[9]March 2, 2012www.kirklandreporter.com

BY RACHAEL HARRIS

Special to the Reporter

On a hot summer’s a� er-noon in the shade, four dogs wait as a young boy is li� ed out of his wheelchair and camp counselors carry him over to where the dogs stand calmly.

� e boy watches the animals silently as he is gently set down on a blanket beside them. With eyes wide open, he allows the dog’s handler to place his hand onto one of the dogs, all of which are now lying still beside him.

For hours they rest next to each other, and when the counselors � nally li� him back into his chair, his nurse notes that he has gone longer than ever without a seizure.

Stories such as this are commonplace every summer at Camp Korey in Carna-tion, Wash., thanks to the pet therapy program established � ve years ago by Kirkland native Diane Rich.

Currently, Rich is seeking additional pet therapy teams for the camp program.

Pet therapy works around the human-animal connec-tion, primarily the simple, non-judgmental love given by animals.

A “team,” in pet therapy jargon, is an owner and an animal that is certi� ed by one of the three approved nation-al pet therapy organizations: � erapy Dogs International, Delta Society, and � erapy Dogs Inc.

At camp, dogs of all breeds, including mixed breeds, are the most common animals, but the program also includes

a llama and a mini-horse. “I will consider species

outside of the canine species that are registered therapy pets,” Rich added.

Camp Korey is a summer camp for children with seri-ous and life-altering medical conditions, and is free of charge.

� e camp also o� ers thera-peutic recreational activities year-round.

Founder Tim Rose hosts the camp on the historic Carnation Farms.

A� er speaking with Rich, he agreed to add the pet therapy program to the extensive catalog of activities, which include a swimming pool, sports court, climbing wall, zip-line, and teepee village.

Two days a week from the end of June through August, campers are welcome to daytime animal visits.

Rich has been a dog trainer and behavior expert for 25 years. Her involvement with pet therapy began a� er testing her pet Doberman Pincher for certi� cation.

“I thought he’d be a won-derful therapy dog in any service settings,” she said.

Rich’s dog visited nursing homes, retirement homes, and hospitals in the Seattle area before she founded the pet therapy program at Over-lake Hospital in 2005.

� e environment at Camp Korey is very di� erent from that at Overlake.

“Camp Korey is a little more sensitive than other programs,” Rich said. “� e camp program is outdoors, and pets are within close

proximity to other pets and people.”

In other words, animals must be “bomb-proof,” espe-cially around a lot of stimula-tion and unfamiliarity.

One way to discern if a pet has therapy potential is to observe whether or not the animal responds in a calm and friendly manner around strangers. If so, the animal may have the right tempera-ment for therapy work.

Rich is available to assess a team’s strengths and weak-nesses. While one animal may be appropriate for a nursing home, the same ani-mal may not fare well around children.

“Pet owners � nd a pro-gram that suites both ends of the leash,” Rich said.

Rich also o� ers training for individual animals or groups, and can recommend evalua-tors for therapy certi� cation testing. While there is no guarantee an animal will pass the test, the opportunity to share a pet’s love with others is worth a try.

Diane remembers another day at camp, during which a wary young girl inched her way over to the dogs. � e approach took nearly 30 min-utes, but once she reached the dog, the two were nearly inseparable for the rest of the evening.

“� ey were best friends,” Rich said. “� at’s why we do this.”

To ask questions about the pet therapy program, or to schedule a team inter-view with Diane Rich, email askdiane@aol.com or visit spokesdog.com.

Kirkland woman founds pet therapy program at Camp Korey

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A pet therapy dog lays next to a camper at Camp Korey in Carnation, Wash. The pet therapy program was established � ve years ago by Kirkland resident Diane Rich. CONTRIBUTED

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March 2, 2012[10] www.kirklandreporter.com

In the past couple of months, we’ve had some very public stories of death, including a Woodinville

teacher and a Kirkland teen-ager. When death happens to someone close to us, the feelings can be di� cult for

children of any age to process, especially when violence is involved.

“How much children

understand depends on their age and matu-rity level,” explains Evan Kimble, one of the experienced grief counselors at Youth Eastside Services. “For example, a child who already has lost a family pet may more quickly assimilate what it means when a person dies.”

No matter the age, experi-ence or personality of your children, there are a few important truths to remem-ber when talking with them

about death.First, do your best

to be honest and to create an atmosphere of comfort. Answer questions to the best of your ability — and it’s alright to say “I don’t know.” It’s also an appropriate time to share your spiritual beliefs. Some parents worry about letting

their kids see them cry, but allowing them to see your pain shows that it’s a natural reaction to loss. Because kids may have a hard time understanding the concept of

death, it’s best to explain it in their terms. Up to kinder-garten or � rst grade, be very concrete. For example, Mary was hurt so bad that her body stopped working, and doctors couldn’t � x her. Avoid using words like “lost” or “went to sleep.” � is will provide expectations that the person can be found or will wake up — or, even worse, make a child fearful of going to sleep.

Between the ages of 6 and 10, kids begin to grasp the � nality of death.

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[11]March 2, 2012www.kirklandreporter.com

BY AARON GORDON

UW News Lab

While the state govern-ment o� ers aid to low-income families, it can be challenging for those who want to transition o� it. Red-mond resident Katie Walsh, president of A Step Up wants to change that.

� e Kirkland-based nonpro� t organization is designed to help low-income families achieve self-su� -ciency.

“We want to help those who want to help themselves. � is is not a handout, but a step up,” says Walsh.

Walsh is a single mother who used to depend on government-subsidized child care services. A� er taking a pay raise at work, she was no longer eligible for such assis-tance. However, her pay raise wasn’t enough to make up for the lost child care money. She went from having to pay $200 a month on childcare to $800 a month.

“A� er talking to friends in similar situations, I real-

ized that many people were purposefully not taking pay raises because they needed state bene� ts to stay a� oat,” says Walsh.

A Step Up is designed to help parents who earn too much to be eligible for state-run child care sub-sidy programs, yet are still struggling to make enough money to support their fam-ily. � e organization aims to help the “working poor” through o� ering child care assistance and income budget counseling. It will also o� er enrollment in Financial Peace University, a 13-week class on how to become and remain debt-free.

While A Step Up has a clear direction and set of values, it lacks one vital com-ponent: money.

Since the organization has yet to get o� the ground, it has no track record. Without any history of success, it is di� cult to persuade grant donors to o� er money.

Wayne Ottum, president of Ottum Enterprises and Walsh’s business mentor, be-

lieves that she can overcome this hurdle by creating a board of directors with strong community connections.

“She needs to � nd people who already have credibility within the community who can go out and raise funds,” says Ottum. “Without his-tory, you need quality people in your corner.”

Miki Hillyer, vice president of A Step Up, plans to use the connections she’s gained through previous advo-cacy positions to fund raise. She believes her military background gives her the persistence and organiza-tional skills to jump-start the organization. Walsh and Hillyer met at a single moth-ers’ support group.

“My politics have changed a lot since becoming a single mom. What I like about Ka-tie’s program is that it’s about getting o� state programs, which should be the ultimate goal anyways,” says Hillyer.

Both Ottum and Hillyer agree that Walsh’s persistence sets her apart from other entrepreneurs. “I’ve seen a lot

of would-be business own-ers run through my o� ce, but Katie stuck out for her passion to move her ideas forward,” says Ottum.

Both also agree that Walsh’s approach to help-ing low-income families is the “right way.” While many private and public nonpro� ts support those in extreme poverty, A Step Up aims to help what Walsh calls the “working poor.” “� ese are folks who have their degree or are going to school but they’re working on getting something more so they can support their families,” says

Walsh. For information, visit astepup-nonpro� t.org.

AARON GORDON is a student in the UW Depart. of Communications News Lab.

Single mom starts nonprofit to boost low-income families

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Katie Walsh and her two sons, Jeremy, 6 and Joshua, 1, at her Redmond home. CARRIE WOOD, Kirkland Reporter

LWSD school year extended one day due to snow days

Lake Washington School District will make up two of three snow days by changing a teacher professional development day (LEAP day) to a regular school day and by extending the school year one day.

� e LEAP day planned for Friday, May 4, will now be a regular school day. � e last day of school, a half day, will move from Friday, June 22, to Monday, June 25. June 22 will be a full school day and June 25 will be a half day.

� e three snow days took place on January 18-20. � e district is required to hold school on 180 days and students must get 1000 hours of instruction on average.

� e district calendar this year was planned for 181 days, one more than the required 180. � e additional day was designated as a student transition day since so many students will be in new schools as a result of the grade con� gu-ration changes to middle schools (grades 6-8) and four year high schools (grades 9-12).

Due to the already late school year end date for this year and the impact of snow make up days, the transition day will be moved from this school year to the beginning of next school year. Shi� ing the transition day to the beginning of next school year will provide the opportunity to spend more time with students on meaningful and engaging transition activi-ties connected to the beginning of their new school experience.