Therapy dogs lower stress for hospital patients, others facing challenges
Kristi Brunk sat up in her bed at Athens Regional Medical Center and smiled as Kathy Ricks wheeled her white American Eskimo dog into Brunk's hospital room. Emma's fluffy face was a welcome sight, Brunk said.
In her third trimester of pregnancy with twin boys, doctors have confined Brunk to bed rest for several weeks to fend off the risks associated with preeclampsia. She was beginning to get restless and missed her two dogs at home.
"I've got books and my computer, but it's pretty hard," Brunk said of staying in bed all day. "I was trying to do it at home, but it's too easy to get up
and down for a few minutes."
Brunk's doctors hope to get her to 35 weeks of gestation.
"The doctors said not to count on going home anytime soon," said Brunk, who was at 31 weeks at the time of Emma's visit. Brunk said she expected to be in the hospital through the birth of her twins.
ARMC Patient Experience Manager Pam Duke said hospital staff understand the difficulties many patients go through when staying in the hospital. To help, ARMC created a pet therapy program to bring certified therapy dogs like Emma into the hospital to make monthly "rounds" visiting patients in pediatrics, oncology and other departments.
Ricks' canine charge is an emotional stress relief dog certified through Therapy Dogs International.
Brunk's spirits visibly improved during the visit as she pet Emma on the head and ruffled the fur around her neck while chatting with Ricks, a retired University of Georgia employee and volunteer animal-assisted therapist.
She continued to smile even as Ricks placed Emma back in her colorful doggie stroller and prepared to leave for their next visit.
"She's sweet," Brunk said, petting Emma one last time before Ricks rolled her away.
Jonathan Dolce, children's librarian at Athens-Clarke County Public Library, also has witnessed how therapy dogs can lower children's stress levels and help them learn to read.
During the library's monthly Read to Rover program, children sit with certified therapy dogs for 15-minute sessions and read out loud to practice their reading and speech skills.
"The dog isn't going to laugh at them or say something mean to them which creates a non-judgmental environment and makes children less self-conscious, which makes children want to read," he said.
Retired Athens resident Debra Brenner and her 8-year-old Labradoodle Barney have participated in the Read to Rover program for about six months. Therapy Dogs International also certified Barney, who has been a therapy dog for five years.
"Barney weighs about 70 pounds, but he's gentle and very calm," Brenner said. "He lays next to children and lets them pet him and rub his tummy. I'll tell them that Barney wants to see the pictures in the book and they'll hold the book up in front of his face. It's cute."
At Bentley Adult Day Health located at Athens Community Council on Aging, staff also use animal-assisted therapy during occupational therapy sessions to help elderly clients with mobility issues and motor skills.
During a recent visit, Rebekah Jean Meyers and her certified therapy dog Puffin, a chocolate Labrador, encouraged clients during occupational therapy sessions to toss a ball for Puffin to retrieve, open Ziploc bags to give her treats and brush her fur. One client even walked Puffin through the halls of the facility with the help of therapists with Genesis Rehab Services.
A dog can even help a client simply by being in the room, Bentley Adult Day Health Activity Director Thom Strickland said.
"Sometimes, the dog will prop it's nose up on the knee of someone in a wheelchair and just sit there and that's enough," Strickland said.
"A lot of our people are lonely or very upset and unhappy, and I've found that the (therapy) dogs can often reach those people in a way that another person can't," he added. "People often are resistant to another person when they try to get close to them, but people can't turn a dog away and a dog won't allow itself to be turned away."
