How To Love Back
Staunton, Virginia

Ripton wiggles her way to the far end of the therapy table, a happy look on her Husky mix face. The elderly man reaches towards the dog to brush her. His face is pained but it's clear he enjoys the task he's been assigned.

And that's Ripton's job; to get patients doing painful tasks that strengthen their bodies so they can return home.

Ripton is a certified therapy dog through Animal Assisted Therapy. She stumbled into her job at a Pets In The Park function five years ago. Dr. Kathryn Dobyns, veterinarian and owner of Middle River Animal Clinic, Verona, VA, and a Mosby Foundation board member, stopped at the Animal Assisted Therapy booth out of curiosity.

She read the brochure and thought, "My dog can do this!" And Ripton proved her right. Although Ripton was a little young at the time, only three years old, she passed AATP's evaluation with flying colors.

Now eight years old, Ripton has a whole host of people who look forward to her visits. She and Dr. Dobyns make monthly trips to Augusta Medical Center's physical therapy unit for patients recovering from surgery, strokes, and other disorders involving cognitive and physical impairment.

"Ripton makes them work for it," Dr. Dobyns says with a compassionate smile. Many times these patients simply won't push themselves with conventional therapy. But add a loving dog to their therapy tasks and the whole picture changes.

The tasks these patients are asked to do help them strengthen their bodies. But the work is painful. Many of these patients are elderly. Their motivation to do painful work is less than optimal. But when the reward is to brush the soft fur of a happy dog, patients find the extra effort well worth it.

At Augusta Medical Center's Crossroads Behavioral Unit and Western State Hospital, the goal is quite different. Ripton's job is simply to get patients to come out of their emotional shell and to interact with each other.

Dr. Dobyns enjoys the contribution that she and Ripton make to the community. But, by far, the ones she enjoys the most are with kids. She and Ripton visit Verona Elementary School twice a month to help first and second graders struggling with reading.

Ripton sits on the floor with the kids while they read to her. If Ripton doesn't understand a "big" word, the reading specialist will ask the child to explain to Ripton what it means.

The reading specialist will often ask the child to read Ripton another story with a dog in it because she "likes those stories." At this age, children are very receptive and willingly respond to Ripton's request.

Dr. Dobyns beams when she tells us how much these sessions help struggling readers. It's obvious she enjoys giving back to the community and making a difference.

But when the conversation is steered to her work with Camp Dragonfly, a grief camp for children, it's clear this special camp is near and dear to her heart. This will be her fourth year to attend the camp. "It's easier for me to do the work with the kids than it is to talk about it," Dr. Dobyns says softly.

Designed for kids ages 6-16, Camp Dragonfly gives children the unusual opportunity to spend time with others who've lost a family member. With tears in her eyes, Dr. Dobyns recalls a six year old asking a doctor how her mommy could commit suicide.

Because grief takes many healing turns, simply talking about the care of a beloved pet can help to mend a broken heart. "With the older kids, it's often just talking about Ripton and how to care for her," she says.

But how does a busy veterinarian make time for such rewarding community work? "It's scheduled time which makes it manageable with my veterinary practice. And my clients are very supportive. They know I volunteer in the community a couple of times a month. So if my staff tells them I'm at Verona Elementary for a morning, they're completely on board with it."

Ripton might be an amazing dog because of the love she has to give, but it's clear that Kathryn Dobyns has a heart as big as the sky. And it's that love that allows so many others to grow, to work through the twisted turns life throws at them.

"Sometimes it's just baby steps," she says, "but it's still progress." Gee, that sounds like most of us, doesn't it?