Dogs make grrreat therapists

Think Pawsitive

By Gretchen Ammerman

Deep in the hearts of dog owners is the belief that ours are the best creatures to walk on four feet. We also know, in a place that lives a bit deeper, that we might be biased.

But some dogs, well, they just seem to have more than the usual amount of patience. They happily allow kids to hug their necks and even mess with their ears. They will flop down next to an elderly person in the middle of telling an epic tale and look at them as if to say, “Go on.”

These are the dogs, and their persons, that Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast are seeking.

“We are a group of individuals committed to creating opportunities for therapeutic contact with animals,” said Executive Director Caroline Spark. “The benefits of animal interaction is based on a lot of research.”

The non-profit has worked with the owners of dogs, cats, llamas, rats and even a macaw that liked to be read to. Doing work that helps the sick to forget their woes for a moment, the elderly to channel a comforting memory or a child to finally find a way to read aloud without fear of judgment, the teams are poised to get back to work.

“Most of what we do is in hospitals, retirement homes and libraries which haven’t been allowing non-essential entry,” Spark said. “But we’ve been working and training teams as much as possible all along so that we would be ready to go.”

Volunteers can choose to go anywhere there are people experiencing stress, trauma and loneliness.

“Dogs are very therapeutic because they tend to reflect back to people that they are worthwhile,” Spark said. “For example, in retirement communities a dog may trigger happy memories and help with overall memory retrieval. It’s not just a visit, it’s a way for people to remember times where they felt protected and loved.”

When the teams visit hospitals, it’s not just about the patients.

“We heard that the staff had also been really missing us because we helped relieve their stress, too,” Spark said. “We did a parade one Halloween down the halls of a hospital so that people could at least see the dogs even if they couldn’t interact with them. They loved it.”

Katherine Harding began doing pet therapy work after retiring as head of school at Neskowin Valley School in 2004. She reached out to the local group, at the time called Oregon Coast Therapy Animals.

“We were always affiliated with Pet Partners, but became an official community partner a few years ago,” she said. “That gave us the resources of a much bigger organization which has really helped us grow.”

Her first two therapy dogs had Greek names: Karisto, which means “Thank you” and Philia, which means “Love.”

“Once I took Philia into a room at Samaritan Hospital,” Harding said. “There was a woman sitting in a chair and I asked if she wanted me to put Philia in her lap. She didn’t say yes, but since she didn’t say no either, so I did. As the woman started to pet her, she began to repeat the word ‘beautiful’ over and over. After the visit, we passed some nurses and I noticed they were all teary eyed. One said, ‘We just saw magic happen. She has been here for three or four days, and that was the first time she has said a word.’”

If her dogs saw a person in a wheelchair, Harding said, they would lead her over to see them.

“I was at a hospital with Philia and we saw a young Ethiopian girl with cystic fibrosis.” she said. “As we approached, she threw her hands up and said ‘I’m so scared of dogs.’ But Philia just waited patiently next to her wheelchair, at the end of about six or seven minutes, she was hugging Philia and saying ‘When I get out of the hospital I’m getting a dog.’”

Think you have a potential therapy animal?

“Dogs who are suited for this work need to be calm around other dogs,” Harding said. “And they need to enjoy getting attention without wanting it from every single person around.”

After receiving training to be certified, they’ll be put to the test.

“Imagine being in a crowded room with a lot going on and if your dog would be bothered,” Harding said. “In one of my tests, they dropped a stack of lunch trays.”

Hunter, a Chihuahua adopted eight years ago by South Beach resident Stacey Tonick, was a graduate of a recent round of evaluations.

“It was actually really pleasant,” Tonick said. “I just want to be able to help the community, especially doing hospital visits and the Read with Me program, because Hunter loves all people, especially kids.”

Eugene resident Steve Roe was at the same training with new potential therapy dog, Hope. He has about 12 years of experience with his last therapy dog, Bonnie.

“We’d go to pediatric wards and visit with kids waiting for a bed to open,” He said. “We’d always leave them with a gift from the therapy dog, like a coloring book that they can use while waiting. In mental health wards, people can’t bring their pet with them, and having the chance to pet a dog gives them a sense of normalcy. I bring a soft brush when we go into rehab units — brushing the dog helps bring back dexterity.”

Roe’s desire to do therapy work stems from experiencing severe bullying in school.

“I didn’t do well early in life,” he said. “It wasn’t until I was 48 that I was told I might benefit from mental health work.”

Taking the advice helped turn his life around, which gave him the desire to pass it on. The dog therapy program became a valuable tool to accomplish this goal.

“The dog bridges the gap between you and a person who’s suffering,” he said. “They’re great conversation starters.”

With restrictions easing, the coastal partners are meeting regularly and building a supportive community of like-minded people.

“This has been the best volunteer work I’ve ever done,” Harding said. “It’s the power and simplicity of being able to share a wonderful dog.”

For more information, go to Pet Partners of the Oregon Coast page on Facebook.