The number one goal of The Bello Project is to keep the pet and their terminally ill pet parent together until death has occurred. And to do so, in such a way that we have succeeded in eliminating the “what will happen” fear for the pet parent and “what just happened” fear for the pet. To support this main goal, we must also create a system and environment where the re-adoption (re-homing) process does not begin with the sight of a cute furry face on the internet. But rather we must build relationships with people who (because of their love for pets and their understanding of the importance of human / animal bond) are willing to become part of the circle of care for an animal with the knowledge that the ultimate “ownership” of that animal is the bitter sweet result of doing the most loving thing possible for both the pet and the terminally ill pet parent.

IS: What services does The Bello Project offer?

TR: The Bello Project offers basic care for pets to allow them to remain in the home of their pet parent along the entire span of the illness. Basic care can include transportation of the pet for appointments (medical / grooming), maintaining appropriate standards of care pertaining to feeding, walking, cleaning (cage, litter box, aquarium, yard cleaning) when the pet parent is too weak to maintain these appropriate standards of care, temporary overnight care when short hospitals are required or if the person is well enough to make a final trip to see family; and our signature Re-Homing Process which allows the pet parent to hand pick the family their pet will go to upon their death. And the amazing part of all of this (why hospice is the best way to offer The Bello Project) is because we can provide grief and bereavement counseling to everyone affected by this diagnosis. Grief does not just start “when the casseroles stop coming” and The Bello Project through it’s grief support helps the individual anticipating this loss, the family who is feeling guilty about not being able to take their loved one’s pet, the new family who will likely form a bond with the person who is dying and the pet by arranging with the funeral home to allow the pet to attend visitation and the funeral.

IS: Could you please explain ‘hospice care’ for us?

TR: Thank you for asking this question!!!! First I would like to explain what hospice care is not…it is not a building. 

Hospice is emotional, spiritual and cognitive care for the person who has received a life threatening diagnosis (and those who love them). This care is delivered from the point of diagnosis not just in the last days or weeks of someone’s life. People consider hospice as a “death sentence” when really it is about living life in the face of death in way that allows that life to be big and in the moment. There is a great quote from a play called The Shadow Box; “If I can hear you telling me I’m dying; I’m not dead yet”. Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” has become an unofficial anthem for the hospice movement.

IS: Could you provide us with an example of the journey a human and pet might encounter with The Bello Project? 

TR: When someone has received a diagnosis – we consider this as the “My World Has Been Turned Upside Down” phase of the journey, the most important thing we can do is alleviate some of the what if stresses. A trained member of the Home Hospice Association team will work through those emotional issues to help someone start to understand and make plans for each eventuality. While someone is along this part of their journey maintaining appropriate standards of care will be what The Bello Project offers. 

Regardless the length of the journey there is always the reasonable expectation that the doctor is going to utter the words; “There is nothing more we can do, it is time to put your affairs in order”. During this phase the grief counseling grows to legacy work and discussion on the Re-Homing part of this journey. The Re-Homing process puts and keeps control of this part of the journey firmly in the hands of the person who is dying. Working with a grief counselor they paint a picture of their pet’s ideal new family. Options are presented and a family is chosen. Meet and greets take place in this part of the process to help with the selection.

When the selection has been made the new family becomes part of the team that has been maintaining the appropriate standards of care. The grief counselor now starts to work with the dying pet parent to allow for the transition to begin. Extended visits in the new family’s home for example help the pet to get used to it’s new environment and the process of transition is the most important part for the pet and is the pet parents’ assurance that the family does not change their mind once they are responsible for the 24 hour care of this animal.

When death has occurred, the new family is called and they now will take their pet home. No emergency measures and no cages! The family and the grief counselor work to ensure that the pet’s grief journey is respected and will facilitate opportunities for the pet to visit their deceased pet parent at the funeral home and to attend the funeral.

Ongoing support for the family is presented for as long as they need to work through the changes in their life

IS: What geographic areas does The Bello Project currently support and what are your plans for growth?

TR: Home Hospice Association is a turnkey operation that is gifted to any community that sees a lack in hospice care for their friends, families and neighbours as a problem that must be solved. When a community adopts their own Home Hospice Association they ultimately offer seven different services to their terminally ill members (and those who love them). The Bello Project is one such service. Building this turnkey operation has been the focus of our organization for the last year. We will be finished our work and will be ready to work with communities in January 2016. Our goal is to open one community in January and work towards a long term goal of 43 communities per year by the year 2020. 

IS: How is The Bello Project funded?

TR: Most importantly The Bello Project comes at no cost to the pet parent or to the new re-homed family.

Work to date on The Bello Project has been completed through the utilization of thousands of volunteer hours. I have been working full time on Home Hospice Association (as a volunteer) since July 2014. Operational costs have been offset by personal investment.  

The Bello Project is now working to build national corporate sponsorship (who we call National Sustainability Partners) to help reduce the $38.00 per day average cost of providing The Bello Project and to raise the money needed to offset professional services. It also requires operational support, awareness and volunteer contribution. We seek this non-cash but in kind support from associations and organizations such as PIJAC and the OSCPA.   In May 2015 The Bello Project welcomed its first National Sustainability Partner, Dogtopia of Canada. They are working to raise both funds and awareness for The Bello Project. 

Each year a combination of national fundraising and community based fundraising will be the way in which the Bello Project continues to do this heartfelt work.

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

TR: The Bello Project puts the control of their pet’s future firmly in the patient’s hands. The impact this has on the time the patient has remaining is so important because for them, everything is everything feels out of their control. Allowing them to dictate the way and timeframe for saying goodbye to their pet is the greatest gift of all.

INTERVIEW - Heather Brown: Innovation Showcase Scholarship Applicant

Heather Brown owns Playful Paws, a dog daycare, training, and grooming facility. Playful Paws offers a specialized daycare program for fearful or reactive dogs. Heather has dreamed about working with dogs and owning a daycare since she was 15 years old. Even at that young age she knew she wanted to work with dogs and to make a difference in their lives. She currently has 4 dogs and 3 cats; 5 of which are rescues. Playful Paws may also be found on Facebook.

InfoStream (IS): The pet experience is important to you. Tell us about how this came to be.

Heather Brown (HB): At a young age I knew pets made me happy and feel whole. I knew they needed a voice and someone to work with them. I have a connection with each of my own pets on a different level and every clients dog is connected to me somehow. Dogs make my day. They make me laugh, cry, strive to be a better person, a better trainer and to know more and more about them.  They can complete any day, any mood, and any event just by showing up.

IS: What are the main goals of Playful Paws?

HB: Our main goals are to have a safe environment where any dog can play, learn and socialize. To know our clients and want them to know us. We offer the specialized training program so that dogs with issues, or shyness can work through it at their own pace to learn to be with other dogs. As our moto says “Because all dogs were meant to play!”

IS: When and how did you see the need for a specialized daycare for shy or reactive dogs?

HB: When my dog Dugan was attacked his personality changed. I talked to many people, friends and trainers and none of their solutions helped or got me working him with or near dogs. I started to think how many other people have this issue, become the midnight dog walker or don’t participate in daycare because one of their dogs “wouldn’t” be accepted and they couldn’t bring themselves to leave just one dog home while the others get to play. You can see the dogs that need this exposure any time you take a walk through a dog event or dog park.

IS: What qualifications do you require for staff helping in the Specialized Training Daycare?

HB: All staff for our entire daycare must be pet first aid trained, have hands on experience working with multiple dogs, and have training or education in the animal industry. They also must be willing to put the dogs first before themselves. If someone is afraid to be bit or scared of altercations or heavy play a daycare is no place for them. Everyone hired on our staff must have a good resume, experience, and shine in their two working interviews.

IS: What sets Playful Paws apart from other dog daycares?

HB: Everything about us sets us apart. Our facility is top notch with every item covered for dogs. We offer official kenneling for naps not just normal crates, we have a separate nap area for feeding and resting so that there is more of a mental break. We are the only ones in Atlantic Canada to have our flooring. It is imported from USA, manufactured and approved by veterinarians, anti-fatigue, anti-bacterial and marine sealed. Our cleaners are professional grade cleaners that deodorize, and kill such things as parvo and distemper. Our requirements for staffing, our specialized daycare, our all natural 6000+ sqft outdoor space, and of course our classes.

IS: What training/certifications do you hold that have allowed you to build and support a daycare and training business?

HB: I have a diploma in Animal Sciences, Computerized Business Management, Pet First Aid, Humane Animal Treatment and 18 years of working with dogs, and other trainers. Plus I have attended numerous seminars and clinics.

IS: What in your history has taken you to where you are now?

HB: When I was 15 I began my first job of working at a local boarding kennel.   quickly advanced to managing it, and helping with training classes. It became a clear passion and has always been with me since then. Once I was laid off multiple times from jobs that were not pleasing me or making me feel useful I decided to make my dreams a reality. CEED, INOVA, CBDC and CYBF made it possible.

IS: What is most rewarding about running Playful Paws; what makes it all worthwhile?

HB: Each and every day I walk in, get greeted by dogs I don’t own that are happy to see me and play with me. When a shy or reactive dog walks happily from it's parents to come into daycare. When parents take the time to tell us how well their dogs are doing or how happy they are to come to us. Seeing 25+ dogs run, play, dig, tumble and wrestle all in a natural environment and getting along is what makes every single day, hour, and second worth it.

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

HB: Playful Paws is a family. We help our clients, our dogs, and our local rescues.  We have the most amazing clients ever. How many businesses can say they get cookies, treats, pizza, coffee delivered on a regular basis? Or have clients take their lunch to come over and say hi, or take vacation time to help us with reno’s. Offer us blankets and towels, or volunteer to help with events. With a sudden move, 16 months into business, a collapsed partnership, and a fallen roof in March our clients have stuck with us through more than most. And for that I feel not only thankful and overjoyed but that we must be doing something right.

Nominations OPEN for 2015 Summit Awards

The nomination process for the 2015 Summit Awards is under way. The 2015 Awards will be presented at the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE AUGUST 31 at midnight

A significant Urban Animal mission is to recognize those who achieve excellence. Summit Awards deliver recognition each year using an academy style system of nominations followed by an open polling process.

Nominations for the 2015 Summits have been arriving on a daily basis. Polling to determine the 2015 finalists will take place in September. 

The Summit Awards recognize peers in the following categories:

    •Breeder Summit

    •Collaborators Summit

    •Communicator Summit

    •Community Summit

    •Distinguished Service Provider Summit

    •Homing Summit

    •Individual Achievement Summit

    •Lifetime Achievement Summit

    •Retailer Summit

    •Shelter Summit

    •Wellness Summit

    •Pet Owner Summit 

NOMINATE NOW!  

The 2014 Summit Awards involved 37 nominees in 12 categories with almost 5,000 ballots cast. You are invited to nominate those who should be recognized in your community!

INTERVIEW - Dr. Ardra Cole: Innovation Showcase Scholarship Applicant

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Ardra Cole, founder of ElderDog Canada. ElderDog Canada may also be found on Facebook and Twitter. ElderDog Canada supports and maintains the relationship between senior citizens and their dogs. ElderDog also supports older dogs that have had their lives disrupted due to illness, relocation, or death of their human companion. Dr. Cole is a university professor that currently works as a Senior Administrator at a university; she has been a university faculty member for 25 years. Dr. Cole volunteered for Therapeutic Paws of Canada with her dog Tattoo (now passed on) and they regularly visited palliative care patients. Currently Dr. Cole is an Evaluator of prospective dog volunteers and their humans.

InfoStream (IS): The pet experience is clearly important to you, can you tell us how this developed?

Dr. Ardra Cole (DAC): I have lived with many dogs so I have personal experience with pets but I am also a researcher and my program of research for over a decade or so was on caregivers of seniors. Through that research I came to understand the important role that companion animals, especially dogs, play in seniors’ lives. It gave me a special and unique understanding of the role that pets play and the meaning that they have for people. One of my oldest dogs, now passed away, was a therapy dog and he and I volunteered for many years visiting long-term care facilities and he was particularly skilled at being with people at end of life. We visited palliative care most often and observing him being with people at that very critical and vulnerable stage of their lives was pretty humbling. Watching what he was able to do but also watching the responses from the people who wanted so much to just be with a dog and to feel the touch, closeness, and memories that his presence conjured; it was very deeply meaningful.

I have also been involved as an evaluator for therapy dogs so I bring a range of experiences that are all about the connection between animals and humans.

IS: What are your main goals with ElderDog Canada?

DAC: The primary goal is to support and maintain the relationship between a senior human and their companion animals who, more often than not, are also seniors. It’s all about the relationship between people and dogs; particularly seniors. Breaking that down, our goal is to help seniors keep their dogs with them at home as they live independently and to keep their (seniors and dogs) health and well-being. In doing that, helping the senior live independently longer and helping the dog remain longer in a loving and caring environment for as long as possible.

Connected with that, is valuing and honoring older dogs, those who have dedicated their lives to being companion animals to seniors (but not always) and are on in years and deserve to be valued for their long life and what they still have, how they still live, and what they can teach and contribute.

The third part is to honor and commemorate the dogs and the relationship they had after the dogs have passed away. Not to only honor them in life but also in death.

IS: Can you tell us about your education and how it has supported your work with ElderDog Canada?

DAC: I’m a teacher, my doctoral work is in applied psychology with a focus on teaching and learning and I work particularly within the context of adult education and community development. I do a lot of work with health professionals and seniors. My research program is with seniors and the role of companion animals in seniors’ lives. In addition to my focus on adult education and and psychology I’ve also done extended work on pet loss bereavement; it’s an extension of my applied psychology work. I have a particular interest in connection with the bereavement side of things for people experience the loss of a dog but more broadly in the important role of grieving and bereavement as part of a larger wellness process.

IS: What inspired your care for elderly people and their pets so deeply that you have started ElderDog Canada?

DAC: It’s a much deeper seated interest in seniors. Growing up many long years ago, I grew up in a family where my mother was a volunteer, she volunteered so much and was a strong community member. She spent a lot of time, and I tagged along with her, working in various capacities volunteering in seniors’ homes. I really grew up appreciating the important role that seniors play in our lives with a strong awareness of (I couldn’t say this back then but I can now) the ways in which as a society we don’t honor seniors as well as we should. I think those experiences really stayed with me and I have such a strong commitment to and love for being in the company of seniors. I feel that as a society we need to have a strong commitment to honor our elders in ways that we don’t currently. I also know firsthand what dogs can do for seniors and living with old dogs and old and ill dogs, it’s a very special thing to care for old and ill dogs. It’s like a parallel to caring for old and ill humans; there’s something deeply meaningful about being in the presence of and being honored to care for those who are vulnerable, whether they are humans or animals. Through that care, I’ve encountered some pretty neat questions about the meaning of life and death. Those are really deep answers but it is all part of my passion and commitment.

IS: It’s amazing to listen to you talk, I can feel your passion and respect. I know you also educate about the human-animal bond and the role animals can have for seniors. How do you use this education to support people and their dogs?

DAC: We have conversations with people, if you’re really well-informed, beyond only personal experience, then I think it enables you to have deeper and richer conversations with people and you can listen reflectively to people, their stories, what they think about their dogs. You can also extend that and help people to understand their own experiences more broadly. A lot of people tend to apologize for the depth of their attachment, they might be embarrassed by it or say “You probably think this is silly but…”, and to those stories I can say “No, not only do I not think it’s silly but…” You can respond in an informed way,  your knowledge breadth and depth allows that. So that’s on a personal level. I do a lot of speaking sessions to inform people about the role of dogs in seniors lives and also about ElderDog. I might be invited to go to a public library and I also speak with health professionals. In those situations I draw on my research and my knowledge of the literature in the area of companion animals, seniors, health benefits, and other benefits. It really helps to provide some legitimacy or validation or even just to help put ElderDog and the human-animal bond within a context that people can better understand and have a deeper level of respect for.

IS: Who do you work with most regarding education? What is your main focus?

DAC: There are typically three different purposes to providing education. One of them is to inform the general public. That would be anyone, especially when I’m speaking in a library. The goal is to raise awareness about ElderDog and it’s services and to recruit volunteers. The next one would be health professionals, caregivers, and family members. We want to make seniors and seniors’ family members aware that our supports are available to them. Getting into that system is a challenge. There’s also the recruiting of volunteers which has more of ElderDog focus. Content depends on the audience.

IS: What geographic areas does ElderDog currently support and what are your plans for growth?

DAC: We’re currently federally incorporated so we have the potential to grow across the country; that’s my dream. Our headquarters is in Nova Scotia. We have community-based chapters that are called pawds. We currently have four active pawds in Nova Scotia with a fifth starting up. My goal is to have a couple more in Nova Scotia. We have a pawd on Prince Edward Island and I’d like to expand into New Brunswick. There are two pawds in Ontario so far in Toronto and Ottawa, and one is starting in Calgary, Alberta. Those are our eight pawds so far. My goal is to have ElderDog pawds in communities in every province and in every region across the country. I think it’s quite doable because the plan for our pawds and the organizational structure is set up so that it is easily replicable across communities, regions, provinces. It’s just a matter of growing slowly across the country.

IS: How is ElderDog funded?

DAC: ElderDog currently is funded by donations and through fundraising activities at the pawd level and at the national office level. We have a number of fundraisers each year and the pawds do as well. We have an online store and we encourage donations in memory. It’s all donations and fundraising. We’ve had one federal grant to help us build capacity in our volunteer crew and that enabled us to develop material to use across the country; it was very helpful and we will continue to apply for grants and charitable status. Right now we’re lean but we just keep at it.

IS: Are finances one of the main barriers to the spread of the ElderDog program and support system?

DAC: Is it a barrier? I wouldn’t say that. We’re 100% volunteer run and I really want it to stay that way for a long time until there’s a reason for that to change. If we could afford some paid staff I think it would grow faster but that would make it a different organization and I don’t think we’re ready to make that change. Our biggest expense is veterinary costs. The more we grow, the greater the costs. Trying to keep up with those costs with our current level of funding is a worry; it’s the kind of thing that keeps me awake. For example, a dog needs dental work and where are we going to get the money for that? For pawds to grow, the dogs in those pawds are going to need help as well and their bills are could grow beyond the current capacity of the pawd. In that way finances are a barrier. I think that’s the main financial barrier, being able to handle the costs of veterinary care.

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

DAC: Hmm, always such a tricky question. I guess the other challenge is something that’s important to talk about and that is ways of getting the word out there about ElderDog. There is no other organization like us. There are organizations that focus on helping seniors and some that help their animals as well but those all have fees and we’re no cost. There are organizations that help older dogs but there is no organization that focuses on the relationship between the two. I feel that this is such a special organization and I want everyone to know about it and it’s very difficult to get the word out there. I’ve never met anyone that didn’t immediately say, “Wow, that is so wonderful,” and it is! Old people and old dogs, it just doesn’t get better. I just really want people who need help to be able to get the help they need (dogs as well).