Therapy dogs help calm cancer patients
Published: December 2, 2005
Whenever Noah visits the Seton Cancer Institute in Saginaw, he draws a crowd.
Some days he’s wearing a Superman costume; other days it’s a festive red scarf — but he’s always ready to lick a hand or nuzzle a knee.
Sporting a St. Mary’s of Michigan identification badge on his back, the friendly Doberman is part of the hospital’s new Comforting Canines project.
With his owner, Kathleen Miller, Noah visits with patients receiving radiation treatments at the cancer center. He is one of several trained therapy dogs who visit once a week. [The Healing Power of Pets: Harnessing the Ability of Pets to Make and Keep People Happy and Healthy]
“Noah is like an old friend,” said patient Ruth A. Hasenleder, 67, of Buena Vista Township. “It’s fun having the dogs here. They make patients forget their troubles.”
Hasenleder comes to the center for daily treatments, which usually continue for six to eight weeks. Each radiation session lasts about 15 minutes. The dogs spend time in the waiting areas.
If this pilot effort — which started about a month ago — continues to go well, the dogs will gain entrance to hospital rooms at St. Mary’s.
“We hope to move into the inpatient oncology unit and then the whole hospital within six months,” said Beth Hunter, community outreach specialist at Seton.
Companion animals can help patients relax, lower blood pressure and give “contact” comfort. They provide a nice diversion from the sterile medical atmosphere, patients say. [Working as a Therapy Dog]
“I love the therapy dogs,” said Holly Wesner, 41, of Saginaw, another Seton cancer patient who sometimes brings treats when she comes for radiation. “The people here are great, but the dogs add to it. I have two dogs at home, and I thank God for them.”
The animals are trained through Therapy Dogs International, a nonprofit organization based in Flanders, N.J. With their handlers, they go through testing and must meet requirements for temperament and training.
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