Love on a Leash therapy dogs bring joy to the sick, suffering
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers LOVE ON A LEASH- Therapy dogs and their owners are, from left, Thousand Oaks resident Betsy Elliott and Karoo, an Irish wolfhound; Westlake Village resident Jay Goldman and Sherlock, a golden Lab; Thousand Oaks resident Frank Clark and Layla, a black Lab; Camarillo resident Glenn Hogan and Aloha, a flat-coat retriever; West Hills resident Jane Gribin and Jack, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel; Simi Valley resident Pat Dehler and Tikaani, a Siberian husky; Westlake Village resident Carol Moss and Tess, a Pomeranian; Thousand Oaks resident Donna Ross and Sterling, a standard poodle; Thousand Oaks resident Kathy Cocke and Molly, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel; and Westlake Village resident Jackie Atkinson with Zoe, a Coton De Tulear.

Dying is not easy on anyone, but a dog named Tess made it a little more bearable for the Holloway family in Thousand Oaks when she came to spend time with her very sick friend Jack.

Tess began visiting Jack Holloway when he was under the care of his daughters and hospice. He'd once loved a Pomeranian, and those who loved him thought a little dog might cheer him up.

Tess is a working therapy dog, and she knew her mission. She went right to Jack and let him know she loved him. Not usually one to be picked up, Tess made an exception for the wheelchair-bound Jack and let him put her in his lap. She also did her tricks for him, his daughter Melinda recalled.

"Tess perked him up tremendously. He began to look forward to Tess coming again and would ask, 'When are we having a Tessy visit?'" she said.

Jack also bonded with Tess' owner, Carol Moss, who he called "a quality woman." Jack passed away in February, but Moss and Tess still keep in touch with his daughters.

Moss understands what a visit from a therapy animal can mean. Three years ago on a skiing trip in Colorado she crashed into a tree with a snowmobile and was impaled on the handlebars. It was Christmastime, and her husband took their children home to leave them with a grandmother before returning to Moss' bedside.

As she rested alone Moss felt very sad, she said. Then a nurse opened her hospital door and asked a strange question: "Would you like a visit from a cat?"

"At first I thought it was time to turn down the morphine. But she said just what I thought she said," Moss recalled.

Within moments a twopound cat was on her hospital bed cuddling and purring.

She loved it. When the cat's owner asked if she could come back the next day, Moss quickly agreed to the visit.

"The whole next day, that's what I looked forward to. It changed my whole outlook and really made me feel better," Moss said.

That made her think about Tess, the Pomeranian at home that she had rescued. Tess had so much love to give, Moss thought, and realized then that Tess might have a calling.

When Moss returned home she began the process of getting Tess certified as a pet therapy animal. Now Tess is one of the smaller members of a very special group called Love on a Leash, Moss said.

The dogs must pass a test showing their calm personalities and willingness to get along with other dogs. Before a recent visit to Hillcrest Royale, a senior community in Thousand Oaks, the dogs lined up, waiting to go inside.

None of them sniffed each other. Each sat on command calmly next to their owners. When they began walking toward the front door, their demeanors changed. Each showed a certain bit of excitement to go inside, but they also marched as if they knew they had a purpose, concentrating like dogs who help the blind or work security at airports.

"We bring happiness on our visits," Glen Hogan said as he held onto Aloha, a flatcoat retriever.

"It's very satisfying when we visit someone who hasn't smiled or spoken in weeks and they begin to smile and speak when they touch one of our dogs," group president Betsy Elliott said. Her dog, the biggest, is Irish wolfhound Karoo.

The sense of touch is the last to go, she noted. People suffering from dementia may touch a dog's coat and find memories come back.

Love on a Leash dogs will be participating in the Conejo Valley Days Parade on Thousand Oaks Boulevard on Saturday, May 3.