Therapy Dogs
Providing Healing & Hope
D
By Melanie Hess
ogs work,
too. And
according to
awardwinning Therapy Dogs
Inc. tester/observer
Barbara Wilson, one
of the number one
requirements when testing
handler-dog partnerships is
Doctor Carmen
that the dogs enjoy their jobs.
receive a visit
from the therapy
dogs, their entire
world changes,”
Reed said.
“They smile,
and always
finish their
visit with a
new attitude.”
Nurse Chloe
Wilson noted that therapy dogs can be
helpful for patients’ families as well.
No suit and tie are required, as is common
“Sometimes in situations when a patient
with humans, but Wilson’s eldest therapy dog,
is dying, and there’s nothing more the
Tina, a long-haired chihuahua, loves wearing
Therapy Dogs, Inc. Tester and
hospital can do, if a therapy dog comes in
her nurses uniform to visit patients at the hospital.
Observer Barbara Wilson
and they can just hug or pet the dog and
get that stress relief, it can be very helpful. It’s a way to
However, Tina’s job entails far more than wearing cute
comfort people that humans can’t provide on their own.”
outfits and stealing the gaze of nearby humans.
“The dogs’ visits to different places provide a therapeutic benefit because they make people feel better emotionally,” Wilson explained. “We serve in all kinds of different settings.”
The organization Wilson works with, Heart of Texas Therapy
Dogs, serves primarily in hospitals, senior facilities, and
children’s reading programs in schools and public libraries.
“Sometimes, the dogs help distract people from pain
or discomfort,” Wilson said. “For instance, when we
visit the hospital, people there may in pain or depressed. When a therapy dog comes in and spends
some time with them and takes their mind off those
unpleasant feelings, it can be very helpful.”
These special dogs are trained to react well to
loud noises or other uncomfortable situations. During work, they bark only on command.
“We visit nursing homes or hospitals where people are
resting, sleeping, or recovering from surgery, and a barking dog could really scare someone and be disturbing,”
Wilson said. “The dogs have to be very polite visitors.”
Joni Reed, director of volunteering at Methodist Richardson Medical Center, said pet therapy
is crucial to patient morale and healing.
“I have seen patients with zero incentive to get out of bed,
to participate in physical therapy, or even to take an active role in their healthcare decisions. However, when they
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TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | SUMMER 2015
In reading programs, therapy dogs provide a non-judgmental
ear for children struggling with reading or speech problems.
“The dogs don’t laugh if the child makes a mistake when
they’re reading aloud,” Wilson stressed, describing one
of her favorite activities with her dogs. “The chemistry
between the children and the dogs is really exciting.”
The visits with seniors hold personal significance for Wilson. They served as the catalyst for her initial involvement with therapy dogs more than a decade ago.
“Back in 2001, my parents and my in-laws had just
reached the point in their lives where, for various reasons, they were no longer able to have a dog, and
they’d had dogs for years,” Wilson said. “To suddenly
not have a pet is a big loss for people who have always
had pets in their lives. They miss having that companionship because their pets were truly part of the family.”
Pets are often “part of the family.” And that’s
the kind of loss some people experience.
“When a therapy dog comes to visit people living in an
eldercare facility, it brings back memories of the good
times they had with their own pets,” she emphasized.
These individuals get to enjoy spe