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11/02/2017

Happy Tails: Auditioning Our Newest Recruits

Confession: I’m a crazy cat lady. I don’t have a dog at home. I love dogs, but cats fit my lifestyle better. There are some days I really would like to have a dog because there is something so relaxing about a wagging tail and a sincerely happy greeting.

Since I don’t have a dog, I decided to volunteer for a program that lets me interact with them. Enter Aultman’s Happy Tails program and their evaluation day through Pet Partners.

Why does Aultman have the Happy Tails program? According the Mayo Clinic, animal-assisted activities provided through programs like Happy Tails can lift patients’ spirits and help to significantly reduce pain, depression and anxiety. Patients and their families benefit from short visits from certified dogs and their handlers. These dogs have been known to help patients with a number of conditions:

  • Cancer patients undergoing treatment
  • Those with chronic heart failure
  • Veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Patients in long-term care facilities

On Oct. 14, Pet Partners evaluated seven teams of dogs and their handlers. I was able to volunteer that day, along with about nine other people. We filled several roles: registering the teams as they arrived, taking pictures and creating crowds and distractions during the evaluation. We had two very special volunteers: Ellie the bulldog and Rocky the English shepherd (plus their handlers). These seasoned Happy Tails volunteers acted as the control dogs to see how the new dogs reacted to them.

I had never taken part in an evaluation day before, and it was really interesting to watch. There were three evaluators from Pet Partners. They instructed us not to interact with the dogs until each evaluation was over, at which point we could pet the dogs all we wanted. The evaluators described the different tests and assigned us roles as the tests got more complex.

As each team entered the room, the evaluator gave instructions before each test. The dogs and handlers were tested on obedience, the dog’s willingness to be touched or groomed by a stranger and the ability to recover from distractions quickly and calmly.

During the testing, the dogs had to navigate crowds of volunteers walking through the room. They also had to maneuver around a moving wheelchair. The most startling test came when someone dropped a metal pan on the floor, causing a loud bang. All of these tests were useful in gauging how a dog would handle working in the hospital setting, which is full of people, distractions and strange noises.

I think all of us who volunteered felt invested in the dogs and their handlers. When a team passed their evaluation, we truly wanted to celebrate. I will be very excited to see them at the hospital ready to work, because I know just a short visit from these dogs will make some patients a little happier during a stressful time.

If you and your dog are interested in joining the Happy Tails program, contact Lee Kenny at 330-363-6368 or visit the Happy Tails page for more details.

location icon

Location Finder

Here's your guide to finding any of the facilities in the Aultman family of health services, including maps and contacts. 

symptom checker icon

Need a Doctor?

Aultman Medical Group's network of more than 240 providers is committed to high-level patient care.

calendar icon

Schedule an Appointment

Click below to complete an online form. 

 

donation icon

Donate Today

You can help support and enhance services, and in turn, help patients and their families who benefit from care received at Aultman.

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