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May 5 2008
Ask Debbie Ganser how she celebrated Valentine's Day last February. She'll probably tell you that she was packing her bags and readying Gertie and herself for the flight to Northern Illinois University in near-freezing DeKalb, a rural community southwest of Chicago. The deadly shooting on campus rallied help from all over the country, including five PAAWS specially trained Animal Assisted Crisis Response Teams. Debbie, a faculty counselor and until recently the lead crisis counselor at LCC, packed her own things and some items for Gertie. Treats to encourage Gertie to swallow when the plane would take off and land. A sweater Debbie found that her mother had knitted for Debbie's son when he was four years old. Thinking it might come in handy, she tossed it into her bag. Little did she know the smiles of delight it would bring to scared and saddened students when Gertie the Border Collie wore it on campus to ward off the bitter cold. Sleeves rolled up, both Debbie and Gertie got to work, sensing, seeking, and soothing those in need.