"Paws & Hearts"Animal Assisted Therapy

Our founder, Lucky Waxman,
passed away June 28, 2011.

It has now been 11 years since "Lucky" passed away. Not a single minute of the day goes by that he isn't missed or thought of by his Dad, Richard. Never has a dog left a legacy behind like "Lucky".

"I told you that you'd never be forgotton, Lucky, and trust me, you aren't. Every so often someone will still say to me, 'Aren't you Lucky's father?' and I'll just grin from ear to ear!"

What a Halloween Party this was! Carol's family used this picture as a Christmas card that year!

"Can I just play hide-n-seek down here?"

One of "Lucky's" favorite patients at Valencia Palms.

"Lucky" and the patient pose for the camera.

"Lucky's" favorite spot was in a patient's lap.

"Just hold me so I don't slip down between your legs."

Barbara waited every week to have "Lucky" on her bed.

James and "Lucky" truly had a special connection. "Lucky" would kiss James all over, and James loved the visits!

"Lucky" and Elano always spent a lot of time visiting Valencia Palms.

"Lucky", Dad and a patient at California Nursing and Rehabilitation.

"Lucky" in the volunteer office at Eisenhower Medical Center with Donnie, Halloween 2003.

Dear Edith..she was the one who taught "Lucky" that trick of taking a cookie from her mouth. These two were great pals!

Lets both smile for the camera!

"Could I make myself anymore comfortable?"

"Lucky" always loved a tray or a wheelchair so he could get really close to the patients.

"I'll play with all of you!" Martha's Village Kitchen.

"Lucky" and Dad one Halloween at Eisenhower Medical Center, 2003

"I'll just let this woman pet me for as long as she wants."

Uncle Phillip worked with "Lucky" a lot in the first years.

"Lucky" and Uncle Phillip at our very first fund raiser at Ruby's Diner, Palm Springs.

Founder "Lucky" Waxman

The End of an Era at "Paws & Hearts"

Richard Waxman, Executive Director "Paws & Hearts" and Dad

On July 4, 1998 I was looking at a condo and this little white poodle mix jumped right up into my arms. No collar, full of fleas and ticks, it was apparent he'd been abandoned. He saw the word sucker engraved on my forehead and home we went.

Didn't take long before I named him Lucky, because I thought I was very lucky that he found me. In Yiddish we have a word, 'buschert' and it means, meant-to-be, and if ever two lives were meant to collide it was Lucky's and mine. For the next twelve years, Lucky was at my side, actually up in my right arm as we built "Paws & Hearts" Animal Assisted Therapy. Lucky was the founder, I was just the executive director.

Lucky was still a puppy when we were invited to Valencia Palms Nursing Home in Indio. Lucky turned out to be marvelous on the beds with the patients and the Desert Sun sent a writer and photographer on our next visit, and when the story and photograph ran in the paper, our journey together began!

Potential volunteers read about Lucky's visits and they wanted to take their dogs on visits and what I thought would become a hobby, quickly became a full-time career. Lucky and I began making presentations to the Activities Directors at local nursing homes about a new program, temperament tests were conducted, and Lucky's visits became training visits for the new volunteers.

Very quickly an office in Palm Desert opened, a board of directors was assembled, and Lucky and I began making presentations at local rotaries and service clubs. Gino Lamont from KMIR 6 had us on his morning show a dozen times that first year, and the response from potential volunteers, donors and facilities was overwhelming. We were on our way, and the next decade of my life flew by in a heart-beat!

We were asked to visit the Oncology floor on Wednesday afternoons at Eisenhower Medical Center and a couple of years into it, we began visiting 3 times per week so that all the floors were covered. My second dog, "Scruffy" came along, and after some intense training by his older brother, he began going on visits with us, and the two of them worked like a well-oiled machine, Lucky always the star, and Scruffy a very happy Ethel Mertz, the second banana.

In the Spring of 2011 Lucky developed a cough that just would not go away. Many trips to the vet, many medications later, Lucky passed away very suddenly June 28th from a tumor on his liver that ruptured.

I can't remember a time when Lucky wasn't under my arm at Eisenhower. We'd enter a patient's room and I'd say, "Lucky and Scruffy are here to visit. Would you like them on your bed?" And Lucky would lay across the patient's chest and Scruffy would snuggle in along-side their leg. I never thought this would ever change, but sadly it has. Scruffy has become Numero Uno now at Eisenhower and he does his older brother proud visiting with the patients and making them feel better. Not a visit goes by that someone doesn't ask, "Where is the little white dog?" and as much as that hurts, just knowing that Lucky is missed is thanks enough for the memories he made over 9 years, and an estimated 32,000 individual room visits.

To watch a video of Lucky and Scruffy at work, and to see what your dog could do as a Canine Ambassador please click below.

Rest in peace Luck,
your work and your legacy will never be forgotten!

After reading an article on "Paws & Hearts" Animal Assisted Therapy in The Desert Sun from June 28, 2013, Barbara King sent this lovely note to reminisce about a visit from Lucky and Scruffy, that took place a few years ago at Eisenhower Medical Center.

Lucky Waxman Memorial Fund

This was Lucky's last day of visits at Eisenhower Medical Center.

Thank you all for your very generous donations in "Lucky's" memory. This list keeps growing and every note received and the sentiments expressed are sincerely appreciated.

"Paws & Hearts" Animal Assisted Therapy
The Berger Foundation Building
42-600 Cook Street, Suite 138, Palm Desert, CA 92211
Phone (760) 836-1406