Angel on a Leash
Encyclopedia
The Angel on a Leash is a charity
that has trained Therapy Dog
s that work in health care facilities, school
s, rehabilitation and hospice
, extended care, correctional facilities
and crisis intervention
. The charity is there for people who need a lift of spirit in life and health.
. In 2007, the charity was approved as an independent
501(c)(3) charity. Once the program became independent, there were thirty therapy dog
teams that were approved to be certified as an Angel on a Leash member. When they started the therapy dog teams, they had two places that the teams visited, which were, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian and the Ronald McDonald House of New York City. Over time Angel on a Leash grew and now the charity visits many places throughout the country. The health care places they now visit include: Providence Health Care Center in Portland, OR, New Alternatives for Children in New York City, New Milford Hospital in Connecticut, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Memorial Sloan Kettering Carter Center in New York City, and the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In the future the Angel on a Leash program is planning on to work with other facilities.
, dogs are good for mental health, pets lower blood pressure, pets help people survive heart attacks, pets help blunt pain, senior citizens who have dogs seem to have less doctor appoints, etc. Overall, pets seem to help out humans in many ways by having them enjoy their lives.
s and promotions based on the performance of each individual. This program was written by very professional people such as: health care partners, business and legal professionals, hospital executives, veterinarian
s, clergy, obedience instructors and handler-volunteers that have experience in animal-assistance programs. The idea of the program is there for therapy dogs to improve a life through tender care.
test include: Accepting a friendly stranger, Sitting politely for petting, Appearance and grooming, Out for a walk while being loose on a leash, Walking through a crowd, Sit and down on command/Staying in place, Coming when called, Reaction to another dog, Reaction to distractions, and Supervised separation. The ITA has a program called R.E.A.D., this program is to improve reading skills and communication of young children. The children receive the chance to read to a trained therapy dog. The feeling of reading to a dog for a young child lifts their spirits. R.E.A.D. was founded in 1999 and was put only into a few facilities, but the program is growing quickly throughout the country. Another way to receive training for becoming a therapy dog is through the ASPCA. They also offer Animal Assisted Therapy
classes that help pets and their handler learn the ways of becoming a great therapy dog. This independent charity, "Angel on a Leash," is very helpful to the young and old people. The organization is rapidly growing to more facilities.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
that has trained Therapy Dog
Therapy dog
A therapy dog is a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, people with learning difficulties, and stressful situations, such as disaster areas....
s that work in health care facilities, school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
s, rehabilitation and hospice
Hospice care in the United States
Hospice care in the United States is a type and philosophy of end-of-life care whichfocuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms. These symptoms can be physical, emotional, spiritual or social in nature...
, extended care, correctional facilities
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and crisis intervention
Crisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
. The charity is there for people who need a lift of spirit in life and health.
History
The Angel on a Leash Charity is an activity that was founded in 2004 by the Westminster Kennel ClubWestminster Kennel Club Dog Show
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is a two-day, all-breed benched conformation show that takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City every year. The first Westminster show was held in 1877....
. In 2007, the charity was approved as an independent
Independent business
In business, an independent business as a term of distinction generally refers to privately owned companies . Independent businesses most commonly take the form of sole-proprietorships...
501(c)(3) charity. Once the program became independent, there were thirty therapy dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
teams that were approved to be certified as an Angel on a Leash member. When they started the therapy dog teams, they had two places that the teams visited, which were, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian and the Ronald McDonald House of New York City. Over time Angel on a Leash grew and now the charity visits many places throughout the country. The health care places they now visit include: Providence Health Care Center in Portland, OR, New Alternatives for Children in New York City, New Milford Hospital in Connecticut, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, Memorial Sloan Kettering Carter Center in New York City, and the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. In the future the Angel on a Leash program is planning on to work with other facilities.
Improving Lives
Throughout time, people have found that pets significantly improve people’s health and the quality of their life. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison Children's Hospital, scientists proved that children become happier when they receive time to play with dogs. The quality of life becomes much better for the children. A woman named Rebecca Johnson studied the way humans feel when touching a pet. Human's release a beneficial hormone, which releases stress from the body and puts you into a calm mood. Also, children who had pets in their home when they were growing up found that they have less common allergies than of people who don’t grow up with dogs or cats. There are many other studies proven, including: Dogs improve children’s reading scores, dogs beneficial in speech-language therapySpeech and language pathology
Speech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
, dogs are good for mental health, pets lower blood pressure, pets help people survive heart attacks, pets help blunt pain, senior citizens who have dogs seem to have less doctor appoints, etc. Overall, pets seem to help out humans in many ways by having them enjoy their lives.
The Differences
The charity Angel on a Leash differs from different charities in many other ways. The Therapy dogs and volunteered owners are very highly trained before going into a setting such as a hospice with very sick people. Every facility there is a certain type of trained dog to that specific type of setting. As the program grows, the charity will update anything that needs to be improved on. Angel on a Leash will work with the facilities finding out how everything is going with the therapy dogs. Not only will the charity look at the therapy dogs, but also the employees will be able to receive awardAward
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
s and promotions based on the performance of each individual. This program was written by very professional people such as: health care partners, business and legal professionals, hospital executives, veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
s, clergy, obedience instructors and handler-volunteers that have experience in animal-assistance programs. The idea of the program is there for therapy dogs to improve a life through tender care.
Therapy Dogs
There are two different therapy dog organizations that support the Angel on a Leash program, this includes: The Mid South Therapy Dogs of Memphis (MSTD) and The Intermountain Therapy Arirrials ef Salt Lake City (ITA). MSTD is an organization that trains dogs and certifies them after passing the ten steps canine good citizen test. The ten steps for the canine good citizenCanine Good Citizen
The Canine Good Citizen program, established in 1989, is an American Kennel Club program to promote responsible dog ownership and to encourage the training of well-mannered dogs...
test include: Accepting a friendly stranger, Sitting politely for petting, Appearance and grooming, Out for a walk while being loose on a leash, Walking through a crowd, Sit and down on command/Staying in place, Coming when called, Reaction to another dog, Reaction to distractions, and Supervised separation. The ITA has a program called R.E.A.D., this program is to improve reading skills and communication of young children. The children receive the chance to read to a trained therapy dog. The feeling of reading to a dog for a young child lifts their spirits. R.E.A.D. was founded in 1999 and was put only into a few facilities, but the program is growing quickly throughout the country. Another way to receive training for becoming a therapy dog is through the ASPCA. They also offer Animal Assisted Therapy
Animal-Assisted Therapy
Animal-assisted therapy is a relatively new field of study, although the human-animal bond has existed for thousands of years. AAT is a type of therapy that involves animals as a form of treatment. The goal of AAT is to improve a patient’s social, emotional, or cognitive functioning...
classes that help pets and their handler learn the ways of becoming a great therapy dog. This independent charity, "Angel on a Leash," is very helpful to the young and old people. The organization is rapidly growing to more facilities.