Some 70  NLOL volunteers received “A Royal Thank You” for their incredible efforts and dedication during a recent appreciation luncheon in the charming Castle Falls event center in Oklahoma City.

Barbara Lewis, Executive Director, expressed heartfelt gratitude for their contributions on behalf of the NLOL Board of Directors, staff and clients, who were all on hand to add their words of praise.  “You are the heart and soul of this organization.  Without you, we would not exist,” Lewis said.

Lewis, in turn, was surprised with a special “Thank You” plaque by the Board of Directors, recognizing her superior leadership,  direction and tireless efforts for the organization.

For many volunteers, it was the first time they have been able to see the entire scope of services provided by NLOL.  A continuous slide show of every aspect of the organization flashed on the wall as volunteers from each program came forward to receive appreciation and admiration from their peers and those they so well serve.

Michelle Traw, Therapy Dog Director, and Jack; Beverly Wlodarski, RN; and Toni Glenn and Spring

Toni Glenn and Spring

On Wednesday evenings, post-op patients at Bone & Joint Hospital’s “Joint Center” in Oklahoma City are getting restless as they anticipate going home the following day.  They’ve been there since Monday when they had their surgery, and they have been going through their prescribed rehab for several days.  Now, they’re just ready to get home to their families, familiar surroundings and, for many, to their pets whom they’ve also missed.

Shortly after dinner, Beverly Wlodarski, RN and Evening House Supervisor, gingerly sticks her head in each door to announce:  “The Therapy Dogs are here…would you like a visit?”

If the answer is yes (as it most often is), Therapy Dog teams consisting of A New Leash on Life, Inc. volunteers and their pets, quietly enter the room and introduce themselves and their dogs.   While the patient is already eagerly petting and ohhhing and ahhhhing over the dogs, most conversations follow the common threads of:  “Do you have a dog?….what’s his name?”....and off they go telling stories about their beloved pets, both past and present, and laughing over their endearing antics or qualities.

For a short time, their attention has shifted to the calm presence of the dog and warm conversation about something they love. They always smile and have been duly “cheered” by the end of the visit.

When asked what she thinks the dogs bring to the patients, Beverly said, “ A healing touch…and uplifted spirits.   They love the Therapy Dog visits.”

For more information on how you and your pet can become a certified Therapy Dog team, see our website at www.newleashinc.org or call (405) 224-7715.

There's still time to register!

Join A New Leash on Life, Inc. for the 2010 OK River Run and Dog Jog, May 31, along the Oklahoma River Trails at Wiley Post Park, SW 19^th and Robinson in Oklahoma City.   Fun, food, prizes  and a great time with friends, family and faithful companions.

Go to www.newleashinc.org and sign up for the 5k USTAF sanctioned run at 8 am or the 3k “Dog Jog,” a fun run/walk for people with (or without) their leashed dogs at 9am.  The event is the signature fundraiser for A New Leash On Life, Inc. and one of the few events where people and their dogs can run together.  This year’s presenting sponsor is Handi-cap Aids of Oklahoma City.

Deadline for early registration is May 17^th to guarantee a T-shirt.

 

 

 

A New Leash on Life’s 5^th annual OK River Run and Dog Jog was held Memorial Day, May 31, at Wiley Post Park, SW 19^th and Robinson in Oklahoma City.  The 5k OK River Run is a USTAF sanctioned run for runners and the times are posted on the web site of D G Productions www.dgroadracing.com.  The 3k Dog Jog for families, fun-runners and their dogs was lots of fun with dogs as small as 2 lbs and as large as a horse.  Both took place along the beautiful Oklahoma River Trails.