Love on a Leash honors volunteers; celebrates 4th birthday

February 13, 2008 10:03 am

— The Somerset (Ky.) chapter of the national therapy pet organization, Love on a Leash, celebrated its 4th birthday serving the community during their Jan. 27 annual meeting at First Christian Church in Somerset.
Forty volunteers and 46 pets made over 180 visits in the community in 2007, making the group one of the most active programs in the United States.
Volunteers were recognized during the annual meeting with special patches presented to all therapy dog teams by Tony LaRussa’s Pet Hug Project – a national initiative by Purina, Build-a-Bear Workshop stores and Tony LaRussa’s CA rescue foundation.
Three junior handlers – Caitlyn Mounce, Nicholas Gibson and Lacey Beckwith – were singled out for special recognition for their regular visiting and the training they have completed with their certified therapy dogs. The juniors received a certificate of appreciation and gifts.
Bob Walter received the group’s first Volunteer of the Year award for 2007.
Incoming president Gloria Sams noted that “Bob participates in almost every visit our group makes, week in and week out, every single month. I know of no one in our chapter who has demonstrated such devotion and commitment; his community service is simply extraordinary.”
Walther was presented an engraved plaque and a gift from the chapter.
The group paid tribute to four therapy dogs which passed away during the previous year and a certificate of appreciation was presented to their owners.
“It is inevitable that the longer our chapter exists, the more frequent will be our loss of some of our therapy pets – especially those which have been in service from the very beginning. This is a sad day, but also a day we celebrate the wonderful dogs which built our program,” said Gloria Sams.
Recognized were Australian shepherd Tucker (owner Robin Van Noy), Kaleb (tri-colored collie owned by Roz Frost), Bookem (greyhound owned by Pam Stephens) and Jet (greyhound owned by Charlotte Neeley).
Election of officers was held with the following people elected: Gloria Sams, president; Chris Wilson, vice president; Roz Frost, secretary; and Howard Thompson, treasurer.
Recognition was paid to outgoing officers Sandra Stokley (president) and Ginny Lengel (vice president).
The group accepted a $925 check from the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, resulting from their Festival of Trees benefit in December.
Sams Insurance Agency sponsored a “dog tree” which was auctioned and proceeds distributed to the group. The group also benefited from the overall proceeds, as did all nonprofit groups which are members of the chamber.
The Love on a Leash tree was selected by visitors to the event as Best in Show.
A community program for new volunteers will be held sometime in the spring, with plans to be announced in the near future.
For more information about Love on a Leash and therapy pets, visit the national LOAL web site at:
www.loveonaleash.org
or call LOAL President Gloria Sams at (606) 875-1442.

Photos

Love on a Leash officers for 2008: from left, Roz Frost, secretary; Gloria Sams, president, and Chris Wilson, vice president, accepted a donation in the amount of $925 from the Chamber of Commerce Festival of Trees during the group’s annual meeting on Jan. 27. The tree was sponsored by Sams Insurance Agency Inc., featured dog and cat ornaments and was selected as Best in Show by those attending the week-long event. Commonwealth Journal

Bob Walther of Somerset was recognized as Love on a Leash Volunteer of the Year in 2007 for his commitment to the chapter’s visitation program. Walther participates in nearly all the group’s 13 visits each month with his certified therapy dog, Speckles, a rat terrier, who also has her Canine Good Citizen (CGC) designation. Commonwealth Journal

Love on a Leash junior handlers (from left) Lacey Beckwith of Russell Springs, Nicholas Gibson and Caitlyn Mounce of Somerset were recognized for their regular visiting with their therapy dogs during the LOAL annual meeting in Somerset. President Sams noted that “the commitment of these young people is a model for the adults in our program.” Commonwealth Journal