Be Kind to Your Volunteers!!

What a great morning!! The weather here is just fabulous. I've got to make sure to get out at lunch time and enjoy it. We've got some rain moving in for tomorrow and Friday. Not a lot going on here today. I've got a bunch of work stuff to get done, before I leave for the week tomorrow. Casey and I are planning on going to dinner at the mexican restaurant tonight, El Mexico. We've both been craving it for days.

I wanted to remind everyone that this week is Volunteer Appreciation Week!! If you know someone who volunteers for a shelter, humane association, animal control, or an animal welfare group, be sure to tell them thank you for all of their hard work. Volunteers help animals, because they love them. It's often a hard, nasty, stressful, heart breaking job, and these people do it out of love. Sometimes just a "thanks" or a pat on the back means the world. I'd love to know the number of people that volunteer for animal causes around the country. I bet the numbers are astounding!

Here's one of today's touching Petwarmers stories. You can subscribe to recieve these stories along with other great tips and information by clicking the link. Everyone have a great day!

OUR LITTLE MIRACLE WORKER by Joshua Lohman

It was a normal Saturday at the Lohman house.We awoke early to get ready for our bi-monthly trip to the Los Angeles Children's Hospital where my wife, Jennifer, and our 4 year old Maltese, Chloe, and I would spend several hours visiting and working with children.

Everyone looks forward to Chloe visits. Even the nurses get giddy when she arrives. She is well liked because she is small enough to cuddle right up on the bed with the patients -- kids who are dealing with transplants, cancer, or one of a number of extremely debilitating problems.

At times, we just spend five or ten minutes letting them love "The Chlofe". Other times, we provide pain management. Worst yet are the times when death is imminent and we are just there to soothe or take a mind away from what is at hand, if only for a second.

That day we visited a 13 year old girl who had not eaten or spoken for weeks after coming out of a coma. We arrived in her room to be greeted by her mother and grandmother. The love and concern from these ladies was overwhelming as they pleaded with the child to acknowledge Chloe.

I walked up to the bed to say hello and introduce Chloe to her. As her eyes lit up I knew there was a connection being made.

"You have the most beautiful hair," I told her as Chloe sat quietly on her lap.

"Thank you," she said while softly stroking Chloe's hair.

"Would you like to give Chloe a treat?" I said.

"Yes," she spoke softly.

"How about for every treat you give Chloe, you eat a little of your breakfast?"

"OK," she said.

With that, the nurse ran to get breakfast for the young lady as everyone teared up in the room. As they cried, the nurses said Chloe had done what none of them could do. Chloe and the young lady ate breakfast together and we could not help but feel as though a miracle happened right before our eyes.

Chloe has worked her magic on so many people that she has come to be known for making these types of connections. It's her calling in life and we could not be more proud of our little miracle worker.

-- Joshua Lohman

___________________________________________ Joshua says, "We live in Marina del Rey, California. I am a scrap metal trader and Jennifer is a former model, actress, Miss Oregon Coed USA, Miss Los Angeles County USA and currently a corporate flight attendant for private jet companies. Chloe is our 4 pound Certified Therapy Maltese."