International Animal Hospice Symposium

Sanctuary champion, Healing Arts Institute instructor, and good friend, Dr. Tom Wilson, PhD, will be speaking at the upcoming three-day International Animal Hospice Symposium at UC Davis. We couldn't be more proud of our affiliation with such an extraordionary healer and visionary, shown here working with Ranger.

Tom is a certified Jin Shin Jyutsu(R) Practitioner and Self-Help Instructor, who maintains a private practice for humans and animals in the Energy Healing Arts of Acupressure, Jin Shin Jyutsu, CranioSacral, Polarity, Tui Na, Zen Shiatsu, Thai Massage, Reiki, & Somatic Emotional Experiencing in Nevada City, CA. He is a CranioSacral practitioner and teacher certified by the Heartwood Institute in Garberville, CA. He is a Reiki Master, certified by the Sai Reiki Center of Pune, India, and the co-creator of the Reiki Distance Healing Circle. Tom is the director of the Animal Acupressure Training Academy, Nevada City, California.
Further, Tom has broken through barriers with Chico, our epileptic Chihuahua who was once so nervous that the excitement of a visitor would trigger a seizure. Chico now interacts with visitors regularly and adores his Uncle Tom.

More on the Symposium (from www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu)

End-of-life care issues, now being hotly debated in relation to human health policy, are also of growing interest in veterinary medicine and will be addressed Sept. 5-7 at the University of California, Davis, during the International Symposium on Veterinary Hospice Care.

The symposium, coordinated by The Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets and the Assisi International Animal Institute, is designed for veterinary professionals and students, grief counselors, animal shelter personnel and the general public. It will be held in the veterinary school's Gladys Valley Hall, northeast of the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

Veterinary hospice care addresses the needs of people who want to care for their dying animals at home, under the guidance of veterinarians and a qualified, professional staff.

The three-day symposium will feature speakers from a variety of specialties discussing pet hospice and euthanasia, stages of dying, alternative therapies, pain management, the role of veterinary technicians and pet sitters in hospice care, and dealing with client grief.

Joining a panel to provide closing comments will be Donald Klingborg, associate dean for UC Davis Veterinary Extension who was previously in private veterinary practice.

An optional field trip to BrightHaven, a holistic animal sanctuary and pet hospice in Santa Rosa, will precede the symposium on Friday, Sept. 4.

Symposium information and registration are available online at .

Media contact(s):
* Kathryn Marocchino, Nikki Hospice Foundation for Pets, (707) 557-8595, marocchino@sbcglobal.net
* Pat Bailey, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu

The Ride of a Lifetime! ~ by Deanna

We had a rare treat last night ~ a trail ride involving four key members of the sanctuary. Woody has discovered an affinity for Ms. Cuervo and she appears to really enjoy being his girl. Once you ride a gaited horse, your life is forever changed! Zulu and Margaret got some trail time in before participating in their first ACTHA ride this weekend (we're on a fact-finding mission for our October 10th fundraiser!) Our new RM, Deborah Jacobs (DJ), is seeking her equine soul-mate and took Eddie out for a try, which they both enjoyed thoroughly. Lastly, I was absolutely thrilled to take Stevie out for the first time.

My intuition told me that Stevie had been a riding horse before his blindness set in, but we know nothing about his past. Fitted with a just a bareback pad and a hackamore for his comfort, we set out to Traylor Ranch. Our collective hunch was that the sweet boy would enjoy and outing and he certainly did. It took him a bit to get familiar with his riding partners, but soon was confident enough to give them clear "back off" signals and stride out ahead of them. Seeing him use all of his senses to excitedly explore his surroundings was one of the most uplifting equine experiences of my life. He was clearly having a ball! He trusted my guidance and did everything but break into a lope, even crossing the wooden bridge.

One of the most endearing things about Stevie is the way his bottom lip hangs a bit and moves quite liberally as he gains speed.

[My editing is obvious, but we're both looking at the camera!]
He is such a beautiful, well-built and confident boy. I couldn't be more of proud of Stevie and look forward to enriching his experience here with more adventures.

Next time you visit, call his name and he will answer with a nicker. He loves people!

Ann Ran Rocks!

Check out Ann's most recent blog entry...

Happy Anniversary

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY On Tuesday, July twenty-eighth; Easter Seals Superior California, Help To Recovery Program celebrated a one year anniversary of a partnership with A Chance For Bliss.
We welcomed a pretty white kitten named Casper and a brown Boston Terrier puppy named Joy. They will blend in well with all the ubiquitous Boston terriers in the sanctuary!
Woody & Deanna treated us to cupcakes- they sure were good! Shaun must have eaten at least six! Altogether, it was a good day.
Animals & people have come & gone this last year; however, we that are here still persevere! I’ve said it once; and I’ll say it again: One of the main reasons we love coming to the animal sanctuary is that the animals don’t see our disabilities.

-Lisa & Hector
Easter Seals, Superior California
Help to Recovery program