Pet therapy

Last month was pet therapy month, so in honor of pet therapy we wanted to share an article we came across on pet therapy

Pet Therapy Brings a Feeling of Home to the Hospital When Miki Baker walks the hallways of University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP), he holds his head high and chest out, showing off his hospital-issued ID badge.  Everyone who walks by can’t help but smile at the sight of the 4-year-old Pomeranian. "He knows he has a job to do,” says his owner, Tricia Baker of Plainsboro. “And he’s very excited to do it.” Tricia and Miki are participants in the hospital’s growing Pet Therapy Program. Volunteers bring their specially trained animals to the hospital to help comfort patients and to make them feel more at home. Smiles and Tricks Volunteer Anita Quinn of South Brunswick visits the hospital’s Center for Eating Disorders several times a month with Buster, her 3-year-old small standard poodle. Buster is full of tricks—he waves, says prayers and even cleans up his own toys—and he loves attention. “When I walk into a room, all I see are smiles,” Quinn says. “Having a pet in the room brings a sense of warmth and happiness.” Volunteer Barbara von Oehsen of Pennington brings her Labrador retriever, Nelley, to UMCPP’s Center for Pediatric Care and the Edward & Marie Matthews Center for Cancer Care. Nelley is well known for wearing her red vest to meet patients. She will sit or lie down while they pet her. “Pet therapy is such a wonderful way to give comfort and happiness to patients,” she says. “They all want to tell me about the dogs or cats they know and love, especially the ones who are waiting for them at home.” Not Just for Fun In fact, a 2005 study at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center found that levels of epinephrine, a hormone the body produces under stress, dropped by an average of 17 percent when people interacted with therapy dogs.While pet therapy is fun, it’s also therapeutic. Research shows therapy dogs can lower anxiety and stress, helping people recover from illness or injury. Pet therapy can also offer a diversion for people undergoing lengthy treatments in places such as the JoAnn Heffernan-Heisen Infusion Therapy Suite. “People love pets, and they look forward to the visit,” says Judy Neuman, UMCPP’s Director of Cancer Services. “Even the staff gets excited. It makes their day.” More Help Needed The program’s goal is to have enough volunteers to make therapy dogs available to all hospital units that would like them, says Tricia Baker, a certified professional dog trainer, who helps coordinate the program for the hospital’s Volunteer Services Department. Dogs and their owners must first complete therapy animal training, and Baker cautions that not all dogs are appropriate for the program. “You need a dog who’s confident, who enjoys meeting other people,” she says. “Knowing that you can make other people smile just with your little dog—it makes my heart feel good.”

For a fun video check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uZaXjJFD7s

*The article and video was shared via email by University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro

One Plainsboro Road | Plainsboro, NJ 08536A University Hospital Affiliate of UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School*