Certified therapy dogs from near and far have come to Squirrel Hill and Oakland to help heal hearts shattered by the mass shooting Saturday at Tree of Life synagogue.
Humane Animal Rescue in Homewood has coordinated visits from 13 dogs and their partners, and Animal Friends has arranged visits from 50 of their Therapets dog teams. More visits are planned, and kittens and rabbits will be involved.
Five members of Crisis Response Canines drove nine dogs from southern New Jersey, and they were on the ground here from Sunday through Tuesday. They have ministered to police officers and other first responders at some of the country’s worst mass shootings, including the country music concert in Las Vegas, Pulse night club in Orlando and the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
The Humane Animal Rescue teams visited all week in Oakland with staff from the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, which coordinates fundraising, planning and other activities for the Jewish community.
Sizzle, an 11-year-old white standard poodle, was one of the canine visitors on Wednesday.
“It’s absolutely magical to watch Sizzle work,” said his owner and partner, Marsha Robbins. “He wraps his head around their neck, and his little body leans into them.”
But Sizzle does not do that unless a person wants that kind of attention.
“Sizzle is especially astute at reading the emotions of people” and seems to know what they want and need, Ms. Robbins said. “One lady sat on the floor, and Sizzle walked onto her lap.”
Sizzle has only three legs. When he showed up at a shelter, he was 10 months old and so badly abused that one leg had to be amputated.
Ms. Robbins teaches classes at HAR’s North Side shelter, where she has trained and taught hundreds of people and dogs to earn therapy dog certifications.
Maui, 13, a poodle-Havanese mix, also came with Ms. Robbins.
“This is a stressful time for everyone,” said Adam Hertzman, director of marketing at the Jewish Federation, where the dogs were welcomed with open arms.
“I saw the dogs myself. They were super fluffy. I petted Eli, the golden retriever mix,” Mr. Hertzman said.
Other canine visitors included Skippy, a collie; Ajax, a Bernese mountain dog; Cleo, a Labradoodle; Ziggy, a ShihTzu mix; and Butterball, a golden retriever.
Animal Friends Therapet teams are making visits “all over the place,” said Amy Martello, therapeutic services coordinator at the Ohio Township shelter.
The therapy dogs brought comfort to people at the Squirrel Hill outdoor vigil last Saturday. Other visits included the Jewish Association on Aging, Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, Commonplace Coffee and Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh. Dogs are going to Carnegie Libraries next week.
The New Jersey dogs were Gunther, a Rottweiler; Ty, a pit bull-boxer mix; Exon, a Labrador retriever; Alma, a great Dane; and five miniature dachshunds. Anne Rosenberg, a retired breast cancer surgeon, brought Nuggett, Weezy, Seriously, Boltzmann and Hubbell.
“My dogs are kind souls with kind eyes, and they heal,” Dr. Rosenberg said. “The people we work with tend to want to hold something, and I can put my dogs in their arms.”
Crisis Response Canines visited three UPMC hospitals — Presbyterian, Mercy and Shadyside. The dogs met with hospital staff, police officers and families and co-workers of victims.
John Hunt and his Rottweiler, Gunther, met with police, medics and hospital staff “to help them with the de-escalation process.”
Mr. Hunt was an officer in the New Jersey state police for 27 years. He’s been making therapy dog visits around the country for three years now. He also teaches courses in dealing with active shooters.
In Pittsburgh “people appreciated our dogs, and I was impressed with the resilience of this community,” Mr. Hunt said.
Linda Wilson Fuoco: lfuoco@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1953.
First Published: November 1, 2018, 9:23 p.m.
