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News & Events
Wednesdays with Arnie
Oakland Township woman's dog draws praise for therapy work
Rochester Eccentric, Thursday, February 24, 2005
By Annette Kingsbury
Staff Writer
It's not easy for Matthew McQuaid to bowl, even if the ball is light and made of plastic.
But bowl he does, with a little help from his friends. A patient in the Euro-Pēds program for children with cerebral palsy at North Oakland Medical Centers in Pontiac, Matthew lets go of his walker as his physical therapist holds him around the waist.
He releases the ball, knocking down a couple of pins a few feet away. Then a yellow Labrador retriever named Arnie nudges down the rest of the pins with his nose.
Matthew verbalizes his delight and the tiny room erupts in cheers. It's all in a day's work for Arnie, who quietly wags his tail.
"The tail never stops," says Kay Neslage, an Oakland Township resident who is the owner and handler of Arnold Palmer (Arnie) Neslage, a trained therapy dog.
If it's Wednesday, it's Arnie day at Euro-Pēds. For three years, Arnie has encouraged children to reach, stretch and tough out as much as 20 hours a week in therapy. For his work, he was recently named Therapy Companion of the Year by the Michigan Veterinary Association. He was nominated by his veterinarian, Thomas Barkham.
"Our ultimate goal for each child that comes here is to learn a new skill they didn't have when they came," said Melissa Ahler, a physical therapist in the Euro-Pēds program. When Arnie appears, he can spark motivation. "Why do I want to hold my head up? ... There's fun things to see."
That's clearly the case for 5-year-old Davis O'Brien of Swartz Creek. Once Arnie enters the room, Davis never takes his eye off him.
"I think Davis needs to be excited to do things and I think the dog gets him a little more excited and he tries a little harder," said Davis' father, David. "Why would I look at a therapist when I can look at a dog?"
Arnie was extensively trained by New Jersey-based Therapy Dogs International. "Doggie cotillion I call it, being from Texas," Neslage said in her soft Southern drawl.
She and her husband, Tom, who have three children, moved from Texas to Oakland Township because of Tom's job. Kay saw therapy dogs when she worked as an administrator at a Texas outpatient rehabilitation facility.
When the family's German shepherd died, her son went out to find another one and came home with Arnie.
"He said, 'Mom, I didn't pick him out. He picked me out,'" Neslage said. After obedience training, she began bringing Arnie to work.
"He kind of told us that's what he wanted to do," she said. "He really went to the children. When you walked into the room, the tension was gone. And it's clinically proven it lowers blood pressure. ... They receive a lot more benefit out of the therapy."
Neslage focuses all the attention on Arnie and credits his "instinct" for the work. But he wouldn't be there if she didn't bring him, and she tears up when asked why she does it.
"Everybody here is like a family," she said. "Everyone is working for the same goal, to see children succeed. So for us to come and be just a little part - as a parent, when you see your child succeed, it's worth everything."
A working dog for the past eight years, Arnie has become a celebrity, appearing in commercials for the American Heart Association, guest coaching the women's basketball team at Neslage's alma mater and even showing up on the Maury Povich show.
"He has been a way to meet nice people and go to fun places," Neslage said. Even so, "It is a commitment. Arnie can't drive. ... He's so happy to be there, but so am I."
The Neslages have a 1-year-old dog, Jack Nicklaus, at home getting ready to take up Arnie's work should he ever decide to retire.
But he'll have big pawprints to fill.
"There'll never be another Arnie," Neslage said. "Every day's an Arnie day around here. Every day is good if you're Arnie."
For more information on Therapy Dogs International Inc., visit www.tdi-dog.org on the Internet or call (973) 252-9800.
akingsbury@oe.homecomm.net
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