Rosie and Ivy
Rosie, an eleven year-old golden retriever, came to the Children’s Home on loan during the Spring of 2011 and made history by accompanying a 15-year-old child witness while giving testimony in Dutchess County Criminal Court. The presence of a specially trained dog to provide comfort and prevent further traumatization of a child witness had never before been permitted in the history of NYS Courts. Rosie enabled this young girl to testify which she otherwise would not have been able to do without risking further psychological harm. Rosie is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement with her owners/trainers, Dale and Lu Picard from Torrington, CT.
In August of 2011 the Children’s Home obtained from the Picard’s, who head up Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD) a non-profit organization that trains service dogs, our own dog Ivy. Ivy is a service trained dog but because she will be attached to a facility (Children’s Home) she is properly referred to as a Facility Service Dog. Service Dogs are unusually highly trained and are not to be confused with therapy dogs which are often household pets who visit nursing homes and hospitals for brief visits. Service dogs receive a minimum of two years of extensive training 9:00 to 5:00 each working day and learn a total of 160 commands. Ivy like Rosie is capable of supporting children during court testimony and during forensic interviews under the direction and supervision of her professional handler Sherry Cookinham, who is also a Supervisor at the Children’s Home.
Ivy works under the direction of Dr. David A. Crenshaw, the Clinical Director of the Children’s Home, spending the majority of her work day engaging with children in therapy sessions. After only a month at the Children’s Home, Ivy participates in an average of 4-5 hours of therapy sessions with individual children or with families each working day. The children feel so safe and comfortable with Ivy that they often tell her their secrets, or share stories with her that otherwise they would have a hard time expressing. Part of Ivy’s “magic” with the children is her non-judgmental, non-evaluative, and unconditionally accepting response but because so many of the children have suffered trauma, another essential factor is her uncommon calmness. Traumatized children experience abnormally elevated cardiovascular functioning because they are constantly vigilant and scanning their environment for signs of danger. Ivy’s calmness has an amazing calming and relaxing influence on the children.
A very small per cent of the dog population (10%) have this degree of calm temperament to and the extensive training these specialized dogs receive reinforces their capabilities of remaining calm under a wide range of conditions when they are working. When Ivy is not working, she runs and plays like any other dog but when her working vest goes on, it is all business. Recently a 3 year-old child from our Group Emergency Foster Care (GEFC) program came over to the main house with a staff member in order to pet Ivy. She told Dr. Crenshaw that she had two dogs at home and she just wanted to come over and visit Ivy. When she left she gave Ivy a big hug and went away with the biggest smile, he had ever seen on her face. Dr. Crenshaw turned to Ivy and said, “Good work, you just made that little girl who misses her home and family very happy. Interactions like this with Ivy and the children happen every day.
You can help to support the ongoing expenses of Ivy's therapy program by donating here.
For questions about Ivy and our therapy program, please contact Dr. Crenshaw or Dr. Jennifer Lee at 845-454-1420, Ext. 162.