Daryl Reitzel, CGH Therapy Dog Volunteer and Molly
CGH Seeks New Therapy Dog Teams to Bring Comfort to Patients
Healing the heart goes hand in “paw” at CGH Medical Center. The CGH Therapy Dog Program brings comfort and companionship to patients through visits from well-trained, friendly therapy dogs. The program is funded through the CGH Health Foundation and coordinated by the CGH Auxiliary.
Therapy dog visits have many benefits, including reducing stress, easing the perception of pain, and increasing feelings of connectedness. Volunteers and their dogs provide comfort, encouragement and companionship to patients, visitors and staff throughout the hospital. Visits are offered only with the patient’s permission, ensuring each person can choose whether a therapy dog visit is right for them. CGH is currently recruiting additional dog-and-handler teams to join the program.
“For many patients, a visit from a therapy dog can brighten an otherwise difficult day,” said Staci Shaffer, MA, Manager of Volunteer Services at CGH. “We’re always excited to welcome new teams who want to share that gift with others.”
The first step in becoming a CGH Therapy Dog volunteer is the completion of an application. You must be 18 or older, and your dog should reliably respond to the commands sit, down, stay and come with a single verbal command and without the use of treats. Therapy dogs must also be capable of walking with a loose leash (no pulling), get along with other dogs, enjoy the company of people, and be current on all vaccinations.
Qualified applicants will then be invited to participate in temperament testing. Upcoming testing dates are scheduled for August 3 and August 20 (attendance is only required for one of these dates). Dogs that pass temperament testing will advance to the required two-day training on August 28 and 29. During training, participants will take part in mock and trainer-supervised patient visits while learning hospital policies and infection control practices to prepare them for hospital visits.
To apply, visit www.cghmc.com/dogs. Applications must be submitted by July 30th to participate in the August 3rd temperament testing, or by August 18th for the August 20th session. Walk-in applicants will NOT be accepted on the day of temperament testing.