Major Rumayor and Lexy 1 Istered As ‘Pet Partners Nonprofit Corporation’ Jeannie Nordstrom in North Carolina
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INTERACTIONS MAGAZINE Major Rumayor Stories of lives improved by positive human & animal interactions. & animal human positive by improved lives of Stories and Lexy Serving Our Country at Fort Bragg Around The Country P4 The Animals of Pet Partners P12 Xander P26 WINTER 2015 Pet Partners is required to file financial information with several states. Ten of those states will provide copies to their residents upon request: California: Pet Partners is registered as ‘Pet Partners Therapy Animals’ in the state of California. Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGIS- TRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION BOARD LIST MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF Dr. Mary Craig, DVM, MBA, Chair CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL- Lynnette Eastlake, MBA, Vice Chair FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSE- Raquel Lackey, CPA, CMA, CFE, Treasurer MENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY Jackie Gunby, Secretary THE STATE. CH3226. Jack Barron Jr. Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage, Chad Baigini Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Winona Burgess, DVM, CPA, MBA Annapolis, MD 21401. Stacey Evans Dr. Aubrey Fine, EdD Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of Pet Partners may Ryan Granard be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary Dr. Rebecca A. Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, FNAP of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Diana Kiriakides Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Derrick Kraemer Mike Mossholder Missouri: Pet Partners is registered as ‘Pet Laird Pisto Partners Nonprofit Corporation’ in the state of Michael Sapp Missouri. Dr. Philip Tedeschi, MSSW New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE Brenda Bax, Ex-Officio ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION and the percent- age of contributions received by the charity p.2 during the last reporting period that were HONORARY BOARD LIST dedicated to the charitable purpose MAY BE Sophie Engelhard Craighead, Chair OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Marty Becker, DVM OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215 and is available on the internet at Nan Bush www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp.htm#charity. Kathy Vignos Folson REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GEN- Carol and Scott Glenn ERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. Linda Hackett New York: Office of the Attorney General, Chandi Heffner Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Karen LeFrak Broadway, New York, NY 10271. Carolynn D. Loacker North Carolina: Financial information about Elise B. Lufkin this organization and a copy of its license are William McCulloch, DVM CONTENTS available from the State Solicitation Licensing Mary Tyler Moore Branch at 1-888-830-4989. The license is not an Victoria Newhouse endorsement by the state. Pet Partners is reg- Major Rumayor and Lexy 1 istered as ‘Pet Partners Nonprofit Corporation’ Jeannie Nordstrom in North Carolina. Annette de la Renta Jonah Shacknai How to Help 11 North Dakota: Pet Partners is registered as ‘Pet Partners Therapy Animals’ in North Dakota. Sarah W. Sweatt Irving Taylor, MD The Animals of Pet Parners 12 Pennsylvania: The official registration and Dave Underriner financial information of Pet Partners may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Bruce Weber The Delta Giving Society 21 State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, Andrew Weil, MD 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply Betty White Xander 26 endorsement. Joanne Woodward Virginia: State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Ser- vices, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. PUBLICATION CREDITS Departments Washington: Charities Division, Office of the Editor: Glen Miller Secretary of State, State of Washington, Olym- Contributors: Kris Betker, Dr. Aubrey Fine, SPC Around The Country 4 pia, WA 98504-0422, 1-800-332-4483. Taryn Hagerman, Dr. Marguerite O’Haire, Paula Scott, Maj. Christina Rumayor West Virginia: Residents may obtain a Saying Goodbye 18 summary of the registration and financial Graphic Design: Wolken Communica documents from the Secretary of State, State Cover Photography: Sgt. William Reinier Honor and Memorial Donations 22 Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. REGISTRATION WITH A STATE AGENCY DOES Pet Partners NOT CONSTITUTE OR IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, 425.679.5500 APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THAT [email protected] STATE. www.petpartners.org Thank You and Happy Holidays When I joined the Pet Partners team as President and CEO this past spring, I had no idea what a gift it would be. As a life-long animal lover, I knew what a difference and comfort animals can make for those who may need a little extra support. Whether it was a caring handler, a friendly lick, a gentle paw, knowing eye contact or the ability to caress fur or feathers, seeing so many Pet Partners teams in action has been a life-changing experience. From my first encounter with Bridget Seitzinger & Sage, Linda Wandrick & Muffin, and Rhonda Kuebler & Diesel – a trio of Pet Partners teams visiting a hospital in Virginia, to the dozens of eval- uators I just met in October in Los Angeles at the Team Evaluator Symposium, the dedication and commitment I see from so many is astonishing. Our sincere thanks goes to the Mill River Foundation for generously supporting the Team Evaluator Symposium, a forum to discuss how Pet Partners maintains the gold standard when it comes to our work together. In 2015, the board of directors, the staff and I look forward to bringing our teams the best Pet Partners possible. Our goal is not only to improve what we do every day but enhance our offerings as the best in the world for Animal-Assisted Therapy. In early 2015, we look forward to introducing our new website to better serve teams, facilities and those who need our help. We plan to expand opportunities for more teams to serve in airports, increase outreach and advocacy for volunteers without animals, provide additional school campus stress reduction events and evaluate how Pet Part- ners teams can support individuals in the criminal justice system. grateful to the more 11,000 teams out there in hospitals, hospices, Our curriculum is expanding and our commitment to the highest schools, VA Centers and wherever we are needed, every single day quality training and continued education is strengthening. We want and one million times a year. Thank you for all that you do to touch our teams to have the best tools possible when it comes to serving lives and improve health. You truly make the world a better place. a very diverse population that includes children, adults, people with Catherine “Annie” Magnant special needs, veterans and those approaching end of life. It is an President and CEO, Pet Partners exciting time to be part of the Pet Partners movement. We are so 1 Major Rumayor and Lexy Serving our Country at Fort Bragg It was a frigid North Carolina morning when Lt. Col. Lexy joined the The team has even visited the Child Development Center on 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers lining up for a four-mile run. At base to educate young children about responsible dog care, and 6 a.m., only Lexy seemed oblivious to the chill in the air. She had an also to help kids who may be afraid of dogs become more comfort- advantage: under her Army combat uniform, the German Shepherd able around them. was covered in fur. Rumayor saw the value in Animal-Assisted Therapy years ago, Lexy is Fort Bragg’s first therapy dog. That morning, the four- legged officer happily greeted many of the 15,000 paratroopers as they gathered to celebrate Memorial Day. Maj. Christina Rumayor, the 82nd Airborne Division’s psychia- trist and Lexy’s trainer, owner, and handler, says Animal-Assisted Therapy can play a huge role in easing the counseling process for “Therapy is a hard place soldiers who are experiencing stress. Rumayor and Lexy are a registered Pet Partners team. to walk into ... It’s very “Therapy is a hard place to walk into,” Rumayor said. “It’s very scary a lot of times, and there’s stigma attached to it. Soldiers may scary a lot of times, and initially be afraid or anxious, but when they see a therapy dog there, their first thought is, ‘Well, this can’t be such a bad place.’” there’s stigma attached to Relaxation is crucial to a soldier’s mental health, and Lexy has it. Soldiers may initially been trained to recognize and respond to elevated anxiety levels. When psychotherapy sessions bring out raw emotion, Lexy is able be afraid or anxious, but to fill a role that doctors can’t—providing physical reassurance. Lexy and other therapy dogs can offer a comforting touch, pat or when they see a therapy hug in a completely appropriate way, which in turn, can help calm a patient and make it easier to focus during therapy sessions. dog there, their first “If Lexy notices that a person is becoming more anxious or upset, she will often move to them so they can pet her, which is thought is ‘well, this can’t extremely calming for many people,” Rumayor said. “Her purpose in the therapy sessions is very specific to what the patient needs.” be such a bad place.’” Staff Sgt. Dennis Swols, Warrior Transition Unit, suffered for years with debilitating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Since joining the Army in 1998 as an infantryman, Swols deployed seven times; five of those deployments were to Iraq and Afghanistan. During a year of treatment with Rumayor and Lexy, Swols said that simply having the dog in the room has helped him put his struggles with PTSD into words during therapy. and wrote a policy in 2011 requesting to initiate the Animal-As- “Without a doubt Lexy has made a difference,” he said. “It’s sisted Therapy Program through Womack Army Medical Center at very easy with Lexy and Maj.