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Colorado
Boys Ranch Receives $30,000 Grant to Support Human-Animal
Bond Research
Release Provided by The Iams Company
Denver,
CO - (October 6, 1999) - Colorado Boys Ranch, (CBR), a
Denver-based residential center for at-risk boys, received
a check from The Iams Company last week for $30,000 to fund
research that will help determine the nature of the bond between
humans and dogs.
The research
will measure any changes in the behavior of the boys after
participating in New Leash on Life, a ten-week animal-assisted
therapy program in which boys learn to train dogs from local
shelters to come when called, walk on a leash, sit stay and
lie down. The objective of this program is to teach boys important
life skills such as responsibility, patience and communication,
while also saving the lives of abandoned or relinquished shelter
dogs.
According
to David Zimmerman, vice president of CBR, New Leash on
Life has been very successful. Thirteen-year old James
is just one example. "When James arrived at the ranch, he
had seen some of the worst of what society has to offer -
enough abuse, neglect and anger to haunt him for a lifetime,
" says Zimmerman. "These experiences had taken their toll,
and it showed in his behavior.
"Then
he met Molly, a Samoyed puppy who changed his life. The pair,
who had both been neglected and abandoned, literally saved
each other. Through training, James formed a bond with Molly
and discovered that he did have something to offer society
- he could communicate with others, make a positive difference
in another life, and he could be loved," says Zimmerman. "And,
after James' training, Molly was adopted by a loving family."
"Stories
such as these are heartwarming, but they're not quantifiable.
The support that Iams is giving us will help us yield actual
results about pet therapy, which will help us build a better
case for continuing, improving and growing our program - and
hopefully other programs like ours across the country will
also benefit from this research," adds Zimmerman.
"The Iams
Company feels strongly about this CBR project because we believe
animals can make a huge difference in people's lives and can
play an important role in therapy," said Connie McKamey, contributions
coordinator for Iams. "We're supporting this research project
to find results to support this belief, and help the growth
of pet therapy."
CBR is
working with two academic departments at Colorado State University
- the department of Social Work and the Environmental Health
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences - to
accomplish the research project. The project will be completed
in 2002.
CBR, a
not-for-profit residential treatment facility, was founded
in 1959 as a place for boys who had been abused sexually,
emotionally or physically. The ranch currently houses approximately
60 boys from throughout the United States who have had between
six and eight failures in other facilities. The comprehensive,
intensive and client-centered treatment available at CBR has
resulted in 85 percent of the boys being successfully treated.
For
more than 50 years, the Iams Company has enhanced the health
and well being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality
foods. For more information on proper pet care and nutrition,
call the Iams Pet Professionals toll free at 1-800-863-4267,
Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Eastern Standard
Time. You can also visit Iams on the Web at www.iams.com.
Article
in follow-up to "New Leash on Life" in the August 1999 Dog
& Kennel Magazine.
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