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Upcoming Events
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August
15 - DeStress Event - Discover
New Castle, DE
15 - Wesley College Health Fair
Dover, DE
17 & 18
- Barnes & Noble Book Fair
Exon, PA & Christiana, DE
19 - 23
- Camp Dream Catcher
Oxford, PA
19 - City of Newark Parks & Rec Camp
Newark, DE
20 - New Behavioral Network Summer Camp
Cherry Hill, NJ
21 - Neighborhood House Early Learning Center Visit
Wilmington, DE
22 - Westside Health Growing Healthy Families
Dover, DE
22
- Mosaic Family Success Center Visit
Glassboro, NJ
23 - National Guard Youth Back to School Event
Delaware City, DE
23 - Olympiad Gymnastic Open House
Newport, DE
27
- DeStress Event - WSFS Bank
Newark, DE
29
- DeStress Event - WSFS Bank
Philadelphia, PA
September
2
- Rylie's Smile Foundation 5K
Lewes, DE
4 - DeStress Event - Rutgers
Camden, NJ
4 - DeStress Event - University City Science Center
Philadelphia, PA
5 - DeStress Event - Wilmington Hospital
Wilmington, DE
6 - Mushroom Festival Parade
Kennett Square, PA
7 - Concord Pet Meet & Great
Bear, DE
7 -Family Emergency Preparedness Day
Camden, DE
10
- DeStress Event - St. Joe's University
Philadelphia, PA
12 - DeStress Event - Christiana Care
Newark, DE
13 - DeStress Event - Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia, PA
14 - House of Hope's Paws in the Park
North East, MD
14 - Concord Pet Meet & Greet
Seaford, DE
16 - DeStress Event - Southco
Concordville, PA
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So you've got a great pet - sweet and friendly and LOVES people, and you think sharing all that love would be a good way to give back to people in the community.
But can your pet pass the test?
Do you have time?
Will your pet be a good visitor?
You've got lots of questions and PAWS has one great answer:
Yes, you can!
Join us for a
FREE workshop on pet therapy, the many benefits, and how you can get involved.
August 14
, 10:30 AM
Cadia Silverside, Wilmington, DE
August 26, 11:30 AM
Elkton Library, Elkton, MD
September 18, 10:30 AM
Cokesbury Village, Hockessin, DE
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Interested in joining PAWS? Here are the upcoming Orientation (O) and Training (T) sessions:
August
Wednesday, 6:00 PM
O & T: August 14 & 28
September
Hockessin/Wilmington, DE
Saturday, 8:30 AM
O & T: September 7 & 21
Philadelphia, PA (19103)
Sunday, 1:00 PM
O & T: September 8 & 22
Newark, DE
Wednesday, 6:00 PM
O & T: September 11 & 25
Rehoboth Beach, DE
Saturday, 10:00 AM
O & T: September 14 & 28
Sewell, NJ
Monday, 5:00 PM
O & T: September 16 & 30
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PAWS for People is happy to offer obedience, therapy dog, and target training through our partnerships with experienced dog trainers. Whether you are just getting started or you need to work on specific behaviors, we have the perfect class for you!
MONDAY,
October 21
(1 session)
6:30 PM: Clicker Training for Better Visits
TUESDAYS (5-week classes)
6:30 PM:
PAWS Obedience 1
7:30 PM:
PAWS Obedience 2
THURSDAYS
(5-week classes)
September 19
6:30 PM: Attention & Focus
7:30 PM: Therapy Dog Prep
FRIDAYS
(5-week classes)
9:30 AM:
PAWS Puppy
10:45 AM:
PAWS Obedience 1
11:00 AM:
Tricks of the Trade
12:00 PM:
Basic to Advanced
October 6
(1 session)
11:00 AM:
Tricks of the Trade
12:00 PM:
Basic to Advanced
Private Training
One on one sessions to help develop and hone in on specific skills you want to work on without added distractions of a classroom environment.
By appointment: Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 5:30-6:30 PM
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Attention Members
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If it is getting close to your STEX
due date, you can schedule a session at the
PAWS Office, Newark, DE
:
W
eekdays, 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Or, we are offering Saturday Sessions from 10 AM - Noon:
September 14
October 12
For teams who live a distance from the Newark office, let us know your needs and we will do our best to offer options.
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PAWS University is open to members of PAWS for People. It offers courses to not only help strengthen your visiting skills but also to strengthen your bond with your therapy companion. Some courses are mandatory for participation in specific PAWS programs; other courses are designed as informational and fun.
Creative Connections
Wednesday, September 4, 10:30 AM
Kennett Square, PA
PAWS for Reading
Thursday, September 5, 2:30 PM
Kennett Square, PA
PAWS for Reading
Sunday, September 22, 3:30 PM
Philadelphia, PA 19103
No Fee!
Reading Dog Body Language
Wednesday, September 25, 3:00 PM
PAWS Office, Newark, DE
DeStress
Friday, September 27, 12:30 PM
Register on-line and we will send you the link to the Open Learning course.
PS PAWS
First Visit Assistant
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No fee
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T
hank You to Our Sponsors
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Feedback Welcome!
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Please e-mail Wendy
suggestions & stories
registration@PAWSforPeople.org
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| Sweet Thank Yous |
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Moira recently received a call to the PAWS office from a young man named Gavin.
He enjoyed his visit with Bear so much at his Extended School Year program at the Garnet Valley Elementary school that he jumped off the school bus and ran inside to immediately call to thank Bear for coming to his school. This has to be the fastest and one of the sweetest thank yous we have received!
Thank you to Bear and Karen Houghton and all of our therapy teams who have brought smiles and joy to our community this summer!
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The Wedding of the Century
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 The weather was gorgeous. The groom was handsome. The bride was beautiful. It was the perfect wedding - the social event of the century according to the newspaper.
This amazing event came to fruition because of the vision of one woman. It was over a year ago when PAWS member, Kathryn Meloni, suggested to fellow PAWS member, Ashley Kennedy, that their two PAWS therapy companion were such good friends that they should get "married" as a PAWS fundraiser. Soon after, Shaggydog Stark proposed to Frangelica Meloni at a Blue Rocks game, and Kathryn's year-long planning marathon began.
Thank you, Kathryn, for pouring your heart and soul into this event which was both a successful fundraiser and an incredible friend raiser for PAWS for People. It was a fairy tale day, and we appreciate all that you did to bring it to life!
Please visit the Facebook event page for pictures, videos, and many more thank yous to the folks who helped make it happen!
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6ABC - PAWS for People just wed two of their special therapy dogs to raise money to help those in our area. Community Journalist Matteo reports.
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\PAWS for People is excited about our new event, the Wag & Walkathon!
The Cross the Finish Line event on October 19th will feature many of the favorite parts of our past Wag-n-Walk events; but, you get a whole lot more including the fun, new cumulative marathon which allows you to participate wherever you live!
Register by August 15
to save $5.00 and guarantee an event t-shirt in your size.
Grab this opportunity before it flies away!
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 This year's theme celebrates the peace and love PAWS Pet Therapy brings to so many in our community. Last year, PAWS Teams reached over 600,000 people in our four-state region. This event provides funding to ensure the impact of pet therapy continues.
Here is how it works:
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Register - Sign up by August 15th for Early Bird Savings and guarantee a t-shirt in your size!
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Gear Up - Join us at one of the 11 Gear Up Events sponsored by Concord Pet scheduled daily between September 9 - 19 across our 4-state region to get your event t-shirt, pet bandana, and walking snacks. Check out the Gear-Up Event Schedule.
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Walk or Run - Log your 26.2 miles between September 19 - October 19.
- Cross the Finish Line - Celebrate with us on October 19 as we Cross the Finish Line together at Glasgow Park in Newark, DE. This family friendly event is open to everyone and will feature doggie games & contests, children's activities, food, music and lots of PAWS spirit.
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 It's Time to Build Your Pack!
Invite friends, family, and co-workers to join your team for the Wag & Walkathon.
The team with the most registered participants on August 31 will win an awesome
Party Package and be recognized at the Cross the Finish Line Event on October 19!
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Shop to Support PAWS:
A portion of your purchase (including purchases at the cafe) will benefit PAWS for People! Special vouchers will be available at the PAWS Info Table and registers. You can also print them to take with you or to use online.
Exton Voucher
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Christiana Voucher
Volunteers Needed
- PAWS Members - Sign up to bring your certified therapy pets to interact with attendees for 2-hour shifts
- All Volunteers are welcome, this role is not limited to PAWS Members - Sign up to work (without a pet) at the information table and hand out book fair vouchers for 2-hour shifts
PAWS Therapy Teams Will Be Onsite
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Barnes & Noble - Exton Location
Saturday, August 17 - 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, August 18 - 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Barnes & Noble - Christiana Mall Location
Saturday, August 17 - 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday, August 18 - 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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Each year, PAWS creates a calendar featuring our therapy companions. This year, in order to include as many of our current therapy companions as well as to include the dogs, cats, and bunnies who have been PAWS Therapy Companions in the past, we have a new format.
- The 2020 PAWS Calendar will be bigger - 12" x 12" closed / 12" x 24" open.
- We are able to include many more therapy companions!
- Each date in the calendar features a picture of a current or past therapy companion.
- A heart icon can be added to any picture to indicate that the picture is a memorial to the pet.
- Federal holidays and real, fun holidays are included (e.g., Take your dog to work day).
Enter Your Therapy Companions - Past & Present -
Each entry (each pet) = $5.00
Pre-Order Calendars - Wall calendars = $10.00 each
Shining Stars
Anyone who enters their current or past therapy companion to the 2020 calendar may add them to PAWS' Shining Stars gallery for $20.00 (regularly $25.00).
A 8" x 10" picture of your choosing will be personalized, framed, and hung in the Shining Stars hallway of the PAWS office.
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PAWS Staff Update - New & Improved!
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PAWS is pleased to announce the hire of 2 brand new part-time staff members and also share some changes to the roles of some of our current PAWS staff.
 Welcome to Dawn Kisner who has accepted the position of Coordinator for Kent & Sussex Counties and Social Media. Dawn will be responsible for connecting the PAWS office staff to PAWS teams and sites in Kent and Sussex Counties, finding new sites and volunteers, and helping to increase our visibility. She will also be managing PAWS social media accounts to ensure the promotion of PAWS in our four-state area. It's a big job, but as PAWS therapy team for three years with her pups Kate and Riley, a PAWS New Team trainer, a First Visit Assistant, and an instructor of PAWS U classes, Dawn is knowledgeable of all things PAWS and up for the challenge. |
 Welcome to Christina Meehan who has accepted the position of Marketing & PR Coordinator. We are excited to have Christina and her extensive experience and creativity to work with staff to develop and implement marketing strategies and public relations activities which will support PAWS' strategic business objective, communicate PAWS for People's mission, and increase the visibility of the PAWS brand in our markets. As PAWS continues to expand, we were greatly in need of someone to coordinate all our ventures and make sure we're getting our message to both our members and the public. We know that Christina will fill this role well and be an excellent addition to the team. |
We would like to share some role changes for our staff. Our Volunteer & Site Management team is made up of 3 members who all have new titles as this department evolves.
Catey Bryson
and
Kate Rosenthal
are now
Volunteer & Site Managers
while Sammy Taylor is now our
Volunteer & Site Coordinator
. This fabulous team places volunteers in visiting sites, arranges first visits, coordinates schedules with sites and volunteers, and opens new sites - just to name a few of their many responsibilities.
We are happy to announce the promotion of Clarice Ritchie to the Director of Events & Operations. Clarice's new responsibilities include PAWS finances, and the oversight of the Events, Training, and Communications departments.
The two new positions, working with the rest of our talented and dedicated staff, will help PAWS meet our growing needs and expand our outreach, build our community presence, and assure our sustainability. This will help PAWS and our amazing pack of volunteers soar to reach our true capabilities.
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Here's Rich Phillips, our first Volunteer Events Coordinator.
Now in our 15th year, PAWS celebrates all the people who have coordinated events as a paid position - Blythe Lundstrom, Krista Rahman, and Clarice Ritchie, who has grown the events side of PAWS to include over 300 events per year.
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Shining Stars
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 John Douglass & Bekha
John joined PAWS in October of 2014 with his sweet German Shepherd, Heidi. John and Heidi visited at Union Hospital of Cecil County in the Oncology Department as well as A.I. duPont Hospital for Children| Nemours. Heidi was not only super sweet but also very gentle making her perfect for visiting an oncology department and with children. This duo were fantastic ambassadors for PAWS and were well known, especially at Union Hospital. After Heidi's passing, Bekha, also a German Shepherd, joined John in his pet-therapy work. Last December, John and Bekha earned their Master's Certification and Bekha is following in her big sister's footsteps at Nemours. John has also lent his time and talent to building storage shelving for PAWS when we moved into our Dawson Drive location. Thank you, John, for sharing your sweet girls with everyone and for going above and beyond in your support of PAWS. Thank you, Bekha, for being so loving with everyone you meet!
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