"Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened." ~ French Novelist Anatole France
By Benny Fairchild
Since the very beginning of the United Helpers organization when Alzina Milligan stepped into her horse and buggy to travel from Ogdensburg to Potsdam to pick up a young boy who would become our first resident, animals have played an important part in the United Helpers story.
In some instances, the animals have been workers of sorts, like Ms. Milligan's horse or in more recent years, sheep which have helped to maintain the lawn at our IRAs in Heuvelton. Those same IRAs in Heuvelton also have chickens, which have been known to provide an egg or two for breakfast.
However, in most cases animals are there to provide comfort - comfort to residents, program members, and even staff. There is no feeling the feeling of the furry head of a cat rubbing against your left or running your own hand across the furry back of a dog.
Over the years, going back to the very first children's home on Congress Street, where they had a pet dog, animals have helped to bring smiles to the faces of the people we serve. Today residents at United Helpers Rehabilitation and Senior Care in Canton, can sit and enjoy the gentle chirping of birds in the aviary. Residents in our IRAs can enjoy the company of cats, birds, fish, and in one instance a turtle. Many of the residents at United Helpers Independent Senior Living have a cat or a dog, and several of the seniors of folks with disabilities residing in our Affordable Community Housing complexes also enjoy the company of pets or service animals.
Depending on the setting, United Helpers even sometimes allows their employees to bring their dog to work.
While cats and dogs are clearly the most common animals our staff and residents come into contact with, we have also had the pleasure of being visited by goats, mini-horses, snakes, and even a sloth.
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