Donations from our monthly Resource Sponsors like Carol help keep KPETS running throughout the year. KPETS services are provided free of charge to our communities and survives on donations from friends like you who want to help KPETS continue Touching Lives * Warming Hearts for years to come! Supporting KPETS by helping with our monthly expenses keeps a roof over our heads and allows us to continue sharing the profound benefits of our beloved pets.

KPETS' future depends on critical support from our communities. If each volunteer, facility or business would pledge to cover one month's resource expense, it would make all the difference in the world to our budget!

Please return your 2013 Membership Renewal forms by September 15!

Attention all KPETS Members and Teams! The deadline for submitting your membership renewal paperwork is September 15. Please remember that your yearly fees guarantee your insurance for the next year's visits. We look forward to your continued support throughout the next year! IF FOR SOME REASON, YOU DID NOT GET YOUR RENEWAL PLEASE NOTIFY kareng@kpets.org.

KPETS to Roll Out New Website September 15!

I loved our website, but my lacking skills to modify has it all over the place and very difficult to navigate to find what you may be looking for. The new site should be easier to find things, easier for me to update AND harder for me to mess up:) Please check it out and let us know of any 'blips' that we may have missed. Thanks! - Karen Gerth

Check our KPETS Konnections Blog

For New Visit Requests & Event Reminders!

KPETS does not have the resources to continue sending out visit requests and event reminders--this takes away valuable time from our key focus of providing critical services in our communities.

To keep everyone informed on these requests, we are posting everything on our KPETS Konnections Blog. Please check the blog regularly for ways to branch out and continue Touching Lives * Warming Hearts!

We need YOU to report your Volunteer Hours

136 or 38% of volunteers are now logging their hours
One more than last month
308 hours logged for August
3428 hours YTD

Please do not put anything other than numbers between the commas in notes field.

Example: # served, miles,

So visiting 6 people and traveled 15 miles looks like:

6, 15,

Please, if this format is not used the data cannot be analyzed. Thank you.

KPETS Volunteers

Touching Lives * Warming Hearts

in our communities

Lexi's Bow Wow Bingo breaks record ! ! !

On Sunday, September 2nd Lexi's Annual Bow Wow Bingo was held at Outdoor World Circle M Campground. What an action packed night with 11 lucky Brown Bag Bingo winners over 40 raffle baskets and 25 silent auction winners, lots of door prize winners, and lucky winners of our candy and bone count.

After the passing of my therapy girl, Lexi this past December I wanted to honor her and push hard to break all the past Bow Wow Brown Bag Bingo event records. We set the goal at $9,000 and started moving and haven't stopped yet. I feel especially blessed as we not only broke the all time fundraising record for KPETS and beat our goal, we knocked it out of the doggie park raising $11,000.57.

I want to again express my gratitude to several key people that really assist me with pulling this event off.

Donna Gomer for soliciting lots of colleagues, club associates, friends and family for raffle items.
Wendy McKelvy who donating all her part time job wages the entire summer to this event along with all her assistance with sponsors from work contacts and for running and picking donated items up all summer.
Jenny Rule for taking on all components of food service.
Chad and Barb Noll for their donations, calling many Friday night bingo events and for their assistance at the event.

I also would like to thank the following people who assisted with setting up for the event: Trish and Amos Hess, Kate Dommel, Nancy Bouder, Marilyn Hapke, Debbie Jackson, Jan Faust, Susan Bonekemper, Carol Johnston, Michelle & Terry Johnson.

A special thanks to those who volunteered their time at the event: Joey Rule and Mrs. Rule, Marilyn Hapke, Dave and Kate Dommel, Nancy Bouder, Frank and Tank Holt, Harriet Hombach, Audrey and Tom, Susan Bonekemper, Mary Ann Beaverson, Cindy Rinehart, Amos Hess, Pat Hines, Carol Johnston and Nicole Graybill.

This also seems like the perfect time to thank the callers of bingo every Friday night - Chad and Barb Noll, Trish and Amos Hess and Rob Reidenbach, Ken and Jane Johnson.

I hope that KPETS can count on your support again next year when Lexi's Annual Bow Wow Bingo is held on Sunday, September 1, 2013.

With grateful appreciation,

Adella Houck

Chairperson - Lexi's Annual Bow Wow Bingo THANKS!

Meet KPETS Staff!

KPETS staff has been changing lately as the summer comes to a close. Samantha Shewmaker is back at school after assisting Karen with techie issues this Summer.

Last month, KPETS hired Ray Bianchini to focus on fundraising, public relations and business management. And, in June, we hired long-time admin volunteer Diane Klos to cover the membership processes and AP/AR.

There is still so much to be done, and we couldn't do it without our dedicated volunteers Wendi Mitzel (info@kpets.org) and Suzanne Solodky (workshops@kpets.org).

In addition, there are all the workshop instructors and evaluators that work so very hard to keep our standards where they need to be for screening our volunteer teams!

On a very tight budget, we are doing the best we can to provide critical services to our communities.

Thank you everyone for your continued support!

PAWS to Read!

-by Joe & Bonnie McDonald

For six weeks KPETS had two teams at the Manheim Library each Tuesday morning. Belle (a sable and white Standard Collie) with her handler Joe, and Zoe (a sweet, little seven year old Cocker Spaniel) with her handler Wendy were very special listeners to

the young readers. KPETS volunteer Joe had this to say about the experience:

"The first week we had over 35 children waiting to read to our dogs. The children were very excited to

read and both dogs were happy to have the attention. Some of the children showed the pictures to the dog before they turned the page. They seemed sure the dogs were able to understand what they read, as well as enjoy the pictures. We heard some very positive comments from parents such as, "My child does not like to read but is very happy to come here and read to the dog".

On less crowded days, some of the children read to one dog and then went to the other to read. All in all, the experience was extremely positive. During our reading time, there was a baby/toddler reading going on in another room. After that, the babies came to visit our pups as well and that was fun, too!"

Farewell, Murray the Basset Hound!

Longtime KPETS volunteer Murray the Basset Hound is retiring after eight years of service in the Elizabethtown Community. Murray and his handler Mary have pioneered KPETS home visit program for children with autism and set up "Dog Tales with Murray", a reading program for children in grades 1-4.

The Elizabethtown Journal published an article on Murray's career in the February issue this year, "Murray the Basset Hound: Eight Years of Service to Elizabethtown". Though Murray will be stepping out of the public eye, his sister Minna, a dachshund, has recently joined KPETS as a registered therapy dog. She will be following in Murray's paw prints.

Thank you Mary and Murray! Enjoy a long and happy retirement!

KPETS Volunteer Named Counselor of the Year

- with a little help from her dog

KPETS volunteer Jill Goodman, a school counselor at Whittier Elementary School, was named School Counselor of the Year by the Frederick County Association for Counseling and Development. Jill takes her registered therapy dog Mac into the schools to teach lessons to the children. Congratulations Jill!

A Teachable Moment . . . a Lesson Learned

"We were visiting one of our favorite elderly patients who enjoys doggy visits tremendously. My dog was on his pillow up on her lap. The way he asks for a treat is pawing, gently. He did this and I had NO idea her skin was extremely paper thin and had opened from just that. I immediately got a nurse who cleaned and bandaged her arm. I also spoke to the Activities Supervisor and explained what happend. She said it has happened before, but could understand how bad I felt about it. The patient looks forward to his visits in the future, but the nurse suggested she wear long sleeves for pet visits and I will be more aware in the future!"

The Safety Committee thanks this volunteer for sharing and allowing us to use this as an eye-opening teaching moment. We are thankful everyone was so understanding in this situation. But we cannot stress this enough. Be aware of your pet at all times, thinking ahead of what their next move could be. Do not get distracted. Things can happen so very quickly. Here a pillow was used for safety, but it still happened. It was not the first time, but maybe we can all learn and it will be the last.

KPETS Teams become registered R.E.A.D. Teams!

- contributed by Bill Townsend

"Seven people attended the R.E.A.D. Workshop on 7/28/2012 - four are new KPETS teams in process and three existing teams. Sandra Cooper, Abigail Morehart and Jessica Janicki are all teachers in Delaware. The front row is Wendi Mitzel, Lorain Land, Helene Skopek (Instructor) and Jessica Janicki. The back row is Sandra Cooper, Abigail Morehart, Beth Woodall and Kathy Schmit. Upon completion of the 35 question test these teams will be registered Reading Educational Assistance Dog teams. Congrats to all!

KPETS at the Dog Days of Summer

- contributed by Carole Kirchner

"The Lititiz Farmers Market Dog Days of Summer Event was a lot of fun. What started out to be a rainy morning ended up with sunshine. Many people attended
walking their dogs throughout the market visiting the vendors. There was
music & doggie ice cream. We met people from New York, New Jersey and Baltimore. It was a great day to educate people about KPETS and the good things that we do."

Useful Articles for You and Your Pet

Traveling with Your Pets

This article has some helpful information for traveling with your pet during the vacation season. Whether you're flying, driving or going on a cruise with your pet, be sure to check out these helpful tips.

Key Facts About Canine Influenza

Dog flu is a contagious respiratory disease in dogs caused by a specific Type A influenza virus referred to as a "canine influenza virus." This is a disease of dogs, not of humans. Symptoms of canine influenza include coughing, a runny nose and fever, however some dogs may develop a more severe condition. Many dogs are susceptible to catching the virus, but the mortality rate of canine influenza is very small. Please read more at the Center for Disease Control website.

Info for New Volunteers and VIP's (Volunteers in Process)

Upcoming Orientations:

* Lancaster - Saturday, Oct 13 (2nd Sat of even months) @ 9 am

* Palmyra - Sunday, Sept 16 @ 1 pm

* Hanover - Wednesday, Sept 19 @ 7 pm

* Westminster, MD - Tuesday, Oct 16 @ 7 pm

Workshops

* Lancaster - 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 6:30 pm

* Palmyra - 4th Monday of odd months, 6:30 pm

* Lebanon - 4th Monday of even months 6:30 pm

* Hanover, York, and Westminster, MD - several days after their orientation or as needed

Please register with Workshops@kpets.org. Space is limited.

5-Week Therapy Dog Training Class - (optional class offered for those who would like additional guidance)

Cost is $75

*Lancaster - Starts Sunday, Sept 9 @ 3 pm / RSVP: workshops@kpets.org

Thank you all for making KPETS what it is and taking us to where we are today!

Let's continue Touching Lives * Warming Hearts in our local communities! ! !

Karen Gerth
KPETS - Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services