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"Oh, can't you see what our love has done ...
The sky over our head, we can reach it from our bed...
Love left a window in the skies... and to love, I rhapsodize."
- U2
Welcome and mahalo (thanks) for visiting! My name is Shannon, Director of the Pet Therapy and Animal Education Programs for the Haku Baldwin Center (formerly Maui Animal Aloha Center). I'm still adding to this page (blogging when I can), accepting friend requests and returning messages. Make yourself comfortable and look around. If you love animals or like what we do, please join us as a friend and post your comments!Tell your friends about us... we love the support! If you are a band or have MySpace music profile, you'll need to send me a personal message before I'll add you as a friend. I get so many bulletins from MySpace friends (over 250) that I cannot read them all before they recycle due to the posting of new bulletins. Most are gone within 3 hours. So, if there's something you want me to see, please send a message to my inbox. I do reply! Sometimes it just takes a while. Enjoy your visit in my little corner of paradise!!!!!!
ABOUT US: The Haku Baldwin Center is a 501(c)(3)tax-exempt non-profit organization located in Makawao, Maui, Hawaii. Founded in 1991 by Harriet (Haku) Baldwin, it was organized to give therapeutic horseback riding (Hippotherapy/Equine-Assisted Therapy) for the disabled a permanent place on Maui. A few years later, the therapeutic program expanded to include Animal Education and Pet Therapy for the community. We are dedicated to helping children with disabilities, patients and seniors in hospitals, rehabilitation, convalescent, assisted-care, pediatric, adult-day care and Alzheimer facilities.
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WHAT IS PET THERAPY?
The Pet Therapy program offers Animal-Assisted Therapy and Animal-Assisted Activities by bringing therapy animals to patients and residents to improve wellness. The interaction with our wonderful rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks, dog and FurReal cat promotes improvement in physical, social, emotional and/or cognitive functioning (thinking and intellectual skills). The benefits extend to all ages (children to the elderly), including patients/residents recovering from comas, rehabilitating from surgery, trauma, illness, brain injuries, physical and mental disabilities, aging and hospice.
FACILITY VISITS:
Our scheduled facility visits are M/W/F mornings. We visit Kula Hospital, Hale Makua Kahului and Wailuku, Maui Adult Day Care Elima and Nisei (Oceanview), ARC of Maui, as well as Hale Makamae in Kula. Each summer in June, we join Camp Imua in Kahakaloa for activities for Maui's children with disabilites.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED:
The Pet Therapy Program visits up to 800 patients/residents each month. As the Director of the program, I cannot get to all of them by myself and can reach more people, touch more lives, with your help!! Join us to help make a difference, not only in our community but especially in the lives of others. No experience necessary! We provide the animals and training. Contact me now if you would like to be a volunteer. Spend time with the fuzzy, feathered and furry ones... it's fun!
ANIMAL EDUCATION:
Humane animal education classes are offered weekly by appointment. Enjoy learning about our animals and seeing our Center. We discuss the responsiblities and needs of taking care of rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks, chickens, horses, goats, dogs, cats and pet fish. We accept classes from Elementary, Special Education & Middle Schools. If you are a teacher and would like to schedule a field trip to our Center, please contact us by emailing a request to: [email protected]
INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE:
The Pet Therapy Internship Program offers training and education for students, graduates, volunteers and professionals interested in Pet Therapy and utilizing AAT or AAA in the healthcare fields. The hours you spend volunteering as an intern can fulfill community service requirements for college entrance or as adjunct training in your specialized field.
ABOUT DR. SHANNON DOMINGUEZ, DCH
Director, Pet Therapy & Animal Education: In Hawaii, we have a custom that we remove our shoes before entering the door of someone's home. Unless I am publishing, similar to that custom I prefer to leave my title at the door with the slippers (you probably call them flip-flops), so please just call me Shannon. Now for the official credentials (for what it's worth). My undergraduate degree is in Psychology and I hold a Doctorate in Clinical Hypnotherapy (specializing in medical hypnosis by physician referral). I'm still in private practice (15 years), though as you can imagine only part-time, as my other specialty working with the Haku Baldwin Center is a full-time passion.
I personally train the therapy animals, employees, interns and volunteers working with us. Most often, there's some new fuzzy, feathered or furry animal living in my home that I'm imprinting or working with for the program. Yes, I do bring my work home with me (sometimes I keep them)! These special little beings touch lives in many miraculous ways and I'm so blessed to be a part of it all. I've loved animals for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory is just learning how to walk ... focused on being able to get my awkward toddling self to touch the fluffy soft tail of our family cat.
When time permits, I publish a newsletter, "Shannimal's Friendly Tails - True Stories of Animals Helping People Heal", research and publish findings in various journals on the health benefits of human-animal interaction in the clinical environment, as well as write articles and consult in my fields of expertise.
LECTURES, CONFERENCES, TRAINING:
With sufficent notice, I can lecture or provide training for interested organizations looking for a specialist to teach or speak at their conference, workshop, health fair, or facility about AAT/AAA, training therapy animals, or on the health benefits of the interaction of animals and people. I would love the opportunity to work with your organization. Have your representative contact me in the early planning stages of your event. Please contact me by email: [email protected]