Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Sarah Whitman

Medical testing can be scary, exhausting and overwhelming.
A new nuclear medicine technology offered at Pasco Regional Medical Center was designed to make patients feel more comfortable.
The hospital is now the only hospital in the county with the BrightView nuclear imaging system, or gamma camera, from Philips Medical Systems. With the BrightView system, technicians can perform noninvasive diagnostic tests faster and with greater accuracy.

“The speed is a lot faster so patients don’t spend as much time in an uncomfortable position,” said Patty Camunas, assistant director of diagnostic imagining and nuclear medicine supervisor for the hospital.
Pasco Regional Medical has used nuclear imaging since the late 1990s and has always remained determined to keep up with the latest advancements. They received the new BrightView machine in mid June. It was ready for patient testing June 22 and there were no problems with the system, which includes a table able to hold up to 450 pounds.
The BrightView is used for thyroid, cardiac, abdominal, neurological and bone scans. All of the images are recorded electronically and accessible to the doctors by computer, where the picture appears flawless.
“I’ve only been a technician for four years and even compared to what we were using when I was in school, this technology is so much better,” said nuclear medicine technician Kevin Judd.
Camunas said the new technology helps doctors determine the best treatment options and rule out serious, sometimes life-threatening, medical conditions.
“The new technology produces a clear, crisper image that is easier for doctors to read and interpret,” she said. “Because everything is electronic, the doctors can view the results whenever, even after the technicians have gone home, which makes it better for patients because they can get their results faster.”
Nuclear imaging allows doctors to see how a body part is working, so it is commonly used to diagnose problems like gallbladder and liver disease. It also provides more reliable results and treatment staging for diseases including cancer. The technology can help prevent patients from having to undergo invasive surgical diagnostic procedures and biopsies. This also eliminates the need for anesthesia and other medications with potentially harmful side effects.
“Because the technology is precise, we are able to cut down on patient discomfort,” said Katie Bryant, marketing coordinator for the hospital. “There are no known side effects from the machines and after the procedure, patients can return to normal activities.”

Depending on the type of exam scheduled, a patient can spend anywhere from 30 minutes to approximately three hours in Pasco Regional’s nuclear imaging department. Actual imaging time can range from 15 minutes to about one hour. The new technology has sped things up drastically.
“Our cardiac scans were 15 minutes and now they are a little under six minutes,” Camunas said. “Patients are happy about that.”
Pasco Regional Medical Center is at 13100 Fort King Road in Dade City. For more information, visit www.pascoregionalmc.com.

Eastside 8 all have fresh leadership

By Kyle LoJacono

The Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills has a new president, but members will not have to remember a different first name.
Mike Waters will be leading the club for the next year after Mike Mira’s term expired. Waters was officially introduced at a ceremony at Scotland Yards Golf Club just north of Zephyrhills June 24. It is Waters’ second time serving as the club’s president, which is the first instance of someone repeating in the 54-year history of the organization.

“It’s a great honor to serve as the club’s leader,” said Waters, who was also the club’s president for the 1997-98 term. “They are a great group of people and I’m going to enjoy being the president again … Hopefully the club makes it another year with me as the leader.”
Club members vote for the next president each year. The group’s first president was Charles Henderson in 1956-57. Gina Granger led the organization for the 2008-09 election year until Mira took over from 2009-10.
“It’s really been a life-changing experience,” said Mira, who has been in the club for five years. “It gave me a great opportunity to find out what Rotary is all about. It’s the best charitable organization in the world as far as I’m concerned. There are a lot of good groups, but Rotary is just solid in everything it stands for.”
Mira was also the sergeant in arms for the club and was named Rotarian of the Year for the noon organization in 2007.
The group did many charitable things during the last year, including a boot drive with the city’s daybreak club that raised more than $7,000 for Haitian relief after the earthquake in January. It also helped organize the Eastside 8 food baskets. The eight Rotary clubs in central and east Pasco County joined to donate food to needy children.
“Our club really led that effort,” Mira said. “Once we got all the clubs together we were able to do more than we could separately.”
Mira is now the disaster relief chairman for the Rotarian district that includes Pasco, Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus counties and includes 49 clubs. He will assist in organizing help after almost any kind of disaster in local areas to international catastrophes.
Mira said it was working with the other club presidents that was the most rewarding part of his time as president.
“Rotary International has 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs across 200 countries, but a lot of the time we just stay in our separate clubs,” Mira said. “By getting together with the other clubs we can do more good and next year Mike (Waters) has already said he wants to continue it and make it bigger.
“From what I’ve heard from the people on the west side of the county we will be able to have something with all the Pasco County Rotary clubs to really do a lot of good for needy kids,” Mira continued.
“The Eastside 8 food baskets have really been great for this whole side of the county,” said Mike Wooten, assistant governor for the Rotarian area that includes the two clubs in Dade City and Zephyrhills. “All the presidents have come through by helping with this program.”
For more information on Rotary or to join a club, visit www.rotary.org.

New Eastside 8 Rotary club presidents
Lee McKinney with Rotary Club of Zephyrhills Daybreak
Mike Waters with Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills
Don Snyder with Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Sunrise
John Negley with Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel
Cliff Martin with Rotary Club of Dade City
Andrea Mason with Rotary Club of Dade City Sunrise
Curt Zeigler with Rotary Club of Land O’ Lakes
Suzanne Ritter with Rotary Club of San Antonio

//Sidebar

Getting to know new leader Mike Waters

Mike Waters knows what it means to lead the Noon Rotary Club of Zephyrhills. He was the group’s president during the 1997-98 election year and just started his second term as its leader.
Waters has been in the club for 24 years. He is married to Michele Waters and the two have four children: Ryan, 17; Luke, 12; Will, 10; and Jade, 5.
The Laker talked with Waters about being named president again, what his plans are for the club and why he has stayed in Rotary.

Q: No one in the history of this club has been president twice. What is that like for you?
A: I would say all the other members must have been president already if they would go back to the likes of me. I’m just kidding. Truly it’s special to be elected by the group. I’m ready to lead the club for another year.

Q: Why did you join Rotary and stay in it for the last nearly quarter of a century?
A: I started to get connected with local business leaders in the community. I saw all the great things the club does and that kept me coming back. Also it’s a great group of people to spend time with each week.

Q: Mike Mira is the outgoing president. Tell me what you thought of him as the club’s leader.
A: He was very hands on and very involved in everything the club did. You can’t expect more from a president than what he did during the last year. All the responsibility falls on you as the president and he really stepped up and did everything he needed to do.

Q: What are your plans for the next year?
A: Mike (Mira) and the other presidents have started a great thing with the Eastside 8 food baskets for needy kids. I really want to continue with that idea of working together with the other Rotary clubs in the area.  I want to maintain the momentum Mike and the other presidents have started.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: Yes. We’d invite anyone interested in learning about our club to come to a meeting. We meet each Thursday at 12:15 at the hut at Shepard Park. It lasts about an hour and people can buy a good lunch. I look forward to it each week.

By Mary Rathman

Yes he can!
When we last reported on Matt Mooney’s goal of collecting enough cans to finance a Habitat for Humanity home, his efforts had resulted in more than 1 million cans. That was in October, three years into his campaign.
Since that time, Mooney has added an additional 228,286 cans, yielding some 6,917 pounds of aluminum.
Word gets around, and Wayne Mooney, Matt’s father, said local businesses have played an important role in ensuring a successful collection.

The Hampton Inn & Suites in Wesley Chapel is one such business that knew this was a cause to get involved in. The story was posted by the time clock at the inn and employees started saving cans from the vacated rooms. Recently, Wayne Mooney met with Brian Jackman, guest services manager, to pick up their bagged donations.
Other businesses have also stepped up including the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Brooksville (more than 160,000 cans) and Lake Jovita Golf and Country Club in Dade City (more than 100,000 cans). One anonymous donor actually left the Mooney family a check for $1,000, the equivalent of 42,000 cans.
I, too, am doing my part. When I first heard and read about Mooney’s project, I made the simple decision to help. My household already recycles, so how hard was it going to be to just drop our cans into a separate container?
We are not big soda drinkers in our house, but I knew every can saved would be appreciated. I combined our bags with a few full bags that a friend of ours collected through his volunteer work with the sheriff’s department and dropped off our donations at one of the bins set up for Habitat for Humanity.
In order to build an entire home out of nothing but aluminum cans, Matt wants to reach a goal of 2.2 million cans by the time he graduates from Land O’ Lakes High in June 2011. Wayne Mooney looks at it this way. If everyone in Pasco County (population 475,000) donated 5 cans, Matt could have 2.38 million cans and a deserving family could get the keys to a new home — all this from aluminum cans.

(in a box)
Matt and his family thank the following donors for their generosity.
Kathleen Thomas, Thonotosassa
Century 21 Bill Nye Realty Inc.
Casey Tully, St. Leo Athletics Dept.
Mike at Top Line Auto, Zephyrhills
Mr. Alaimo, Pasco County Information Technology
Janet, Hampton Inn, Wesley Chapel
Corvin Morris, Wesley Chapel Toyota
Bill Ingalls, Dade City
Stanford Phillips, Condo Car Club
Ed, Dade City Auto Parts
The Connerton Clubhouse, Land O’ Lakes
Nancy, Robin Road Lane
The Rathman Family, Land O’ Lakes
Robert, Orlins Manufacturing, Zephyrhills
Meridian Title, Dade City
Sunrise of Pasco County, Dade City

“We are sure we missed a few contributors, perhaps dozen. The outpouring … has been incredible,” notes Wayne Mooney.

//If the 1,234,286 cans collected were stacked, the tower would stretch 93.75 miles
//If they were laid side by side, it would fill a 5.9-acre field.

//How your cans can help build a Habitat home
Interested donors can contact the Mooney family to coordinate donations by calling Wayne Mooney at (352) 467-9808. For more information about East Pasco Habitat for Humanity or Cans for Habitat, visit www.ephabitat.org.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Later this year, influential people from all over the world will come together to talk at the World Forum for Ethics in Business at the European Parliament.
Scott Paton, a chiropractor in Lutz, recently received an invitation to attend the event and give a speech.

“I am so excited I am going to lecture on the parliament floor,” Paton said. “It is like being invited to the capital and talking on the Capitol floor. Every time I accomplish something I always try to do better, but I don’t think I can get better than this. This is definitely something I will tell my grandchildren about.”
Paton said he plans to spend his time there learning.
“I think the best thing I can gain from this experience is to form relationships with influential people around the world and learn from them,” Paton said. “I will be surrounded by successful people. I plan to learn everything I can from them and emulate them so I can get to that point.”
A list of attendees has not been released for this year, but in the past people from throughout the world have given speeches including former prime ministers of Poland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Paton said when he gives his speech, he wants to focus on health because that is what he knows. He said he will talk about what he thinks should be done for health on a global scale.
“So many health problems could be eradicated if we change the way we treat the water,” Paton said. “The suggestion I would make is to treat the water and build a sewer and septic system in Africa. We spend a lot of money to treat the problem with medication. All medications do is help treat the infection, but we need to wipe out the infections before they start.”
He said he also plans to talk about what he thinks makes his business successful.
“When you can leave your opinion out of it and just listen to the patient, it makes a big difference,” Paton said. “People will leave here and tell me that they just feel so much better and that is because someone is listening to them.”
Danielle Sickler, assistant to Paton, said she thinks Paton is a perfect person to talk about ethics due to the way he runs his business.
“We openly communicate with each other and with our patients,” Sickler said. “We are like a family in here. We have our disagreements but we always end it with understanding each other. The most important thing is that we respect each other. We have a lot of love for what we do and we always give 100 percent.”
It is a personal triumph for Paton to just be able to get in front of people and speak.
“I loathed speaking in high school,” Paton said. “I had no confidence. I am proud of myself to be able to get up and speak in front of a crowd.”
One of the people Paton’s wife Janice is excited to meet is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of The Art of Living. Paton previously met him and was able to speak with him.
“I closed the office and flew up just to meet him so he cleared out the room and talked with me one-on-one,” Paton said. “We talked for a while and the best piece of advice he gave me was to realize that for every finger I point at a person, there are three pointing back at me. He was telling me that if I accuse someone of something, I am three times as bad as that person I accused.”
Paton said he was shocked when he received the invitation, but that it taught him an important lesson.
“I learned that nothing comes easy,” Paton said. “It is my outlook on life to always be nice to people even when I don’t want to be nice. I think having that attitude has helped me to open doors.”
He said he can trace this opportunity back to when he went to the Olympics to give a lecture in 2004. He was visiting the lecture hall where he would be speaking the next day when he saw there was a meditation lecture going on. Glaser was speaking when Paton and his wife Janice walked in.
The couple ended up having such a good time, they were still standing there when Glaser was getting ready to leave.
“When Glaser walked up he was the most gentle person,” Paton said. “The way he lives his life is amazing. We ended up going to a meditation seminar with him. I thought it was so incredible. We kept in touch since then.”
Paton was invited to the forum based on a recommendation by Glaser.
“What if I didn’t go in that room,” Paton said. “I would never have discovered meditation and I would never have been invited to the forum. It was my open mindedness that helped me to just do it.”
Paton is a chiropractor and certified athletic trainer at his business Paton Chiropractic and Sports Medicine, 24722 SR 54 in Lutz.
He said being a chiropractor for the last 10 years has been amazing.
“I love what I do,” Paton said. “I get to help people and change their health. I love being able to have a positive effect on people’s lives. To see someone get better is just amazing. I take care of people and go out of my way to help others. I keep on pushing myself to be the best dad, husband and chiropractor I can be.”
For more information, visit www.PatonChiropractic.com or call (813) 949-7740.
For more information on the World Forum, visit wfeb.org.

By Sarah Whitman

Before Paul Wells steps onto the pitcher’s mound Friday nights, he says a short prayer. He doesn’t pray to win. He prays for a good game and for everyone to have fun.
Wells is the coach and pitcher for the North Pointe Church softball team, part of a Bay area church league batting it out this summer.

North Pointe plays at 9 p.m. Fridays at New Tampa Field 2, off Bruce B. Downs and Tampa Palms Blvd. They play churches including Exciting Idlewild Baptist, St. James United Methodist and Water’s Edge. The team’s record so far this season is 3 wins to 2 losses, not that anyone is counting. To North Pointe players, the score is secondary.
“I just like playing ball,” Wells said. “I stick with the church league because the attitudes of the players are generally better. I don’t have to worry about the people getting drunk and wanting to fight. It’s just fun.”
Wells, 62, is the oldest player on North Pointe’s 15-person team. They can play 12 at a game, so some people always sit out and cheer the others on. Women are welcome to play as well, though none are on the team at this time.
“It’s just a bunch of us old guys,” joked shortstop Greg Moore, 45. “We don’t get to competitive because we’re just happy we can still play.”
Moore has played softball since he was a kid and currently coaches his son’s little league baseball team, the champion Temple Terrace Rays. He has been on the North Pointe team since the beginning and said he looks forward to playing each season.
“It’s a great group of guys,” Moore said. “The team is also a great outreach for the church. It’s a way to minister to people who aren’t comfortable with the idea of a church atmosphere and show them that Christians are just normal average people.”
Wells agrees. He is happy when the team helps spread the word about North Pointe Church, 2427 Old Cypress Creek Road. His son, Steve, is music pastor at the church, which opened in Land O’ Lakes in 2005 and currently has more than 200 members. Wells said the softball team is just one of many great things about North Pointe.
“I had a man call and say he was interested in church softball,” Wells said. “When he googled it for our area, North Pointe came up and he wanted to join the team. Now, he goes to our church.”
Moore said the team usually has four or five new players each year. Some are already at North Pointe, some do not attend church and some come from other churches.

“They come to play because they like sports and they like ball,” Moore said. “Most of them join the church.”
Phil Fuller, 61, joined the team a year after it started. He now plays first and second base.  He’s known for knocking the opposing team out at first.
“They didn’t start winning until I joined,” Fuller joked.
Fuller is an all-around athlete. He’s played softball all his life and spent 25 years practicing martial arts. He’s been banged up playing sports through the years but said it’s worth every sore muscle.
“I play hard,” he said. “When you only play once a week like I do now, there are muscles in the body that don’t get used very much and they’re not ready for much action, so you can get hurt, but the game is so much fun.”
Fuller has made a lot of good friends on the North Pointe team and said his favorite thing about it is the fellowship.
“I like the church team because there’s not a lot of criticism,” Fuller said. “People don’t get down on each other and there’s no profanity. No one gets into big fights.”
Moore said there are still arguments every now and then about bad calls. It’s just handled in a clean way.
“It’s church ball but it’s still ball,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll argue over balls and strikes, but no one’s ever in someone’s face yelling and cursing.”
As the team’s coach, Wells doesn’t allow sore losers.
“We pray before every game and we pray after every game,” Wells said.
For information on North Pointe Church and to sign-up for softball, call (813) 545-9420. Visit www.agreatchurch.net.

By Suzanne Schmidt

Many people driving by Café Fresco in Wesley Chapel might think it is just a bakery, but one step inside reveals the tantalizing smells of café-style treats like sandwiches, salads and homemade soups.

Chris Foggett owns the restaurant with his dad, Jim Foggett. He said he makes sure the restaurant is a nice family place.
“I like to get to know customers and build relationships with them,” Chris Foggett said. “I love to watch the families grow. That is what I wanted when I opened the restaurant, to know my patrons and for them to get to know me. It is kind of like one big giant dinner party.”
Chris Foggett said the restaurant is like a European and American café with traditional café dishes like burgers and grilled chicken salad and dishes with a European twist like paninis.
“We make everything fresh daily,” Chris Foggett said. “We cut up the fries every morning. We also have fresh fruit that we slice every morning. We cook everything from scratch.”
In addition to cooking up fresh food daily, the restaurant also bakes fresh bread and desserts like danishes, muffins and an assortment of cakes like carrot cake, red velvet cake, cannoli’s, eclairs and baklava.
“We make sweet bread everyday and serve it to everyone who comes in,” Chris Foggett said. “We also bake our own Italian and ciabatta bread for our sandwiches. We also sell the loaves of Italian bread.”
Café Fresco opened a little more than two years ago right before the economy declined. Even though the economy has not fully recovered, Jim Foggett said he is seeing a big improvement at the restaurant.
“It is growing,” Jim Foggett said. “We opened when the economy was on the upside and then the economy took a real sharp downturn. We are doing better now though with a 10 to 15 percent increase in sales from this time last year.”
Foggett credits the growth to all the great customers who keep coming back.
“We still have regulars from the first day we opened and we still have people who come here five days a week or daily,” Chris Foggett said.
John Narcisi, owner of JN Electric in Land O’ Lakes, said he and his employees visit the restaurant a couple times a week.
“They have a friendly staff and the food is excellent,” Narcisi said. “I love how big the chef’s salad is and how fresh all the food is.”

Joyce Newland, office manager at JN Electric, said she loves the food.
“The fries are the best I have ever had,” Newland said. “My favorite thing to get is the turkey fresco wrap. They have awesome food and I love how friendly the staff is.”
Nick DeChellis, commercial estimator at JN Electric, said he enjoys trying new things.
“I always order something different and I have never been disappointed,” DeChellis said.
Fran and Bernie Reedman of Seven Oaks said they like to eat at the restaurant every other week because the food and the ambiance is so good.
“The food is so fresh and I really like the atmosphere,” Fran Reedman said. “I like that it is like a café and not just some chain restaurant. Since it is family-owned, I feel welcome and comfortable here.”
The restaurant, 27209 SR 56, is open everyday for breakfast and lunch. Monday through Saturday the restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information, visit www.cafefrescobakery.com or call (813) 333-1200.

Italian Cappellone Pizza
1 Prepared pizza dough
1 tbl prepared pesto sauce
1 Portobello Mushroom cap
¼ cup Balsamic Italian Dressing
1 cup Provolone Cheese (shredded)
1 Roasted Red Pepper (julienne)
¼ cup Bruschetta Topping (see recipe below)
1 tbl Italian Seasoning
1 tbl Romano or Parmesan Cheese

1.    Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2.    Clean & slice Portobello mushroom into strips.  Marinade mushroom in Italian salad dressing for 1 hour.  Then sauté mushroom over med-high heat until begins to soften.
3.    On a lightly floured surface, flatten pizza dough in a circular motion and stretch to desired size (use rolling pin if necessary).  Place dough onto pizza stone, or baking sheet
4.    Spread pesto sauce on pizza dough, and cover evenly with provolone cheese.
5.    Evenly cover pizza with the sautéed mushroom, roasted red pepper, and bruschetta topping.
6.    Sprinkle pizza with seasoning, and Romano cheese, then bake for apprx 15 min. (cooking times vary.  Check crust for desired doneness).

Bruschetta Topping
1 ½ vine ripe tomatoes, diced
½ Red Onion, diced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbl chopped fresh basil
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1.    Mix all ingredients together in bowl.  Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and add salt & pepper to desired taste.  Place in fridge for 1 hour then mix again before using.

By Sarah Whitman

Clipping coupons and cutting costs just got a little bit easier thanks to a group of Tampa stay-at-home moms.
Kati Kiefer, Kelly Willey and Susanna Collins are the thrifty minds behind the popular savings site Truecouponing.com. The trio will offer a free workshop at 10 a.m. July 10 at First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, 6209 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.  All are welcome to come and learn.

“I’ve learned a lot from the site and I’ve heard you can learn even more from the workshop,” said First Church member Regena Sipiala. “I wanted our congregation and people in the community to be able to learn ways to save money.”
Truecouponing.com is updated daily with the latest tips on savings and deals. Everything from giveaways to extreme discounts appear on the site, which receives more than 400 hits a day. Stores featured regularly include Walgreens, Winn Dixie, CVS and Albertsons.
Katie Kiefer of Truecouponing.com started the site on a mission to spread the wealth. She is a home-schooling mother of four with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of South Florida. Willey and Collins, who later joined in helping with the site, are also well educated about finance. Willey has a degree in the subject and Collins has spent years trying to master the family budget.
The women do not charge for any of their services, including workshops. More than 100 people have already registered for the Land O’ Lakes class.
“Couponing is a blessing and I believe my ministry is to help others easily learn to save too,” Kiefer says on the site.
Willey was thrilled when Kiefer taught her the art of couponing.
“I have always been frugal with money and with grocery shopping,” Willey says. “When our youngest daughter was born our income decreased by 40 percent and we had to cut corners in new ways. With coupons, our grocery bill went from $650 a month to $200 a month, including diapers.”

Sipiala helped bring the workshop to Land O’ Lakes and is excited to meet the coupon masters in person. She can’t wait to find out what great deals are just around the corner.
“They post coupons for things you can get for free,” she said. “I try and look at the site at least once a day. I’m ready to learn.”
To register, go to www.truecouponing.com or call Laura Rolston at First Church, (813) 996-3533.
Truecouponing.com tips

Free kids meals: Kids eat free at IKEA through July 5
Swagbucks: Use Swagbucks as a search engine and be awarded with Swag bucks to trade for prizes and gift cards.
Coupon sites: Use coupons.com and redplum.com to sweeten your deals.
Stacking: Stacking is when you use two coupons for one item.

Have questions? Email

By Sarah Whitman

Visitors to Joyce McAlister’s Wesley Chapel home are greeted by two happy tail-wagging pups: Ralph, a husky mix, and Sophie Mae, a bloodhound.
The dogs’ lovable attitude may have something to do with the fact they get daily massages from McAlister, a certified animal massage technician and owner of Love N Hands Animal Massage, a new business serving Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

McAlister goes to people’s homes to perform massage and acupressure on animals suffering from muscular tension, injuries, depression and pains associated with aging.
“Massage enhances an animal’s overall wellness, comfort and quality of life,” McAlister said.  “Some of the benefits of therapeutic massage are that it enhances the body’s immune system, increases blood circulation and reduces muscle tension.”
Growing up on an Indiana farm, McAlister began taking care of sick and injured animals at just 3 years old. She has always had animals around and has massaged her personal pets for years. After retiring from 21 years of service with Tampa Fire Rescue, she decided to go back to school to study small animal massage. She was trained and certified through Rocky Mountain School of Acupressure and Animal Massage to work on dogs, cats and other domestic animals.
She has provided therapy to several dogs, including a Shepard mix named Cody.
“Cody had hip problems and after Joyce worked with him you could tell a difference,” said Beverly Youngblood, Cody’s owner. “She helped him be able to go up and down the stairs again.”
When McAlister visits a client’s home, she does an assessment to find out what the owner wants from the service and to determine what the animal needs. If a medical issue is present, she meets with the veterinarian to find out what the treatment plan is and how she can help.
She said she meets clients in home because it is where pets are most relaxed.
“Even dogs that like car rides get excited and hyper on the ride,” she said. “It’s important that they be relaxed.”
McAlister requests that clients not feed their pet 30 minutes prior to the massage and that they prepare a quiet area. In addition, the animal must be walked afterward for exercise and a bathroom break. Owners are welcome to be present during the massage but are asked not to communicate with their pet.
Massages usually last 10 minutes, but clients can pay for up to an hour. The costs start at $30 for assessment and 10-minute massage. The cost goes up $10 for each additional 10 minutes.
McAlister uses different techniques depending on the pet’s problem areas.
“Animals, like people, are all different and have different needs,” she said.
McAlister has cared for countless animals in her life and believes all creatures require nurturing. When it wasn’t her job, she would take abandoned and injured animals into her home.

Jim, her husband of 33 years, wasn’t surprised at her decision to make helping animals a career. He’s seen everything from a parade of ducks to a three-legged cat named Yard Stick at his house.
“I think it’s great what she’s doing,” Jim said.
McAlister’s long-term goal is to work with police and fire dogs. The former firefighter and 911 dispatcher said combining her past work with current work seems only natural.
“Police dogs go through stress like officers do and they have special needs,” she said. “Massage can help them with muscle strain and soreness, and help ease depression.”
For now, McAlister hopes to build her business locally helping house pets.
For information, call (813) 312-2717 or visit www.lovenhands.com.