Volunteering at The Lab!

I got to volunteer at The Lab (of St. Paul Public Schools) yesterday with mom, Uncle Keith and my buddy Roxy, an 85 pound Bernese mountain dog!! Mom says I look like a tiny girl next to Roxy ... well, i'm only 56 pounds so no wonder I look small!! :)

Yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's first time to volunteer at The Lab and I was there to 'mentor' them ... (mom tells me they really didn't need much mentoring and I agree!! They rocked!). We were asked to present to Miss M's class. Mom and I have visited them before and shared my story. At the beginning of the class Mom asked them how many remembered my story ... wow, they remember the details of my story better than I remember it! They even remembered that my name means 'star' in Ojibway!! This one student said she remembers my name has something to do with the night sky and the stars!! :) When we were there last time, mom told them how i'm her north star and asked them who their north star was and to remember that even when it's dark outside and we feel sad and alone that we can hold on tightly to our north star.

But yesterday was Roxy and Uncle Keith's day to shine!! Uncle Keith got to share about how he followed his heart and his passion and love for dogs and started his business, Pampered Pooch Playground, a doggie daycare. Roxy was so cute and did great on her first day of work!! Good job Roxy!! We've been asked to come back and meet with another class ... i'm excited to volunteer with Uncle Keith and Roxy again!

I love my job!!!

When I was walking through the hallways yesterday I got lots of love and pets from the kids. It's so cool how they all remember me ... they even remember my name and Ahnung isn't the easiest name to remember!! I had an extra special treat yesterday .... I got to see 'R' who is the first kid I got to meet at The Lab over a year ago, and it's because of him that I am volunteering at The Lab. He came out of his classroom when he saw me walk down the hall (mom says his teacher was teasing her about how we were disrupting his class!) ... he came up to me and gave me a big hug!! And you know what he said to me and his classmates, "this is my favorite dog!" Then right behind him was another student 'A' whom I met last school year during one of the dog groups ... he said "do you remember me?" I said, "of course, I remember you!" When I knew him last year he was afraid, yet intrigued, with dogs and never really came close to me to pet me or give me hugs. Well, guess what? Yesterday, he came right up to me with a big smile and gave me a gentle pat on my head and my back!! Wow!!!

I just love these kids so much!! I love how they get so excited to see me! I can't wait to go back to see them ... here are some photos mom took from yesterday ...

Here I am arriving at The Lab!

Relaxing for a minute before going upstairs to the classroom

and here are a few more photos!! :)

Hanging out with my buddy Roxy!

Roxy and I hard at work!! Being a therapy
dog is hard work!! :) I demand a pay raise ...
more doggie treats please!!!

Giving and receiving love from a special kid!

Tie Day at The Lab

Today was an awesome day at The Lab. I got to see my buddy "J" again ... our last class presentation. "J" is always so excited to see me. I was waiting for him with my auntie Paula and mom. Yes, I had a guest today. Auntie Paula came to watch me work and to hear mom and "J' give their presentation (thanks for coming auntie Paula!). We learned shortly after I got there that it was Spirit Week with the Rivereast kids at The Lab and today they were celebrating Tie Day --- so everyone had to wear a tie. I got a flashy tie with all kinds of fancy formulas on it. Mom and auntie Paula also had to wear a tie ... so did Momma MT, and we saved a special car tie for "J". He loved it!

For our class presentation the students were asked what's one thing they really like about a dog, an animal, or me?? :) One kid said "I love Ahnung's one white paw and one black paw" ... another said "I love Ahnung's face" and another said "I love how soft she is." Then my buddy "J' said I was an "awesome dog." "J" asked the class how many remembered my story from the last time we were there ... wow, they pretty much remembered my entire story: abandoned with a litter of puppies, had heartworm, gun shot wound where I still have a pellet in one of my nipples, and no front teeth because I ground my teeth down to my gums trying to find food. They even remembered that Ahnung means "star" and that it means star in ojibway!! The kids remembered more about me than the teachers!! :) We then talked about what the north star. Mom said I'm her north star ... awwww :) It was so cool to hear the kids share who their north star in life is ... dad, parents, grandpa ...

Before we left I had a chance to get lots of hugs and treats from the kids. Mom gave them a plastic spoon to put the treat on so that I wouldn't slobber all over them ... yes, I get really excited when I get treats. I also got to show them that I know how to "high five." "J' was so cool showing them how to get me to "high five." Then at the end "J" finally got me to a rollover -- that's kind of a new trick for me so it takes me a while. When I finally "rolled over" the entire class cheered in support of my pal. How cool is that?? :)

I got to give "J' a little present before he left ... a collage of photos that mom and I put together of him from the time we spent together. On the top of the collage I put a dedication to him. This is the last time we're scheduled to meet for the spring semester. I'm going to miss him. I hope I get to see him again next year. He's my pal. I love how he's always watching out for me and how kind, gentle and understanding he is with me. Thanks "J" for spending the past few months with me. You are one cool guy! :)

Remember ... i'm trying to raise money for The Lab and Red Lake Rosie's Rescue. Just become my fan on facebook and you will help raise money for my rescuer Karen at Red Lake Rosie's Rescue and the kids at The Lab. Click here to find me on facebook.

Work day again!!

I worked again at The Lab today. It was such an early class ... too early for me!!! But I made it. We met with two classes .... they are such great kids. Mom went over body language and how dogs communicate. We also got to practice breathing while they got to pet me ... it teaches them how to calm down and destress. This one kid just loves me so much and he's really smart ... he asked if he could be mom's assistant. At the end of the class they were given a writing/vocabulary exercise. The teacher gave them my name 'Ahnung' as the word to write about. And they learned that my name means star in ojibway so they learned that the synonym for Ahnung is star. One kid wrote the following sentence "Ahnung is an awesome dog and so is Marilou." Her teacher smiled, and asked, "do you mean Marilou is an awesome dog too?" I winked at the kid and said "I know what you mean" as he grinned.

In the next class they got to hear my story and learn about body language and communication. They got to practice coming up to me and meeting a new dog. They also got to practice using hand signals to get me to sit and to give them a high five. When I went around to say hi to each of them I got hugs from a few of them. This one kid said "I smelled like a noodle." I think he meant it in a nice way. Mom always makes sure I smell good and feel soft before I go to "work." I've just never had anyone say I smell like a noodle :) Maybe next time some one will say I smell like a rose ;-)

I'm working again tomorrow over mom's lunch hour. She's facilitating a small "dog group." Then i'll have a couple days off before I have to work again.

And I don't know if I've told you that mom and I are applying to volunteer as an animal therapy team at Allina hospice. Mom had to fill out a bunch of paperwork and ask a couple people to send in volunteer reference forms (hopefully they said nice things about us!!). We have an interview scheduled for Monday. If we pass the interview then mom will have to go through 3 full days of hospice training before we can start volunteering. I'm really looking forward to it.

Mentorship: Volunteering at The Lab

In 2009 I began volunteering at The Lab and began working with "R" (that's us looking into each other's eyes ;-) The Lab is an arts & wellness-based program in St. Paul Schools. They serve youth in special education, grades 7-12 and are committed to providing creative and experiential learning opportunities that support long-term social & emotional health for urban youth.

Sometimes humans have been hurt so much that it's hard for them to trust -- that's what I've learned about all of these great kids. I share with them my story (mom does the talking!) of how it took me a while to learn to trust again. In 2009 my mom and I volunteered as "mentors" at The Lab. We spent time with this one really cool kid, "R." "R" and I got teamed up and I got to hang out with him every week. I remember the first time we met ... I could tell he liked me (and I liked him too!) but he really wasn't sure what to do with me. As weeks passed (and there were days when all we would do is hang out together while he played word games with my mom) I could feel his heart opening up ... I think my heart also started to open up to. Every Tuesday my mom and I would wait for "R" to arrive at The Lab. He would arrive in a St. Paul yellow cab with a couple other kids, escorted by an adult. As our bond grew, and weeks passed, "R" would dart out of the cab and run into the building to meet me. I would wait for him to walk through the door. I love to see the big smile on his face and how he would get down on his knees and give me a big bear hug. The first time the other kids met me, "R" said "This is my dog, AH-NUNG" and he hugged me for the tenth time. My pal "R" -- he can hug me a hundred times and that wouldn't even be enough.

I haven't seen "R" in a long time. I miss him. Today i'm volunteering at The Lab ... this time, it's for a "Dog Group". I hear my pal "R" may be coming. I really hope he does so I can see him again and tell him I miss him, and thank him for opening up my heart and my mom's heart to what's possible by volunteering at The Lab.

The Lab is a really cool place because they have programs where therapy dogs can participate. Me, i'm pretty mellow. I can do some of that dog obedience stuff (my pal Sharpie is much better at that though!) but I think my strength is in the 1:1 work I do with kids like "R" (in 2009) and this year my mom and I worked with "J" [i wrote about it here]. I connect with the kids at The Lab, and I think they really connect with me and my story. Like "R" i went through so much before I was rescued by Karen of Red Lake Rosie's Rescue (heartworm, lymes disease, gun shot, starvation - and I have no front teeth to prove it! You name it, i'm a survivor!). The Animal Assisted Education programs at The Lab is really taking off this year. I'm hoping mom will let me do more 1:1 mentorships with the kids. Don't get me wrong ... I love the groups, but there's something special about working with just one kid ... like "R", and now "J" ... there's something so powerful in the bond that gets created between us and the healing that takes place for all of us lucky enough to be a part of that circle.


Hugs from "R" and "J" and slobbery kisses from me (ahnung)

P.S. Check it out ... i'm on The Lab's website!! :)

P.P.S. You should also check out this really cool video/documentary of another volunteer Bill who has been working 1:1 with one of the kids to teach him how to play the guitar ... and in the process, so much more about life. You will also hear from the volunteer Bill how volunteering as mentor has helped him. Click here.