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By NANCY STEVES OBSERVER Staff Writer  3/7/04 copy

Dunkirk residents Bill and Jane Ploetz and their Chesapeake Bay Retriever Prince, a certified therapy dog with Create-A-Smile, were guests of honor during a recent session of Youth Sunday school at the Gowanda Free Methodist Church where lessons of faith, patriotism and love were shared from Princešs point of view.

Certified therapy dog spreads cheer in area

By NANCY STEVES OBSERVER Staff Writer

Prince recently got the chance to bring his owners - Bill and Jane Ploetz of Dunkirk - to a Sunday school session where he, with their help, provided insight into the Create-A-Smile: Animal-Assisted-Therapy program and shared love, faith, patriotism - and plenty of "kisses" - with the children of the church.

The 92-pound, nearly 3-year-old Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Lion Prince of Lake Erie (Prince, for short) is a certified therapy dog with the Dunkirk chapter of Create-A-Smile (CAS), having completed training and testing requirements for certification in April 2002.

As such, he has undergone countless hours of training in the areas of obedience and tricks which allows him to provide love, attention and therapy to those who are infirmed, sick, lonely or troubled.

Affectionately given the honorary title of "Director of Pawsitive Healing" for the Dunkirk chapter, Prince regularly volunteers at the WCA Home in Fredonia and has visited with residents at the Gowanda Nursing Home, Dunkirk Adult Day Care, St. Columban's On the Lake and Fredonia Place.

"The therapy involved is getting people to use their hands to pet, feed and brush Prince," said Bill Ploetz.

"(They also) use their fingers to hold up for Prince to count and give him commands. (CAS) has brought many out of their shells, increasing conversation and involvement ... it is hard to resist a pet," he said.

Following a brief introduction giving the Sunday-schoolers a chance to meet and greet (with snuggles and kisses) Prince, the Ploetzes explained the mission of the CAS program and took Prince through his paces including a question-and-answer session.

Prince demonstrated his ability to "communicate" by shaking his head for "No," nodding his head for "Yes," and raising his paw in response to questions about love for Jesus, forgiveness, waving "bye, bye" and in salute of the United States of America after the playing of a patriotic song.

The Ploetz's also assisted Prince in showing the children what he has learned as far as his many special tricks - sit, stay, shake, lie down, chase his tail and dance.

Of particular note is Prince's participation in the saying of grace before the Ploetz family's dinner each evening, also demonstrated for the children.

"When we eat supper, we put a little stool next to the table with Prince's bowl on it. Then, while we say our prayers, Prince sits with his head bowed," Ploetz said, "When we say 'Amen,' Prince dives into his food!"

Ploetz said the nighttime ritual was something of Prince's own doing - it was not until after they noticed how he put his head down when they did and how he waited until they said "Amen" before beginning to eat from his bowl that they realized he was attempting to pray.

The children were also given the opportunity to brush Prince in a demonstration of the type of physical therapy Prince helps to provide infirmed people.

Prince's visit received a "two paws up" rating from all involved with the hope of a return visit in the future.

"It was really a lot of fun, and though it was primarily for the kids, the adults (in the church congregation) meandered in to the sanctuary to see what was going on," said Gowanda Free Methodist Church Children's Ministry Director Cheryl Thiel.

Thiel said fellow parishioner and Sunday school teacher Betty Bobseine, Jane Ploetz's aunt, had told her about Prince and his service as a therapy dog.

"I have witnessed (Prince's) visits to the nursing home and seen him give so much joy and happiness to everyone," said Bobseine.

Bobseine said she thought the visit to the Sunday school classes would be beneficial to everyone, especially the preschool class she teaches with Thiel.

Readily embraced and approved by the powers that be, the visit was planned to follow the annual pancake breakfast which serves as a Bible Quizzers Team fund raiser.

"The kids just really seemed to love it," Thiel said, adding that she hopes Prince and his "parents" can make a return visit during the summer Bible School Program slated for July 12 through 16.

"We would definitely love to have him back again," she said.

Brittany Reid, a member of the fifth-grade Sunday School class, said Prince's visit was "very nice."

"He's a certified therapy dog and he's been taught not to jump at people and taught not to chase wheelchairs ... His visit was very nice because just about everybody loves dogs and he's the nicest dog I know," she said.

Brittany said she thinks the classes all enjoyed Prince's visit because it also gave the kids a chance to see and pet a friendly dog.

"I'm sure they've all seen dogs before, but maybe have not pet one or brushed one," she said.

As a niece of the Ploetzes and "cousin" to Prince, Brittany said she and her sister Sara have accompanied Prince to the Gowanda Nursing Home before and have seen first-hand the positive impact he has on residents there.

"The people at the nursing home enjoy him very much," she said.

Create-A-Smile: Animal-Assisted-Therapy is a not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Los Angeles, Calif.

Founded in 1995 by Daniela Ortner, the organization "promotes the human-animal bond and its healing benefits" through animal-assisted therapy (AAT).

AAT services are offered at 180 facilities nationwide through the CAS program providing goal-directed intervention to a variety of clients including: acute care patients; physically and mentally challenged children/adults; alzheimer patients; abused children; critically ill patients; grieving families; long-term care patients and victims of crime and disaster. Services are most usually provided with the help of a certified volunteer handler and animal.

There are currently 16 chapters of the Create-A-Smile: Animal-Assisted-Therapy programs listed on the CAS web site in the United States with the Dunkirk chapter one of two in New York State (the other is located in New York City). The majority of chapters is in California with additional chapters in Tennessee and Oklahoma City.

According to the web site, three additional chapters exist outside the United States in Israel, Germany and the Caribbean.

The local chapter is looking for new volunteer handler and dog recruits to undergo the training process and become certified through the program, Ploetz said.

Further information on the CAS:ATT program can be obtained by calling Bill at Lifestyle Sports, 679-7716.