I've decided to start a blog. A wonderful blog which will encompass my beginnings into the world of Animal Assisted Therapy, what Ive learned and who Ive met (posted with their permission and of course, some names/circumstances will be changed to protect privacy), and the challenges I face. This week has been a little off for me as I've been sick and not able to go and see all of my clients, which of course, I feel horrible and guilty about, yet I know I have to do what I have to do, so I decided blogging about it while I could not actually go might make me feel a bit better. :)
I began the idea to start my own company after learning to live with my own health concerns (more on that later) and seeing that my previously conventional 8-4/9-5 business casual lifestyle was about to change. Dramatically. I was used to seeing my friends on certain days, dinners for one on others but after my illness came about, I knew everything would be different. Frankly, I didn't even really know who would even be around to see me through it, but I knew it would be different. As the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I realized there were always a few faces i could depend on in my life. They may not speak English (that I know of), they may not be able to make me a cup of tea (again, not that i know of and if they can - ill be pretty upset I didn't know about this magical talent sooner!), but they do know how to love.
Boy, do they know how to love.
They, being my furry friends, my fur babies as some of us who are cat nuts or dog lovers may call them. Brinx, a Jack Russell/Poodle mix appropriately and affectionately nicknamed the "Roadster" due to her back legs being just a touch longer then her front. She also has "lamps"; an ex-boyfriend made me realize this one evening in my backyard when she insisted to sit on his lap while he sat in a lawn chair circa 1970. "Just tell her to go down." I said while looking at the night sky. He didnt. After looking over I realised why and I realised because of his smile. All he said was "Lamps." and brushed her scruffy bangs from her giant eyes and eyelashes. She didnt care that there were a million mosquitoes or that we were sitting in less than comfortable lawn chairs, she cared that she was a part of us, a part of our circle. Brinx entered my life before I entirely knew what to do with it and Im thankful she is part of my inspiration.
The other half of it comes in a 10 pound package with ears resembling Mickey Mouse and a constant need to move. Cujo is a Chihuahua, or so say his "papers" anyway. His name always gets a laugh from individuals who make the connection between his moniker and the rottweiler from the Steven King Movie and Novel; at times he has a bit of "little man" syndrome and has to be a tough guy, but never when hes one on one with someone. He has the innate ability to know when hes needed and to know what to do. If you want hyper, Cujo will give you hyper. If someone needs a kiss or to curl up in bed, he'll do that too. Automatically, which is why I knew he was a natural, and why I'll never know why he was put on Craigslist or why he was crated for 12 hours a day at almost 2 years of age. My other half of the puzzle.
Or shall I say 2/3 of the puzzle. Gizmo isnt a canine, however she gets a long with them just fine. A guinea pig who came to me when I was at work at a summer job while i was in college, her owner stating urgently on her lunch hour she needed her out. Now. "Now?". Now! And just like that, that evening I took a taxi to my home and struggled with the massive cage and accessories. 4 years later she has also become a part of my team, a coworker and is a wonderful addition to round out the gang.
After seeing what I had right in front of me, after working with various clients living with Dementia, Alzheimer's, Schizophrenia, ABI, Bi Polar, Stroke, and after realizing I had to do more, Pawsitive Therapy was born. I didn't care about dollar signs or giant marketing schemes. I didn't care about perfecting a sales pitch or a portfolio. Heck, I didn't even think about charging fees. I realized there was a need, an urgent need for what I can do with my pets and what I wanted to do (not to mention what THEY wanted to do with people!) and so I walked to the library, registered the name and made my website. She was born.
I will be documenting my ups and downs of trying to start a not for profit in this sector as well as shared stories of inspiration and hope for those who are facing challenges in their own lives and may derive something from these tails...er...tales.
:)
Until next time,
Laura
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