My Vet Matters
MY VET MATTERS CONTEST WINNING ENTRY FOR OCTOBER
2004
Veterinarian: David Miller, DVM, of Akron,
Ohio
Nominated by: Kim Gustely
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“The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a child!” is the motto we go by at Victory Gallop. Co-founded in 1995 by Dr. David Miller, Victory Gallop is a therapeutic equestrian program for children, ages 3-18, who have an emotional and/or behavioral disability or a life-threatening illness. Victory Gallop uses horses as a therapeutic tool for children who are often over-looked and underserved to increase their self-esteem, strengthen physical fitness, enhance task completion and improve socialization skills.
As a child, Dr. Miller saw firsthand the affect
that horses can have on a person. Horses were a very important part of
his family; his father owned Standardbred racehorses and Dr. Miller rode
and showed hunter/jumpers. He learned very early that a horse can give
you self-confidence and unconditional love. Perhaps that is why he has
devoted his life to serving our large four-legged friends.
All of Victory Gallop’s horses are donated to the program. Most of
the horses we receive are from clients of Dr. Miller. He takes every
opportunity he can to educate the community and his clients of the benefits
of therapeutic riding. Thanks to his passion and enthusiasm, Victory Gallop
has a string of exceptional horses. They are well trained and able to have
a successful second career teaching disadvantaged children how to socialize,
follow directions and be respectful.
As a non-profit organization, Victory Gallop relies on fundraisers, grants and donations to operate. Dr. Miller has been an integral part of the fundraising efforts. Thanks to his encouragement, many pharmaceutical companies have donated money and products to the program. Dr. Miller, himself, provides complete medical care to all of the horses.
Dr. Miller not only provides exceptional care to the horses at Victory Gallop, but he has been an active volunteer and role model for the riders in the program. He has provided encouragement and support to many kids, giving them extra guidance to reach their dreams.
Dr. Miller prefers to work behind the scenes, but he undoubtedly has had profound effects on many of the riders. There was Katie, who lost one of her legs to cancer. When she started riding she was frail and timid. She was self-conscious and had lost many of her friends through her battle with cancer. Dr. Miller and “Wings,” her favorite horse, gave her confidence to compete and grow into a beautiful young woman. Katie went on to get her masters degree and become a teacher. She attributes much of her joy and success to the years at Victory Gallop and the lessons she learned there.
Another rider, Neil, started riding when he was 7 years old. He was a shy kid who has attention deficit disorder. Neil lacked self-confidence, was unable to focus, did poorly in school and had few friends. He had a huge heart, though, and a great love for horses. Dr. Miller saw promise in Neil and took him under his wing. Neil is now working for Dr. Miller as a vet tech on the weekends and evenings and has become a volunteer for Victory Gallop. He has turned his life around and has himself become a role model for many of the riders in the program. They see his success and strive to reach their dreams, too.
One
of Dr. Miller’s and Victory Gallop’s greatest joys is perhaps “Petie,” the
miniature horse/pony cross who belonged to one of Dr. Miller’s clients.
They purchased “Petie” for their foster children because they
understood the role that animals can play in neglected or abused children’s
lives; the ability to teach, trust and to love another living being again.
Their children had outgrown him and because of his exceptional love of
children they decided to donate him to Victory Gallop. At the time, Dr.
Miller and his brother were dressing up in a two- person horse costume, “Victor
E. Gallop,” and making rounds on the oncology ward at the local hospital.
The joy and laughter from the children was contagious, and Dr. Miller knew
that a live horse would only double the pleasure and benefits. Unfortunately,
there was a wide assortment of animals that had visited hospitals, but
never a horse. Dr. Miller took it on as his challenge to help us get “Petie” into
the hospital. The first thing he suggested was to get “Petie” certified
by the Delta Society as a “Pet Partner” then we went about
the process of convincing Akron Children’s Hospital. Before we knew
it and seven years late, “Petie” has brought immeasurable joy
and love to the patients, staff and families that he has met. He has recently
become nationally known for his work through an article in the September
27th issue of People magazine and a story aired on ABC’s show “Inside
Edition.”
We thank Dr. Miller for his commitment and belief in Victory Gallop and the power of human-animal relationships. Our community and the children we serve are very fortunate to have such a devoted veterinarian and friend.
More on Victory Gallop
Victory Gallop provides innovative, progressive and quality therapy for children with life-threatening illnesses, behavioral and/or emotional challenges through the use of horses. We believe our first responsibility is to the children who will benefit from our services. Our goal is to offer a safe, nurturing environment which allows the children to increase their self-esteem and physical fitness, enhance task completion, improve socialization and communication skills. Victory Gallop will accept and encourage participation of any child into our program, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, national or ethnic origin.