Human-Animal Bond Inc

TO CONDUCT RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND TRAINING IN THE AREA OF THE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND WITH THE OUTCOME OF BENEFITING THE HUMAN AND ANIMAL CONDITION.

SERVICE DOG TRAINING AND PLACEMENT: ALTHOUGH WE STILL FELT THE IMPACT OF COVID ON CLASS SIZES AND ACTIVITIES, STUDENT ENROLLMENT INCREASED TO A TOTAL OF 129 STUDENTS BETWEEN 3 COLLEGE LEVEL COURSES. 42 OF THESE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE TRAINING OF DOGS. 17 VETERANS PARTICIPATED IN TRAINING CLASSES IN PREPERATION FOR SERVICE DOG PLACEMENT, 14 IN VETERAN ONLY CLASSES AND 3 TAKING THE COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE. THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE, MORGANTOWN ALLOWED DOGS BACK INTO THE PRISON DURING 2021 AFTER DOGS HAVEING TO BE REMOVED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID. INMATES IN THE VETERANS-TO-VETERANS PROGRAM VARIED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH AN AVERAGE OF 18 PARTICIPATING AND ANYWHERE FOR 3 TO 8 DOGS BEING TRAINED THERE AT ANY ONE TIME. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF INMATES DIRECTLY ENGAGGED IN THE PROGRAM WAS LIMITED, HUNDREDS OF INMATES AND STAFF BENEFITED FROM THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE DOGS IN RESIDENTS. FOUR DOGS WERE PLACED AS SERVICE DOGS WITH VETERANS DURING 2021, FOUR AS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS AND THREE AS THERAPY DOGS. TWO DOGS DID NOT MEET CRITERIA FOR PLACEMENT AND WERE RELEASED AS PETS. 11 NEW DOGS ENTERED THE PROGRAM IN 2021. FOUR LABRADOR RETRIEVER FEMALES WERE PURCHASED FOR THE BREEDING PROGRAM AND HEALTH CLEARANCES WERE BEGUN TO EVALUATE THE FITNESS OF THESE DOGS FOR BREEDING IN 2022. SIX DOGS WERE PURCHASED FOR THE TRAINING AND PLACEMENT PROGRAM AND ONE WAS DONATED TO THE TRAINING PROGRAM. MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN ANIMAL BOND, INC PARTICIPATED WITH WVU STAFF TO SUBMIT A GRANT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO HELP FUND THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF PLACING SERVICE DOGS WITH VETERANS.

REHABILITATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION (DISABILITY AWARENESS): IN PERSON EVENTS WERE STILL LIMITED DUE TO COVID IN 2021. THERAPY DOG/HANDLER TEAMS PARTICIPATED IN 12 MAJOR EVENTS ON CAMPUS WITH AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 PEOPLE PER EVENT. THERAPY DOGS TRAINED BY THE PROGRAM CONTINUED THEIR ONGOING WORK IN THE WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, THE HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER AND OTHER COLLEGES AND DIVISIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNIVERSITY. THESE DOGS PROVIDED STRESS RELIEF FOR PATIENTS, STUDENTS, AND FACULTY. A SINGLE COMMUNITY BASED EVENT WAS HELD AT A LOCAL MALL IN CONJUNCTION WITH DISABILITY AWARENESS.

THE JASMINE PROJECT AT QUARRY RUN: PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS WERE CONTINUED ON THE QUARRY RUN PROPERTY. THE BARN WAS PAINTED, AND DOORS REPAIRED, AND A NEW TRACTOR SHED WAS CONSTRUCTED. VOLUNTEERS CONTINUED TO IMPROVE THE LANDSCAPING AND REMOVE DEAD TREES.