Lakemed activity assistant Judy Welch helps resident Leon Warren pet the Alpine goat Hannah.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-H PetPALS participant Susie Mettler tells resident Virginia Norris about her goat Tinkerbell.

 

 

 

4-H PetPALS program brings youths and their pets together with seniors

Story by Amy Beth Graves | Photos by Bryan Rinnert

Bouts of laughter filled the hallway at Jennie Sprafka’s nursing home. Curious, she looked down the hallway at the strange menagerie of two-legged and four-legged visitors. She watched in awe as the traveling petting zoo of dogs, cats and rabbits went by, stopping for the residents who wanted to stroke the animals’ fur. Sprafka couldn’t make out what the largest animal was just down the hall and beckoned its owner to bring it closer. But when the Alpine goat came within view, Sprafka shook her head.

 

“I’m scared, I’m scared,” she said nervously over and over again, shrinking into her chair.

 

In a soothing voice, the goat’s 17-year-old owner, Travis Mettler, promised Sprafka that his goat Hannah wouldn’t bite, that she went to nursery schools and was gentle with everybody. Sprafka reached a tentative hand out to pet Hannah, gradually increasing the number of strokes as she became comfortable being around the animal.

 

“I’m so proud of you. You overcame your fear,” said Judy Welch, activity assistant at Lakemed Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Painesville, as she reached down to kiss Sprafka on the cheek. A few minutes later, Welch marveled at the residents’ reaction to the animals, brought in by the Lake County 4-H PetPALS program.

 

“They love it,” she said, watching a resident pet Strikker, a rescued greyhound. “For the elderly this is a bit of reality being brought into the residence. A lot can’t go out and many have no family. It’s a wonderful program.”

 

The 4-H PetPALS (People and Animals Linking Successfully) has been around for about 10 years and is a statewide intergenerational program of Ohio State University Extension and 4-H Youth Development and is supported by the Iams Co. It links youths and their pets with senior adults and uses the natural bond between young people and animals to promote positive youth development, said Lucinda Miller, Extension specialist, 4-H Youth Development Companion and Small Animal Programs. About 300 youths are enrolled in the program each year, with many re-enrolling because they enjoy it so much, she said. The 4-H youths go through extensive training on animal behavior and wellness to make sure their pets are a good fit for the program and respond appropriately to strangers. The youths also learn how to interact with seniors and about the aging process. One session has the students putting on disposable gloves to simulate the loss of touch and how difficult it can be to button up clothes, Miller said.

 

The Lake County 4-H PetPALS program typically goes out once a month to nursing homes, hospice centers and hospitals all over the county. The group has about 25 youths ages 8 to 18 who actively participate, said Mary Ellen Branick, one of the advisers.

 

“It’s an awesome program,” she said. “It’s a great way to give back to the community. And you learn so much from the residents. You meet such interesting people and hear so many fascinating stories.”

 

Mettler, who owns the 10-year-old goat Hannah, has been in 4-H for 13 years and this is his second year with the 4-H PetPALS program. The Perry High School junior said he likes the interaction with the elderly and making them laugh or even talk as was once the case.

 

“One time I met a lady who hadn’t talked for two months. I walked in with Hannah and she said ‘What the (heck) is that?’ It was all she needed to open up a little bit,” he said as Hannah gave him a bunch of kisses to the amusement of the nursing home residents.

 

Danielle Justice’s bearded dragons (a lizard), Sweet Pea and Bernie, also drew a lot of strange looks from the nursing home residents. Some reached out with tentative fingers to touch the animals in the basket while the more adventurous residents allowed them up on their shoulders. Justice has been in the 4-H PetPALS program for five years and said it is a valuable experience for her because she plans to pursue a career in nursing.

 

“I like meeting the residents and making them happy. One time I was at a hospice and ended up talking for three hours with one resident,” she said.

 

All the youths praised the PetPALS training they received, noting that it helped prepare them for their interaction with the elderly and how to get out of awkward situations such as when people won’t let go of their pet. To participate in the program, youths and their pets have to complete the training and agree to participate for two years, said Donna Maruschak, an Extension official in charge of Lake County’s 4-H program, which has about 8,000 participants. The youths are required to have an adult with them for the monthly visits. Maruschak said the training was changed from a 12-week course to an all-day intensive class with training for the animals done separately. Dogs have to pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test and all other animals the 4-H PetPALS Socialized PetPALS Test. The youths keep a journal of their experiences

 

“The training the youths get is invaluable; they’ll use it forever,” she said.

 

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Watch an Our Ohio television segment about 4-H PetPALS.   

 

About 4-H PetPALS
Ohio State University Extension
e-mail: 4hpetpals@ag.osu.edu
phone: 614-292-4444