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Therapy dog Archie recovers from surgery
Casa Pacifica is a residential facility in Camarillo that treats abused, neglected and emotionally disturbed children in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The 165pound Newfoundland underwent surgery Sept. 10 at a veterinary hospital in Ventura to repair a ruptured ligament in his left knee. "He's recovering well," said Leah Basinais, hospital manager for Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group. Melissa Flavin, who oversees Casa Pacifica's preschool and long-term residential treatment programs, said the children know that Archie had to have surgery but they still miss him. "They don't have a care when they're with Archie," she said. "He really, truly always brings a smile to their face. . . . It just adds some kind of normalcy for them." Since two Camarillo Acorn articles appeared earlier this year, Archie's fame has spread far and wide. Others now appreciate the effect the pooch has on children. News outlets took up the story this summer and Archie's story appeared in newspapers from Seattle to Denver and television stations KCBS and KCAL in Los Angeles aired several segments about his thenimpending surgery. An assortment of Internet blogs is also commenting on Archie. His ability to inspire people has even jumped national borders. Casa Pacifica has received donations from as far away as England, said Vicki Murphy, director of operations. The publicity helped Casa Pacifica raise more than enough money to pay for the $6,000 surgery and pay the balance owed for earlier surgery on Archie's right leg, Murphy said. The public's interest in Archie prompted Murphy's 29-year-old daughter, Shannon, to build www.archiethedog.com, a website where his fans can get up-to-the-minute information on his activities. Murphy said nearly 1,500 people from 15 countries have visited the website in the last 30 days. Shannon also designed a line of Archie Tshirts for his admirers; local businesses picked up the cost for the shirts and printing. Child treatment facilites from as far away as Florida have called to say they plan to get a therapy dog like Archie for their children, Murphy said. "The money has been great, but just letting people know about Casa Pacifica and the children is priceless," Murphy said. Although Casa Pacifica now has enough money to pay for Archie's surgeries, if donors still want to contribute, the money can go into a fund for Archie's upkeep- he eats 40 pounds or more of food a month- or be used to help the nonprofit agency stay afloat. Casa Pacifica has an annual budget of $23 million, 90 percent of which is funded by the government. The facility has to raise the remaining 10 percent, or $2.3 million, every year to stay operational. Casa Pacifica can house as many as 73 children, from infants to teenagers, but serves more than 350 children through an array of programs. The campus is also home to a school and medical clinic. Every six hours a child is admitted to one of Casa Pacifica's programs, Murphy said. Donations not only keep therapeutic and educational programs such as the $250,000ayear preschool in place, operating but provide for the children's everyday needs, such as diapers, toothpaste, daily vitamins, school supplies and over-the-counter medicines. Other expenses one might not necessarily consider also take up a sizeable chunk of the budget, Murphy said. For instance, the facility pays for a child to have anesthesia when a tooth must be extracted. Medi-Cal will only pay for Novocain shots, she said. For more information about Casa Pacifica or Archie, call Murphy at (805) 445-7804. |
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