Human-Animal Bond Inc

Rehabilitation and special education (disability awareness): we continued to conduct disability awareness outreach both on campus and in the local community throughout 2024. Therapy dogs and service dogs in training accompanied staff to schools, veterans facilities, legislative and other community events to educate the public on the roles and value of assistance dogs in mobility and mental health rehabilitation and wellness. Therapy dogs continue to provide ongoing support to faculty, students, patients at wvu hospitals and staff. One dog works in the wvu childrens hospital, one in the school of public health and 7 others in other colleges and departments throughout the university. Dogs interact daily on campus providing stress reduction among students and faculty/staff. Contact hours exceed 9,000 hours.

Ridgeway farm: the human animal bond continued to manage the cheat lake farmers market, where it supported 8-10 local farmers and served as a valuable source of locally grown produce for over 200 community members throughout the spring, summer and fall months. We continued to offer community garden plots with seven groups participating. Most grew for their families but one focused on growing and selling heritage seeds and another sold at the farmers market expanding our reach. We collaborated with the obesity medicine program at wvu hospitals by hosting a weekly healthy eating program over the summer where, as part of their clinical program, alongside physicians and nutritionist, patients learned to prepare healthy meals using locally grown vegetables and had dinners together at the farmhouse. An arts at ridgeway farm festival was hosted in the fall where 30 local artists displayed and sold their work throughout the property. The event was organized by 30 volunteers from the community and wvu and drew over 250 visitors. We have further opened the property to the community by hosting birthday and holiday parties, encouraging families to enjoy nature and the outdoor spaces. We continue to support the activities of the avian conservation center of appalachia on the ridgeway farm property where 1000s of children and their families visit the bird facilities and events annually. A proposal was successfully submitted for the usda 2025 northeast farmer grant. Results aim to provide regional farmers with sustainable, flexible solutions for drought resilience. Improvements continue on the quarry run property which has been opened for use for training to search and rescue dog training programs. Discussions were initiated with wvu hospice regarding the possibility of partnering on the development of an animal assisted hospice house on the property. An alternative site was chosen.

The jasmine project at quarry run: we continued with property improvement projects at the quarry run property focusing mainly on landscaping this year.