Cooperative Living October 2020 - 27

Therapy dog
Karma comforts
Lucas, who was
admitted into
the pediatric
emergency room
for a broken wrist.
that could serve her community.
Bellavia came up with the idea for
the Canine Community Resilience
Program. The program provides canine
support to 911 dispatchers, first
responders and those affected by a
traumatic event such as a fatal car
accident or domestic violence situation.
Bellavia partnered with fire stations,
police departments and the Broward
County Sheriff's Office to develop the
program. Together, they train dogs and
their handlers to be able to participate
in traumatic situations. The dogs learn
how to tolerate, adapt and cope with
the physical and emotional stress that
comes with a crisis.
The Canine Community Resilience
Eventually, the girl was able to get
up on the horse.
" It was a surrendering, " Schneider
says. " She learned that trusting
something is okay. "
TRAUMA AND PTSD BASICS
The American Psychological
Association defines trauma as " an
emotional response to a terrible event
like an accident, rape or natural
disaster. " Healing takes time, but a few
months after experiencing or witnessing
a traumatic event, most people can
resume their normal activities and
functioning.
PTSD is commonly associated with
the Vietnam War, and its veterans who
returned home. Earlier terms for the
same phenomenon include " shell
shock, " " soldier's heart " and " battle
fatigue. "
We now know PTSD is an anxiety
disorder that affects people of all ages,
genders and backgrounds. The onset of
symptoms can happen months or years
after a traumatic event. Research shows
it is unlikely the symptoms of PTSD will
resolve on their own without treatment.
The good news: There is help.
According to the National Center for
PTSD, run by the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, effective treatments
include trauma-focused psychotherapy
medication and animal-assisted therapy.
CANINES TO THE RESCUE
For 25 years, Marni Bellavia has
worked with the Humane Society of
Broward County in Florida. As manager
co-opliving.com
of animal-assisted therapy, she trains
volunteers and their companion animals
to provide comfort to those in need of
extra support in a three-county area.
On Valentine's Day 2018, Bellavia
heard the news of the shooting at
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School that took place in Parkland,
30 minutes away. By the next day, she
had dog/person teams deployed to the
high school as well as nearby schools
where they could offer support for
students, faculty and families.
Throughout the year, 20 dog/person
teams attended community vigils,
visited people at their homes, came to
school and continued to be a resource
for those affected by the shooting.
Working with the counselors and
psychologists at the school, Bellavia and
her teams took the dogs to therapy
sessions. With the animals present,
students were able to cry, and to talk to
the animals about what had happened
and how they felt. The dogs worked
with students individually, and
sometimes with groups.
" Most of the kids, honestly, didn't
want to talk to anybody. I mean, it was
horrific, " Bellavia says. " The animals
were providing comfort and that
unconditional love and nonjudgment
that you don't normally get from
people. "
Though Bellavia responded to the
school shooting by making her
dog/person teams available to others,
she was working in new territory. It
made her realize there was not yet an
animal-based trauma-response effort
Program was born out of the horror of
the Parkland shooting. A dog named
Karma was part of the response. Karma
is Bellavia's companion dog and has
worked next to her for years providing
love and healing to others. Bellavia says
watching Karma and her other dogs
comfort people in need has been
profound.
" It takes a special animal to be able
to intuitively be that for other people, "
Bellavia adds. " What I saw my dog
doing this last year at the high school
has completely revamped everything
I've thought about animals, and I've
been doing this, literally, my whole life. "
Bellavia said Karma had an innate
ability to seek those people out who
needed her support.
" She felt it, " says Bellavia. " She
went to them. It was just an amazing,
beautiful thing. " ■
Marni Bellavia
with her two dogs,
Karma and Sydney.
Ariana Kramer is a freelance writer and poet
who lives in Taos, N.M.
Programs and other resources are available
at animalsandsociety.org. Search for " animal
therapy programs. "
October 2020 | Cooperative Living | 25
PHOTO BY MARNI BELLAVIA
http://www.animalsandsociety.org http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living October 2020

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