Fall 2010 • V ol. 44 No. 3 - San Diego Humane Society and SPCA

Working
for the
Weekday
A
smiling face waiting
for you when you
return home, the
warm furry body cuddled
up with you on the couch,
the listening ear that never
judges when we share our
secrets – our pets enrich our
lives in so many ways. What
if there was a way to multiply
that joy, for the unconditional
love of a pet to be shared in
a way that enriches the lives
of not only the pet’s owner,
but an entire community?
Above: Eric Pitarresi’s dog Jetty loves working with the San Diego Humane Society’s education programs.
Left: Judith Eisenberg welcomes Sofia, a Jersey Wooly rabbit, back to the office after a Pet-Assisted
Therapy visit.
San Diego Humane Society’s
Four-Legged Employees Warm
Hearts Countywide
Photos: Laura Coburn and Candice Eley
cover story
The San Diego Humane Society
and SPCA’s employees are doing just
that…but it’s not just our two-legged
employees that have the biggest
impact. A very special team of animals
trained in tail-wagging, bunny hopping
and giving warm kisses is hard at work
bringing love and teaching respect for
animals to residents across San Diego
County. These “employees” spend
their days at the San Diego Humane
Society’s Gaines and North Campuses,
working every day to share the
organization’s mission with the world.
Meet Sofia, a Jersey Wooly rabbit
working with the San Diego Humane
Society’s Pet-Assisted Therapy (P-AT)
program. Sofia lives in the Volunteer
Department along with 14 of her
closest rabbit, guinea pig and rat
friends. Together with some friendly
Canine Good Citizen certified dogs,
Sofia visits assisted living centers,
“The animals in our
P-AT program are
so amazing – it’s not
uncommon for a
person that visits with
them to fall in love.”
hospitals, nursing homes and other
facilities where residents are not
allowed to keep pets but would benefit
from spending time with animals like
her. “Sofia has only been working
in the P-AT program for one month,
but she is already a big hit with the
patients she visits,” says P-AT Program
Coordinator Judith Eisenberg. When
Sofia is ready to retire from her vital
job of bringing joy to those who need
it most, she will likely be adopted
by one of the San Diego Humane
AnimalFare •• Fall Fall 2010
Society’s many volunteers or even one
of the folks she interacted with on a
P-AT visit. “The animals in our P-AT
program are so amazing – it’s not
uncommon for a person that visits with
them to fall in love,” Eisenberg says.
Unlike the pets that work in the
P-AT program, many of the pets that
work with the San Diego Humane
Society’s education programs have
already been adopted. Bandit, a 3-yearold
bearded dragon, was adopted by
Stacey Zeitlin, Community Programs
Manager, in 2008 to be a reptile
ambassador for the Humane Society.
Bandit regularly works with children
at the Humane Society’s summer
camps, birthday parties, home school
lessons and more, teaching them that
it’s not just cats and dogs that deserve
love and respect. “The children learn
so much by meeting Bandit,” says
Zeitlin. “It’s more than simply a fun
interaction. Bandit teaches them the
value of respecting all animal life,
not just the furry pets we are used to
seeing in people’s homes. And because
he was born with only one eye, he
can help teach valuable lessons about
compassion and taking care of those
with special needs.”
At the North Campus, Jetty, a
2-year-old Bassett Hound mix, has
been teaching kids from Oceanside
and Vista about proper interaction
and handling with dogs. Girl and Boy
Scouts, Animal Adventure Campers,
and classes touring the North Campus
take turns feeding Jetty treats as
Humane Society educator Dr. Annie
Petersen shares important lessons
with the group. When North Campus
Volunteer Coordinator Eric Pitarresi
adopted Jetty in 2009, he had no
idea that Jetty would turn out to
be such a valuable employee. “Jetty
naturally makes the people around
her more happy, and the kids in our
education programs that visit her are
Animal Adventure Camper Leo Haluska visits with
Bandit, the bearded dragon.
no exception,” says Pitarresi. “She helps
the kids associate visiting the humane
society with being a positive experience.
Jetty does wonderfully in her job, and
I am happy that she can provide the
same joy to others that she provides to
me every day.”
But it’s not just the children that
benefit from Jetty’s visits. While many
people are familiar with the health
and emotional benefits that animal
interaction has on people, the benefits
aren’t only one-sided. Through her job,
Jetty gets both physical and mental
stimulation and truly enjoys coming
to work each day. “On the days that
she doesn’t come to work with me, she
gives me these sad, disappointed eyes,”
shares Pitarresi. “I have no doubt that
Jetty absolutely loves what she does
working with the San Diego Humane
Society.”
For more information about the San
Diego Humane Society and SPCA’s
Education programs or Pet-Assisted
Therapy, visit www.sdhumane.org
www.sdhumane.org
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