wfn.org | Gabriel's Angels pairs pets with kids in crisis

["NewsDesk" <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

Feb. 23, 2004 News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh 7 (615)742-5470 7
Nashville, Tenn. 7 E-mail: newsdesk@umcom.org 7  ALL-YE{070*}

NOTE: A UMTV story and photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Feature
By Fran Coode Walsh*

Twice a month, Amy Ballen brings her two Keeshonds to visit the children at
one of the United Methodist Outreach Ministries' New Day Centers for the
homeless in Phoenix. 

The fluffy gray dogs, Bo and Sonny, are swarmed by kids upon entering the
play area. "A lot of them just love to hug them. They're like walking teddy
bears," Ballen says.

Bo and Sonny are more than playmates though. They are part of a pet therapy
team called Gabriel's Angels. Simple acts like touching the animals, or
giving them food or water, can help the children learn about unconditional
love and respect for life. 

The non-profit Gabriel's Angels was founded three years ago by Pam Gaber, who
named the program after her own Weimaraner because she felt the dog had a
gift for working with children in crisis.  

"The children that we deal with frequently don't want to trust adults because
of their circumstances, but they'll learn trust again through the therapy
dog," she says. "In some cases, this is the very first time this child ever
experienced an attachment, a true attachment, one that does not lead to
disappointment."

Pet therapy has been used to treat adults in hospitals and retirement homes,
but Gaber chose to focus her teams' efforts on younger people, from infants
to 18-year-olds.

"We know there is a very special connection between children and animals, and
we know we can help develop that compassion and empathy and trust because
animals and children are very much alike."  

The dogs visit children who are abused, at risk of abuse or are in crisis,
Gaber says. The nondenominational program serves children in homeless
shelters, crisis nurseries, domestic violence shelters and teen group homes,
she says.

Darlene Newsom, director of United Methodist Outreach Ministries, notes that
the children have experienced trauma or violence in their lives, and seeing
"the gentle side of the animal" helps build their trust level and
self-esteem. "We don't have all the total answers here (in) working with
families, so working with Gabriel's Angels provides us that partnership and
collaboration we otherwise could not provide to the family."
 
There are plenty of squeals and smiles when Ballen's pets visit the shelter's
day care for 4- and 5-year-olds. "I have two very sweet dogs, and I thought
it would be fun to share them."  She lets a boy take Bo's leash and says,
"Are you walking the dog, or is the dog walking you?"  

Dogs must be at least a year old and certified by a pet therapy program such
as the Delta Society. They should tolerate children and be predictable in
their behavior with basic obedience skills. There are no breed requirements.
Cats can also be used in therapy work, but none are currently part of
Gabriel's Angels. Gaber reports only one incident of a bite so far - a child
who bit the pet owner.

Phoenix is the only city with Gabriel's Angels, and 100 volunteer teams of
adults and pets work almost every day in the city and surroundings. Gaber is
planning a book to teach others how to implement the program, and she says
she hopes more cities will try this approach to changing lives. 

"If we can take these therapy dogs and think of it as a wedge into that cycle
of violence by teaching that child reverence for life, when they do become
adults they are taking care not only of their pets, but their family."

Details about Gabriel's Angels are available at www.Petshelpingkids.org.
# # #
*Walsh is coordinating producer of UMTV, a unit of United Methodist News
Service.

 
 

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United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org