Big Arnold brings big smiles to Edwards community

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- He's 200 pounds of power and muscle, has a wrinkled skull and a broad and deep muzzle that belies his tame and affectionate demeanor, he's a English Mastiff registered therapy dog and at Edwards everyone loves Arnold.

"He works with patients and helps reduce anxiety, especially for kids waiting to get their shots," said Arnold's owner, Jon Fishman, a certified therapy dog handler and substance abuse prevention specialist for the 95th Medical Operations Squadron at Edwards.

Mr. Fishman and his wife Linda found Arnold at an animal rescue facility three years ago and it was love at first sight. The Fishmans adopted the lovable pooch and immediately saw the potential of the good-natured, intelligent canine.

"We first enrolled Arnold into the Good Canine Citizenship program where he learned basic obedience," Jon Fishman said.

About six months after that Arnold was tested to determine if he had what it takes to become a therapy dog, he did, and so the Fishmans enrolled their massive pet into additional training and it wasn't long before Arnold became certified.

Now Arnold can be found each Friday making his weekly rounds throughout the base clinic where the mere sight of him brings cheers and smiles to both patients and staff.
"The patients get their minds off their ailments during Arnold's visits and he's a great morale booster for the staff," Fishman said.

Mr. Fishman's words become obvious as screeches of delight and cheerful greetings are heard as Arnold makes his way from one treatment room to another.

"It's always a pleasure to see Arnold," said Dr. James Sarasua as he joyfully greeted Arnold with a hug and a pat on the animal's head.

"He puts a smile on everyone's face every time he comes here," said Lorrie Hastings, the clinic's mammo technician, who also greets the lovable canine with a hug.

Arnold's therapy training included teaching the fearless animal to be comfortable around patients and extra gentle around small children.

"Because of his massive size, he needs to be extremely gentle around small children," Mr. Fishman offers.

"When a patient says hi to Arnold he goes up to that person and puts his head against him or her," Mr. Fishman pointed out as Arnold tenderly nudges a lone woman sitting in the waiting room. The woman returns the animal's affection with a hug and a few tender words of greeting.

The patients aren't Arnold's only friends. During his rounds he often goes out of his way to visit staff members in their individual offices.

"He knows just who will have a treat waiting for him," Mr. Fishman chuckled. Arnold isn't allowed to eat around the patients, but pretty much anything goes in the privacy of the staff members' offices.

Arnold's Friday morning rounds usually take about two hours and at the end of his rounds Mr. Fishman and Arnold can often be seen in line at the local Burger King drive- thru ordering hamburgers to go.

At Edwards, Arnold is definitely a special dog. "He's the only individual that can visit Colonel (Jerry L.) Gandy (95th Air Base Wing commander) without an appointment," Mr. Fishman says.

At home Arnold is pretty special too, "He has his own bedroom and his own double bed," his handler offered. "We had to give him his own room because he snores so loud the walls vibrate," Mr. Fishman grinned.

Once Arnold reaches the Family Advocacy building he's turned loose and is free to greet staff and munch on tasty snacks they always have waiting for their special Friday morning visitor.
Though Arnold's Fridays are booked at the clinic in the mornings and at the Flight Medicine facility in the afternoon, he does pitch in and offer his services Monday through Thursday when there is a special request for him to do so.

"We just recently visited Boron Elementary School on Career Day," Mr. Fishman said.

When invited to the schools, Mr. Fishman talks to the children about drug and alcohol prevention. "I talk to the kids about being responsible and not abusing prescription medications as well."

Mr. Fishman uses Arnold during these visits to hold the children's attention. He talks to the older children about gang awareness and cyber threats to make the youngsters aware of online predators.

He makes the children aware of how communicating with strangers online can pose a danger, "You could be chatting with a predator posing as a kid or teenager," he warns.
"With kids you have to keep the message concise and to the point," Mr. Fishman said.

Jon Fishman is also program coordinator for the Edwards Drug Education For Youth Program.

DEFY is a two-phased prevention program for children 9 through 12 years old. The program is designed to give children the tools they need to resist drugs.

For more information on the Edwards DEFY Program or how to get Arnold to visit your organization, contact Mr. Fishman at (661) 275-3395 or e-mail him at jon.fishman@edwards.af.mil.