Lemon the Duck Needs Our Help!

Thank you, Dr. Kim Bloomer of Animal Talk Naturally for posting Lemon and Laura's dire dilema. We have sent a letter off to Dr. Lusi with our thoughts and asking her to please reconsider. Now we ask that you, our readers help in the campaign and ask if you could please take a moment and send a letter to Dr. Lusi to ask that Lemon the Duck please remain in the classroom. He is truly doing a remarkable job and this would be such a shame if he was not allowed to continue his inspiring work.


From Laura, Mom to Lemon the Duck:

Dear Friends,

Recently I have been informed that Dr. Lusi, Superintendent of Portsmouth Schools, will no longer allow Lemon the Duck to be in my classroom. I am requesting your help in letting Dr. Lusi know how important Lemon has been to the children, the school, and their community. As you may already know, Lemon was hatched at Hathaway School in 2006 during a science project approved by the school department.

Because Lemon was born with a neurological disability I adopted her and she became a member of our class. She has also become a Professional Pet Assisted Therapy animal and has gone on to inspire many disabled children by her presence when visiting their classrooms and homes. Not only that she has helped children to understand handicapped individuals and how they can help them.

This year in my classroom, Lemon was awarded a Special Education Recognition Award from the Newport County Regional Special Education Advisory Committee. I think the Portsmouth School Department may not be aware of the value of Lemon’s full inclusion in the classroom and the school and I hope that you can apprise them of her contribution. Dr. Lusi is aware that Lemon’s message is valuable but may not be aware of the positive effects Lemon has had socially and emotionally to the students and may have in the future and for this reason I will be meeting with Dr. Lusi next week.

I encourage you to support me in this effort by writing a letter to Dr. Lusi. Her mailing address is: Dr. Lusi, Superintendent of Schools, Administration Building, 29 Middle Rd., Portsmouth, RI, 02871. She can also be reached by e-mail at lusis@portsmouthschoolsri.org. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Laura and Lemon

Reminder Free Teleseminar Tonight: The Rewards and Challenges of Living with Disabled Pets

Since my mom is going to share my story, I said she could post information about this super dooper teleseminar she will be doing.  So take it away, Mom!!....

Thank you, my dear little Frankie for allowing me to post this on your blog.  You're a good dog.

I'm very excited about this upcoming teleseminar (press release below) I will be taking part in! I've been following Ingrid King, author of Buckley's Story for quite sometime and had the honor of doing Garden of the Soul radio show with her talking about animals as spiritual teachers. We connected so easily because of our love for animals.


Mary Shafer, author of Almost Perfect Pets: Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them is someone I also greatly admire for all the positive work she is doing to bring a special light to animals with disabilities. Being connected with her brings me great joy.

This is going to be one VERY SPECIAL HOUR and I know the time is going to fly by way too fast. Hope you can join us!

Inspired and Inspiring: The Rewards and Challenges of Living with Disabled Pets

On Tuesday, May 11, at 8pm Eastern Daylight Time, we will host authors Mary Shafer and Barbara Techel for a free teleseminar titled Inspired and Inspiring – The Rewards and Challenges of Living with Disabled Pets.

Barbara Techel is the author of the multi-award-winning book Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog. When her dachshund, Frankie, suffered a spinal injury, Techel had her custom-fitted for a wheelchair. Frankie’s strong spirit had her back into the swing of life very soon, and Techel realized the beautiful opportunity she had to share Frankie’s story. Together, they give others who may be struggling with obstacles the hope and inspiration to be the best they can be. Techel’s newest book, Frankie, the Walk ’N Roll Therapy Dog Visits Libby’s House, chronicles the twosome’s work as a therapy dog team at local hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers, spreading joy wherever they go.

Mary Shafer is a freelance writer, author and publisher of Word Forge Books, a small, independent publisher located near Philadelphia. She’s a member of the Cat Writers Association and is co-mom to four special needs cats. One of those cats, Idgie, is the subject of Shafer’s story in the company’s latest book, Almost Perfect: Disabled Pets and the People Who Love Them.

Join us for what is sure to be an inspirational hour of discussing the challenges and rewards of living with disabled pets. You'll also get a chance to ask questions.

The seminar is free, but long distance phone charges may apply. To participate in the conference, dial 1-712-432-3100. When prompted, enter conference code 674470. Registration is not required, but if you'd like to be entered in the drawing of an autographed copy of Barbara and Mary's books, you'll need to pre-register by clicking here: http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016ynqZbqgszFlq0ccP81zqg%3D%3D