Opportunity Knocks
April 1, 2012 in April 2012, Los Angeles, Phoenix by Tails Magazine
From entrepreneur to therapy dog trainer, Jaime Van Wye answers the call
Opportunities come along every day. Some we recognize, some we don’t. Opportunities to do good may not come along often, but when one presents itself—as it did to Jaime Van Wye—you know you’ve got to make something of it.
Van Wye is the owner and creator of Zoom Room, an indoor canine agility and obedience facility in Los Angeles. She created this center after being frustrated by the lack of available agility classes.
“I thought it was ridiculous that there was no place offering this,” says Van Wye. “I had some open warehouse space, and within the first few months I was slammed with requests. I had no idea it was going to be this big.”
But once Zoom Room expanded across the U.S., Van Wye saw another opportunity—an opportunity to help. She began training therapy dogs.
“I had a dog for therapy work for years that I would take to convalescent homes in Santa Monica, and I turned our advanced obedience class into a therapy class,” explains Van Wye.
Her great grandmother used to live in one of those convalescent homes, Van Wye would often bring her Dalmatian, Emma, along on visits. Although she was a bit high strung—as most Dalmatians are—the people in the home really responded to her.
“I saw the change that this dog could make,” notes Van Wye. “There was this woman named Rose that lived there, and [the staff] would have a hard time getting her out of bed. But when Emma would show up, this little old lady would ask for her lipstick, grab the dog, and take her for a walk for about an hour.”
Van Wye continues to be amazed by the calming effect these dogs have on people.
“A lot of the people I see have Parkinson’s [disease],” explains Van Wye. “But as soon as you put a dog in front of them they stop shaking. So many of them had dogs when they were younger, and you can see that they really miss their dogs—I think this helps because they provide that bond and unconditional love.”
Van Wye is happy to see the changes her dogs make, and she is even happier to see others continue her work. Many people from her classes continue with training beyond basic obedience.
“A lot of them wanted to know how to get their dog to become a therapy dog,” says Van Wye. “So we show them the skills they need by combining our advanced skills courses and teaching [the dogs] to be around wheelchairs and crutches, and how to be reliable and controllable.”
While Van Wye admits her dog Clyde, a Komondor (Hungarian Sheepdog), is not much of an agility dog, she is proud that he is a fantastic certified therapy dog.
“He is very mellow, and with those dreadlocks he is quite the showstopper,” says Van Wye. “It is such a great line of work to get into because you can really see how much you’ve helped.”
Van Wye also makes sure that each Zoom Room franchise is involved with animal welfare by holding a fundraiser, adoption event, or giveaway at least once a month.
“We are so involved in the community,” she says. “The people that are interested in doing this are often people who have worked in the rescue community and have a load of experience with helping out.”
To learn how you can help, please visit ZoomRoomOnline.com.
Los Angeles ASPCA and its local partner, 
Spaying your female cat now will help reduce the number of motherless, abandoned kittens and cats that will be turned into shelters, like spcaLA, as the weather gets warmer. Spayed cats lead longer, healthier lives and have fewer overall vet bills. he licensed veterinarians at spcaLA’s Specialty Spay/Neuter Center focus only on spaying and neutering, allowing for quicker, safer procedures.  Learn more about the 
hat might enter the shelter facility and are called upon almost daily to help animal(s) in need of medical attention,” said Robin Kahrs, President of Malibu Pet Companions. “Malibu Coast Animal Hospital (MCAH) is a full service veterinary hospital that includes state of the art diagnostics and a wonderful team of veterinarians and staff offering the best veterinary care for the animals. MPC and the Agoura Animal Shelter are fortunate to have the support of MCAH as part of our team helping to give thousands of homeless shelter pets a second chance. Because of their dedication we can help significantly more animals. It is an honor for us to recognize their contribution to our ongoing efforts.”
This story breaks my heart because I can see how easily it could happen to myself or any one of my animal loving friends. As an animal lover you can’t resist helping an animal in need, often ignoring the risk.
