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From: Suzanne Lowe
6685 Cuttalossa Road
New Hope, PA 18938
215-297-0767
An old woman sits alone in the hall of her last worldly residence, Pine Run Nursing Home
in Doylestown, P A. She is clean and well dressed in pleasant surroundings. The staff smile at her
and greet her. She doesnt seem to notice. Her vacant eyes stare at nothing.
Suddenly, a little black bristly animal swaggers up to her and grunts a hello. At first, there
is only a glimmer of recognition, a blinking of her eyes. Another grunt and a gentle bump to hand causes her head to turn. A smile completely changes the characteristics of her face. there s Reggie, wagging her straight little tail with a sunflower on it! She oinks asking to be petted. At the sight and touch of her bristly little black body, the patient even laughs.
This patient is everyman/woman residing in a nursing home. Reggie is a special,
outstanding pet therapy PotBellied Pig. She miraculously changes patients moods. She draws attention like no other animal can. Her personality sparkles. Her clothing radiates an air of fun.
All people are drawn to Reggie. She is truly the magnet of the Delta Society Pet Therapists. She loves each and every person with whom she comes in contact. She isnt trained to do this it comes naturally. Slowly, cautiously she approaches each patient. "Im here to say hello, to cheer you. And for that, I deserve a nice scratch!" She continuously wins over even the most skeptical patient.
There are times when Reggie is so anxious to perform her myriad of tricks, that she goes
ahead of her "Moms" commands. "Rollout the Rug? I can do that! Play my horns and organ?
You betcha! Sit up? Spell P. I.G with flash cards? Come on! Give me the signal! Im on a roll here!"
So goes Reggies pet therapy session. And it doesnt stop with nursing homes, it
continues week after week at hospitals, homes for abused children, schools for the retarded and autistic, camps, etc., etc. No distance is too far for Reggie and her Mom, Becky Di Nolfi. Both are tireless in their efforts to fulfill the goals of the Delta Society.
Do I recommend Reggie as Delta Pet Therapist of the Year? You bet I do! Ive seen her
over and over again win the hearts of the most stubborn patients. Ive seen people who have to strain to use muscles they havent used in ages just to bend down and touch the little pig and return her smile. (potbellied Pigs do smile you know.) Reggie. elicits a response.
Id like to end with a quote from one of "Reggies" articles written on pet therapy.
"When the session is over, I get into my van and sleep all the way home... while Becky smiles
I cant think of a more deserving animal.
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