Wine tasting fundraiser benefits pet therapy program

The group is hosting its Salud! 2015 Wine Tasting and Auction fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 25.

“We are really trying to deliver the mission to more local children and to promote awareness about how very important pet therapy is for children at risk. It is so healing; it nurtures their emotional development and enhances the quality of their lives,” said Schaefer, a board member who is chairing the third annual fundraiser.

Schaefer hopes to raise at least $20,000 at Salud, a primary fundraising event for the Southern Arizona branch of the nonprofit organization founded in 2000 in Phoenix.

“It is our number two fundraiser of the year and is incredibly important. It helps us meet our budget to support our work with the behavioral health organizations we work with and to provide ongoing support and education for our volunteers. It has turned into such a great evening and such an intimate event, with folks really embracing the idea of supporting our mission,” said Kate Titus, Southern Arizona branch board chairwoman.

In addition to food tastings from 10 restaurants and vendors and wine from Alliance Beverage Distribution Co., a highlight of Salud is the opportunity for guests to interact with pet therapy teams.

“People will have the opportunity to really talk with our teams about the impact the dogs and therapy teams have on children,” said Titus.

Gabriel’s Angels supports 50 local pet therapy teams that serve more than 25 shelters, agencies, organizations and programs including Casa de los Niños; Easter Seals Blake Foundation Children & Family Services; Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse; Our Family Services; Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and Sierra Vista; and the juvenile courts in Pima and Santa Cruz counties as well as the Cochise County Juvenile Detention Center.

Pet therapy teams also visit elementary schools, preschools and Head Start programs ; additionally the teams provide one-on-one pet therapy sessions for a child with a behavioral therapist through Providence Human Services.

Each trained team is comprised of a handler and pet along with a volunteer who assists with therapy activities. Activities range from arts and crafts and games to songs and stories as well as hands-on grooming and pet care activities with the dogs.

The programming is focused around seven core behaviors, including giving and receiving love; instilling trust; and teaching empathy, compassion, respect, communication, tolerance and other life skills.

“Empathy, love and trust are emphasized because those are three of the core behaviors that children we work with are often lacking in some way and those are things that a child can learn from a dog in a visiting situation,” said Titus.

“It is easy to love a dog: They are very nonjudgmental and love unconditionally … and kids can trust that the dog will come back because we make it our business to never miss an appointment. Then we use the dogs as examples to draw parallels between the children and dogs and show that dogs are not much different than we are to help deal with anger management issues, their feelings that no one cares and other emotions.”

Schaefer said she has seen the transformative value of the therapy with children. An active member of Angel Charity For Children for 14 years, she joined the Gabriel’s Angels board of directors five years ago when Angel Charity gifted the nonprofit $40,000 to train 16 new pet therapy teams.

“So many of these kids come from abusive families or families where parents are involved with drugs or crime. They have had no love and these dogs give them the love they need,” she said.

“We have seen situations at the detention center where children would never talk to anyone then the animal comes and it takes some time, but the children start grooming and taking care of them and talking to the dogs. It is so rewarding to see them make a connection and watch them start to heal,” Schaefer said.