Memories Garden

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

U of M College of Veterinary Medicine Honors Hearing and Service Dogs

Ceremony to memorialize their contributions to deaf and disabled Minnesotans

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (June 5, 2006) – On June 6, the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine will pay special tribute to Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota at an annual memorial ceremony at the college’s Nestlé Purina Memories Garden.  In addition to this special tribute, clients and friends of the college will dedicate new bricks in memory of their companion animals that will be permanently placed in the garden.

“This is a time for people to remember their beloved animals,” adds Shirley De la Torre, giving and stewardship coordinator for the college. “The tribute to Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota is a wonderful and important addition to this annual ceremony.”

The Nestle Purina Memories Garden was established in 2002 on the St. Paul Campus to provide a private, outdoor place for pet owners to spend quiet time with pets being treated at the Veterinary Medical Center.  It is supported by individual donors who purchase bricks engraved with inscriptions to honor their pets. Since inception, more than one hundred people have purchased bricks and donated them to the Memories Garden. New bricks are dedicated each year at a ceremony where people share pictures, poems and memories of their companion animals. Eighteen new bricks will be dedicated at this year’s event.

“Pets are an irreplaceable part of our families,” says Jeffrey Klausner, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “When that unique relationship ends, we experience a profound sense of loss and sadness. We are especially pleased to recognize companion service dogs this year.  We know how much joy and help they brought to their families.”

Based in Minneapolis, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota trains and places assistance dogs with people who are deaf, hard of hearing or disabled. Since its incorporation in 1987, Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota has trained and placed 200 assistance dogs with clients throughout Minnesota at no charge.

For more information about the Memories Garden, contact Shirley De la Torre at 612-624-6146 or delat010@umn.edu.

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The College of Veterinary Medicine improves the health and well-being of animals and people by providing high-quality veterinary training, conducting leading-edge research, and delivering innovative veterinary services.