MOLI VIEW™

My primary relationship is with a human, but several of my human friends have primary relationships with their dogs. I get it, I totally get it. From a dog, you get unconditional love, loads of enthusiasm, and soft fur to pet. Dogs also have that rare way of listening — that humans often lack — with sincere, loving eye contact assuring that your secrets will be kept.

A program that makes the most of a dog's knack for healing is based in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. The Good Dog Foundation trains dogs and their owners to comfortably and confidently interact with all types of populations, including hospital patients, shelter residents, and veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Similarly, in 2006, Good Dog Teams were deployed by Mississippi's Department of Mental Health to work with Hurricane Katrina survivors.

The Journal of Human-Animal Studies takes a thorough look at another doggie-do-good program, Project Second Chance, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Albuquerque Youth Diagnostic and Development Center teams teen offenders with shelter dogs to foster empathy, community responsibility, kindness, and awareness of healthy social interactions. "If we can get them where they connect with a being," Tamara Ward, a social service coordinator, told CNN, "our hope is that everything — all the crime and the behaviors that go with it — will see a reduction."

The K-9 Rescue League of Michigan features doggie poetry, including, "If a Dog Were Your Teacher, You Would Learn Stuff Like..." which begins, When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. / Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. / Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
That's it: On my next car trip, I'm unrolling the passenger window and sticking my head out to feel the breeze, for the love of dogs.
Juliana Luecking, aka Queen Juliana, is the MOLI View's contributing editor for Life & Love.

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