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August 29th, 2002 - - The Landmark, Holden, Massachusetts
It's Monday morning and like clockwork, Jeff heads over to see his newest shaggy pal, Woodrow.
The 16-year-old puts the two-year-old, shepherd/retriever mix pup on its leash, leads him out of the cage for a stretch and some exercise around the Devereux campus. Nearby, fellow students are tending to bunnies. And on the other side of the building, there are classrooms of kittens awaiting a human playmate.
Gently petting the black and brown dog, Jeff looks up and says, "Animals are my thing and the animals seem to sense that. I enjoy spending time with him. He listens to me and he's well behaved. I even know what kind of treats he likes."
It was just recently when the happy-looking dog fell ill. Jeff was there. "Just helping the dog made me feel proud. I was helping an animal get better," he says.
Eventually, Woodrow will be adopted and replaced, undoubtedly, with another dog in need of a home. "It's kind of hard letting them go, but it's worth it," Jeff says. "These dogs are waiting for a home, so it gives us a reason to do well, to take care of them. It's a good goal."
Jeff and his fellow first-period classmates are responsible for caring for the dogs and cats rescued by Rutland's Animal Control Officer Richard Clark, and are awaiting adoption through the Sweetpea program.
Founded in September 2000, Sweetpea, Friends of Rutland Animals is a non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to the rescue, care, and placement of stray, abandoned, and surrendered animals in the Wachusett area and surrounding communities. Sweetpea provides rehabilitative care, boarding, and training to the animals until they are adopted into good homes, however long that may take.
This past January, Devereux and Sweetpea teamed up, and thus far the partnership has been successful. Dogs and cats that are rescued, but are not able to stay in Clark's care because of a lack of space in his at-home shelter, are brought to Devereux where they remain until a permanent home is found. There, students in the a program are responsible for caring for the animals, including bathing, feeding and walking them, as well as cleaning cages and litter boxes.
The interaction between students and animals continues until the day the animals are adopted.
Most of the physical work falls on the shoulders of teacher Kelly Galligan's first period class.
"They're my best working group," she says.
Loving therapy
Devereux, located on Miles Road, is a private, non-profit organization established in 1965 to treat adolescents who are living with emotional, behavioral, intellectual or neurological impairments. "Their whole attitude changed," she says of her students. "These animals are really the kids' animals."
The notion of having the students care for domestic house pets is a modified version of a previous program where students tended to barnyard animals.
The new program seemed like a no-brainer as dogs and cats would be the most likely pet found in the youngsters' own homes or foster homes.
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Before relocating the animals, Richard Clark monitors the dogs and cats for at least 10 days to determine temperament levels. "Any signs of aggression or problems, I don't take up [to Devereux]," he says.
Galligan and Clark agree that the partnership has been successful. "We've had a very good response," Clark said. "We've had an awful lot of animals adopted out there. I think it [Devereux partnership] will really help us along."
Since January, approximately 36 kittens and adult cats and 24 dogs have been adopted, Galligan says. The program has been so successful that there are plans to expand it to include a pet therapy session, she adds.
The partnership is therapeutic for both the animals and students, Galligan says. Animals that may have been abandoned or abused in the past are now being exposed to human contact. That interaction helps prepare them for the transition into adoptive homes.
Some of the youngsters in Galligan's program have endured harsh pasts, including abusive or neglectful situations. A majority of the children don't go home, she says.
"They deal with more loss than any other kid would," Galligan says.
The animals are the youngsters' sole responsibility. "These kids have never had anything depend on them," Galligan says. "The kids get something out of it. They kind of associate themselves to the animals who don't have homes or families, so they're eager to work with them."
Unconditional love
According to Galligan, the partnership provides plenty of opportunity for unconditional love and building of potential vocational skills.
Students are so eager to help that some often visit the "Puppy Palace" after class or stay well after the bell rings, Galligan says.
And despite the chores, there are no complaints.
On the animal side, it's the youngsters the animals are anxious to see. "These dogs don't get nearly as excited when I walk into the room as they do when the kids walk in," she laughs.
Initially, Galligan was worried the students would not understand that the animals' stay was short-term. She does her part to help inform her students about prospective families.
In response, her students have gone as far as greeting families on adoption day. "It's kind of like closure to them," Galligan says. "They have a chance to say goodbye."
Families, in turn have sent their thanks by e-mailing or mailing updates and photos of their adopted pets.
For Jeff, saying goodbye can be difficult. "But then you look at the pictures, and you see that they're happy," he says.
For more information on Sweetpea or pet adoption, call 508.886.2022. |
