New PET Cat Offers Rare Opportunity for Therapy
Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (Dec. 18, 2018) – Despite a rough start, a unique feline, pulled from the streets of Tijuana, is offering a special gift to San Diego Pet Encounter Therapy clients this holiday season.
Dan Walker, a 3.5 year old cat, is one of Helen Woodward Animal Center’s newest Pet Encounter Therapy (PET) animals. PET brings the unconditional love and tactile benefits of animals to people in skilled nursing facilities, children’s shelters, hospitals, psychiatric units and many more. The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, improved long- and short-term memory, and sensory stimuli. Dogs are naturals for the work but cats tend to be a bit more skittish about meeting new people and, thus, are rare within the program. Dan, however, is not only an incredible therapy cat, he is the Center’s only PET cat with special needs – he’s missing his two back paws.
Dan’s ability to spread love, joy and happiness to those he meets may have come from his humble beginnings. Dan was sick and in dire need when he was rescued off the streets of Tijuana as a young cat. Not only was he was missing his back feet, he had painful open wounds on his legs. His tragic condition shocked rescue volunteers who believed he may have been the victim of a terrible accident or had endured the trauma of having his feet removed.
After a successful transfer to San Diego, Dan immediately started rehabilitation. X-rays revealed that he was likely born missing his back paws and the open wounds were possibly a result of him dragging his legs while navigating the streets to get around.
His foster – turned permanent “mom”, Stacey Agan immediately saw in Dan a love for people and had him tested into the Center’s PET program. He passed with flying colors!
“He’s truly amazing because it’s so rare to find a cat that can do therapy work,” explained Robin Cohen, PET Manager. “Most cats really don’t enjoy the car ride to the visits, so you have to not only find a cat that enjoys meeting strangers and getting petted but also loves getting in the car.”
Right now, Dan is one of just two cats in the PET program. In the last 25 years, there have only been six who have met the high standards. “Dan just loves to interact with the seniors he visits and loves to be petted. He’ll sit there and knead his blanket and has a smile on his face while he gets love,” Cohen said.
Explaining the special gift of bringing a cat into one of the Center’s PET’s facilities, Cohen explained, “A cat like Dan Walker is so rare that he can make the wishes of clients come true.”
Despite his special needs and abilities, Dan is your average cat at home. He likes hanging out around the house, sleeps perched up on his tower, and hangs out with his best friend – a golden retriever named Pilot who is also a PET dog with special needs.
“What I think is so beautiful is that Dan proves that just because you have a special need or an injury, you still have so much love to offer. He shows us that being different doesn’t mean that you’re less deserving of a beautiful life,” Cohen explained.
PET is on track to providing 25,000 animal interactions this year.
# # #
About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: www.animalcenter.org.