15 Years of Achievement: 2002 Beyond Limits™ Service and Therapy Animal Honorees
At Delta Society's 21st annual conference in Seattle, WA on May 18, 2002, we honored in person 3 representative service dog teams and 3 Pet Partners® teams selected from past Beyond Limits Award winners, as well gave tribute to all winners over the past 15 years.
Therapy Animal Teams
Amy Fristoe & Brooksie and Ashleigh (1991)
While Brooksie and Ashleigh are no longer with Amy, Amy continues her Pet Partners work with Olive-Anne, Clara-Fay and Sadee-May (all Labradors) at Moore Elementary School in Fort Collins, CO. Amy is a special educator and an Occupational Therapist who works with children with developmental disabilities. Parents of students in Fristoe's class have noted dramatic improvements in their children's social skills. One father said of his autistic daughter, "Since she has had the dogs as friends, she has learned to accept touching. I'm convinced this is due to her learning to relate to [Amy's dog's]. The dogs are non-threatening."
Hector Castaner & Buster, Flashback and Flame (1997)
Hector's cats have a unique sense for helping people in Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami Garden Care Center for the elderly and also at children's hospitals. Hector says, "I have had the opportunity to see very sick children obtain genuine joy and happiness through contact and interaction with my cats. Doctors and hospital staff can see this happiness reflected in every cell of their patients' bodies." His cats don't perform complicated stunts or tricks. Instead, Hector has trained them to make life easier for him by doing things not ordinarily expected from felines (riding in the car, coming when they hear the keys jingle, walking on a leash and giving their paw in greeting!)
Lynn Malayter & Murphy (1998)
Lynn and Murphy (a yellow Labrador retriever) work with children in Madison, WI whose therapies have hit a plateau (especially those with cerebral palsy, brain trauma and autism). Because of Murphy, several children have taken their first steps, some after years of unsuccessful therapy. Lynn credits Murphy with being responsible for the healthcare community in Wisconsin acknowledging the validity of animal-assisted therapy. Murphy is now working with a child who has severely impaired oral skills, so he's learning American Sign Language!
Service Animal Teams
Mark Carnevale & Luna (1994)
After a serious fall resulted in paralysis, Mark discovered that his young Australian shepherd, born to herd, was able to work in a different way to help Mark. Luna assists Mark with a lot of things you and I take for granted. She helps him to access the community by assisting with shopping, going to the movies, attending a fitness program and even dealing with crowded classrooms at a school where Mark has registered to learn Spanish. According to a tour guide in Italy, Luna is the first service dog he's ever seen enter the Vatican in 30 years!
Brenda Mosley & Farley (1997)
Farley helped Brenda with mobility needs since 1991. Farley recently passed away but in the 10 years he was with Brenda he helped her to function on a daily basis in public, and at her job. Mosley comments, "There is no way to measure what he has done for me - the rewards have been so great. Farley has secured my physical, social and emotional well-being."
Mike Lingenfelter & Dakota (1999)
This special golden retriever is able to detect Mike's angina attacks before they happen so Mike is able to take his medication and alleviate the pain. He works with the dog to help the medication take effect. Mike says, "I can feel Dakota's warm body against me, and I grab hold. In spite of the growing pain and my increasing heart rate, I can feel his steady breathing. Emulating Dakota's calm presence, I am able to control my breathing to keep from hyperventilating." Dakota has also alerted Mike's coworkers to heart problems! Dakota is now helping to teach Mike's new assistant, Ogilvie, how to perform medical alert work.
