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Third-grade students, including Mark Goodman, Jack Miller, Kiersten Kessler and Jasmine Day, visit with Human Animal Bond volunteer Jim Iverson and his golden retriever, Mia, April 6, 2017, at Henry Leavenworth Elementary School in Leavenworth, Kansas. Iverson volunteered with Mia and his other golden retriever, Mabel, visiting Munson Army Health Center and the Joint Regional Correctional Facility on post and nursing homes and schools in Leavenworth as part of the HAB program. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Optometric Technician Pat McLaughlin snuggles with Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond member Ruie Gibson's dog, Titan, during a visit Feb. 27, 2014, at Munson Army Health Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. HAB teams, comprised of dogs with their handlers and occasionally cats and rabbits with their handlers, visit area hospitals, nursing homes, schools and libraries providing pet therapy. The visits to MAHC give staff a break from stress, and many employees said they look forward to the visits. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Eight-year-old Austin Vossmer finds a way to communicate that he wants a kiss from Tanya Berg's Labrador retriever, Jack, during a Human Animal Bond pet therapy group visit to the life-skills class March 4, 2014, at MacArthur Elementary School on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 2024, Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond is celebrating 30 years of continuously providing pet therapy since its inception.
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Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond member Joanie Linn visits with students in the early childhood special education class as 4-year-old Cayden Hoad snuggles into Linn's golden retriever, Abby, and 4-year-old William Gerling pets the dog's head during a HAB visit to the classroom March 4, 2014, at MacArthur Elementary School on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Students in the early childhood special education and life-skills classes answered questions about the HAB dogs, including how many legs they have, which one has longer fur and what letter their names start with, thus incorporating lessons into the pet therapy visit. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Alivia McDaniels, Ethan Collins and Elijah Felix, students in Rachel Braga's structured learning classroom, look at Newfoundland Annabelle's organization badges as her owner, Human Animal Bond Director Kendell Casey, explains what they mean during a HAB visit May 19, 2010, to the classroom at Eisenhower Elementary School on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Volunteer teams with the local pet therapy group visited the school each month. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Rebecka Clark, emergency medical technician, and Natalie McGinnis, paramedic, visit with Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond members and their dogs — including Candy Bowman and her Labrador retriever mix, Abby; Eileen Jesmer and her cairn terrier, Suzy Q; and Rhonda York and her herding dog mix, Blake — during an appreciation luncheon for Leavenworth County Emergency Medical Services technicians July 7, 2020, at the EMS headquarters in Leavenworth, Kansas. HAB teams — volunteers and their therapy-certified certified pets — were invited to visit with EMS staff during three days of appreciation cookouts July 7-9, 2020, to thank EMS shift workers for what they had been doing to help the community during the pandemic. This was the first visit HAB teams had been able to go on for several months due to COVID-19 precautions. Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond teams provide comfort, stress relief and levity during visits to places such as hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, schools, special needs camps and more. Visit https://www.ftleavenworthhab.com/ for more information. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Ten-year-old Adam Gisler and 8-year-old A.J. Reynolds visit with Human Animal Bond member Marie Hansen's dog, Ace, at Camp Soar June 5, 2018, at Hunt Lodge on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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Fort Leavenworth Human Animal Bond volunteer Maj. Mike Centola holds his beagle Nickel as Linda Schneider, an Army veteran who served 1976-78 at Fort Polk, La., receives a few puppy kisses during a HAB visit with patients June 4, 2016, at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center Domiciliary in Leavenworth, Kansas. Centola, a 2016 Command and Staff Officer Course student, and his wife, Stephanie, with beagle mix, Cobalt, were recognized at a ceremony June 7, 2016, as HAB’s volunteers of the year. Photo by Prudence Siebert/Fort Leavenworth Lamp
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May 2024 marked the 30th anniversary of Fort Leavenworth (Kansas) Human Animal Bond’s continuous volunteer service to Fort Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Lansing and other nearby cities.
This accomplishment will be celebrated at an open house from 2-4 p.m. June 23, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Leavenworth, Kansas.
A small group of interested people joined Human Animal Bond in 1994 when the Army Veterinary Corps wrote a regulation as a guide for volunteer teams to make pet therapy visits to locations in nearby communities.
The initial all-volunteer HAB board used the constitution and by-laws in the regulation to lead the way. HAB currently has 38 handler/owner-pet teams on the 2024 roster.
As time went on, more people joined with their pets. This meant an owner’s pet (dog, cat or rabbit) had to be evaluated for temperament and health criteria. Pets had to be a minimum of 1 year old. Pet owners committed to prepare their pets by bathing, brushing, trimming nails and exercising them before each visit.
Over time, Newfoundlands, chihuahuas, Yorkshire terriers, golden retrievers and many mixed-breed dogs, as well as even a few pet rabbits and cats, have participated in the organization. Each pet must be tolerant of unknown locations, smells, noises and other HAB pets before going on a visit.
The power of pet therapy visits has been proven scientifically to lower pain, pulse, blood pressure and depression levels. Recognizing this fact, Cushing Memorial Hospital was the first facility to welcome HAB therapy handler-dog teams to visit their mental health and medical surgical units.
As the HAB program developed, long-term care and assisted-living facilities, public schools, libraries and many other locations heard of the program and invited HAB to come for visits.
Recently, both correctional facilities on Fort Leavenworth invited HAB teams to visit as a part of their mental health programs.
All visits provide valuable opportunities for HAB teams to give to those who interact with these special pets a restored memory, a calming experience, and/or a respite from the problems surrounding them.
How to volunteer with Human Animal Bond
from https://www.ftleavenworthhab.com/
• Fill out and submit the application form at https://www. ftleavenworthhab.com/ apply-online.
Applicants will be contacted by the HAB assistant director with further guidance.
• Schedule a physical examination for your pet with your veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will issue a health certificate. See sample form under the HAB Member Resources tab at https://www.ftleavenworthhab.com/resources.
• Schedule a temperament test for your pet.
HAB evaluators will conduct the temperament test coordinated by the HAB assistant director.
Military members can choose to use the military veterinarian at the Fort Leavenworth Veterinary Treatment Facility to conduct the test in conjunction with your pet’s physical exam.
• Review membership paperwork under the HAB Member Resources tab at https://www.ftleavenworthhab.com/resources.
The completed paperwork will be given to the HAB assistant director.
• Pay your dues to the HAB treasurer.
Dues are $25 for one pet, $30 for two pets, or $30 for a family membership.
• Attend a HAB membership meeting with your pet.
General membership meetings are held in the basement of the Leavenworth First United Methodist Church, 422 Chestnut Street, in Leavenworth.
• Go on an observation/supervised visit.
Once you and your pet have completed the above requirements, you will schedule an observation/ supervised visit through the HAB assistant director.
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