Big thanks to Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team, Santa Paws, and his helpers for putting on such an amazing pet photo event on Sunday, Dec 11, which raised $2,000 in funds for providing free and low cost veterinary care for people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty. PAW Team has worked with over 1,115 families this year alone, and helped met needs for all kinds of client and pet circumstances. It was so much fun taking pictures for this event that I wanted to share a few of my favorites:
PAW Team Sunday clinic photos
I wanted to share some of my favorite photos from the Sunday clinics put on by PAW (Portland Animal Welfare) Team last year. The Sunday clinics offer well pet/vaccination exams that help people and their pets comply with housing requirements, and are different from the more complex care visits provided Tuesday-Thursday at the clinic. You can donate time, money, and usable medical supplies . To donate pet food or supplies, please call (503)206-6033 or visit the clinic at 1718 NE 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97220 Tuesday through Thursday between 10am and 3pm. #WhyPAWTeam
PawPalooza 2020
I’m so excited to be operating the photo booth for PAW Team’s PawPalooza on Saturday, February 29th. Join us to commemorate PAW Team’s 20th anniversary of helping people and their pets! Here are some pictures from our last PAW Team photo booth in November.
The Parent Trip - West Side
I’m excited to be a provider at The Parent Trip on October 5th! This is a FREE event for expecting parents and families of young children to meet local practitioners (from prenatal yoga teachers to lactation consultants, and everything in between) in a fun, low-stakes atmosphere. In addition to a raffle, there will be a small area for young children to play in and a cozy spot available for a nursing parent. More information about this event and its East Side occurrence the following weekend can be found here.
The Parent Trip – West Side
Saturday, October 5th 10:00am-2:00pm
Leedy Grange Hall 835 NW Saltzman Rd Portland OR 97229
GPA NW foster Time is a very sweet and gentle dog who loves going on walks in the neighborhood and rolling on the grass in the yard.
CH kittens
Massage therapy, especially when provided on a regular home care basis by caregivers, can be very helpful in supporting development and function in kittens with cerebellar hypoplasia (CH). CH is a permanent neurologic condition characterized by impaired spatial awareness, tremors while awake/moving, and reduced fine motor control. Kittens and cats more severely affected may experience digestive, circulatory/lymphatic, and other challenges.
GPA NW foster dog Beyond has the softest coat imaginable and adores snuggling. She would love to find a home where she can spend a lot of time curled up on the couch or in bed with her person.
GPA NW foster greyhound Jessie is a very smart dog, and loves playing with toys, especially ones that make noise.
Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team
Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) Team provides free and low-cost veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness and extreme poverty in the Portland Metro area, helping keep people and their companion animals together. These animals provide unconditional love and support to their owners, improving mental and physical health outcomes. Many PAW Team clients are seniors on fixed incomes, whose pets keep them physically active and engaged in their community. PAW Team also serves numerous Veteran and disabled clients, for whom their companion and service animals offer critical and often life-saving support. PAW Team provides vaccinations, flea control, nail trims, medications, pet food and supplies, resourcing for low-cost spay/neuter and dental surgeries, licensing facilitation, and so much more. You can donate time, money, and usable medical supplies . To donate pet food or supplies, please call (503)206-6033 or visit the clinic at 1718 NE 82nd Ave. Portland, OR 97220 Tuesday through Thursday between 10am and 3pm #WhyPAWTeam
Photos copyright Elizabeth Ryan 2018
Massage therapy for service dogs of Veterans
While providing massage therapy services for Veterans and their caregivers at VA Portland Medical Center’s Long Term Care Fair on September 11th, 2018, I also had the welcome opportunity to meet several service dogs of Veterans, and teach their handlers owner-appropriate canine massage.
Service dogs may help with specific tasks related to their guardian’s visual, hearing, or physical mobility impairments. They may also be appropriate for restoring or increasing a Veteran’s mobility when it has been compromised by PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) or other chronic mental health issues.
Service dogs can be valuable tools in the toolkit for many Veterans’ physical and mental healthcare. A lot of resources go into the proper training and placement of these animals, and being a service dog is a 24/7 job — there is no R&R for these loyal companions.
It makes good sense to take care of and maintain these tools as you would any other type of specialized equipment. Massage therapy can be a great way to help ensure that service dogs remain happy, healthy, and able to support their Veteran partners for as long as possible.
Massage therapy can offer the following benefits for service dogs:
Decreasing blood pressure
Reducing stress and anxiety
Relieving muscle tension and stiffness
Improving range of motion and joint comfort/flexibility
Strengthening the immune system
Supporting robust quality of life
It can also foster a deeper, richer bond and offer even greater mental and physical health benefits to Veterans when they are taught to provide owner-appropriate massage therapy techniques for their own service animals.
I provide all massage therapy and owner-appropriate massage instruction for service dogs of Veterans on a sliding scale payment basis.
Now serving Hillsboro, OR!
Effective July 13th, I am adding Hillsboro to my service area. Thanks so much to my wonderful clients for your support!
Cancer Survivors Day 2018 at VA Portland Medical Center
It was a pleasure and a privilege volunteering massage therapy services yesterday for Veteran cancer survivors, their families, and caregivers at the VA Portland Healthcare System's 21st annual observance of National Cancer Survivors Day. Thanks to our Veterans for their service, and thanks to all the wonderful VAPORHCS staff, volunteers, and sponsors for coordinating the day's many offerings.
Amazing tripawd Tucker feeling frisky after a massage. (2017)
One more with Sasha, because she was so dear to offer me a handshake when our session concluded.
Sasha enjoying very gentle craniosacral therapy as part of her massage session. (1:09)
Folks often ask if I work with dogs other than greyhounds, and the answer is YES! Lab mix Sasha is a happy girl after her massage.
