For several years, Arkansas Heart Hospital has used pet therapy as a way to promote healing, motivate progress and lift spirits for our patients. These furry friends aren’t just helpful companions in times of need – they’re instant mood boosters when they walk through our doors. We’ve seen countless faces light up at just the moment they need something to smile about, and we know it’s going to be a good day when we see these pups in our halls.

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal that aims to help that person recover or cope with a health problem or mental illness. At Arkansas Heart Hospital, dogs are the pet therapy animals our patients interact with, though there are many types of animals that can be used in pet therapy. We’ll be introducing you to some of our four-legged friends and the people that love, care for and train them to be a blessing to our patients.

Scully is a 6 1/2 year old Golden Doodle. Katie got Scully when he was 10 weeks old.

Scully is Katie’s second pet therapy dog. Molly, Katie’s first therapy dog, was not originally trained as a pet therapy dog but she through for Katie in an unpredictable way. When Katie experienced a life-threatening health crisis, she was required to be isolated for an entire week because the necessary medical treatment would make her radioactive. Her family had to go elsewhere and she could have no visitors, but she was allowed to have Molly. Molly became Katie’s sole companion for that week. As a result of that time together, they formed a very special bond. Not long after that experience, Katie’s daughter was looking for a project that would allow her to gain service hours for her participation in the National Junior Honor Society. Katie and her daughter were looking at options for service one day, and they both looked at Molly and remembered what comfort and companionship Molly had been during the time that Katie had to be isolated from her family and friends. They began researching pet therapy and decided that was what they wanted to do and set off to get Molly registered and certified. Katie and her daughter both certified to work with Molly as her handlers. Scully was 10 weeks old when he joined the family. Katie knew she wanted to train Scully for pet therapy. He was very bright and passed his Pet Partners certification when he was just a year old. Katie and Scully have been doing pet therapy for 5 years.

Central Arkansas Pet Partners (CAPP) was the organization Katie chose to work with to learn about pet therapy and to move through the process of becoming registered and certified. Katie volunteers at CAPP and also serves on their staff. CAPP is very focused and offers a program that is robust to ensure the well-being of the animal. They recognize the importance of the animal/human bond and want to make sure that they are offering the kind of training and support that helps handlers/pets recognize their skills and ability to thrive as they make their visits. CAPP has a quiz on their website that you can access to see if pet therapy might be something you and your pet would want to embark upon. CAPP does a great job of recognizing when a human or pet may not be a fit, but they also work to refine the strengths of teams who work well together. They work with the handlers and pets to make sure the experience is beneficial for both — it truly is a team effort.

Katie knew from the beginning that Scully would be a good therapy dog. She started pretty aggressively with training when Scully was a puppy. He took a little longer to train, but it has been worth all the effort.

What is Scully’s favorite activity?            

“Scully loves to walk the neighborhood and look for bunnies. He also loves to ride in the convertible… with the top down!”

What is one thing Scully will not do?            

“Eat green beans. At one point the vet put Scully on a diet. One of the things they recommended was adding green beans to his food. One night I had prepared green beans for supper with my family, so I decided to add the leftover green beans to Scully’s food that night. He went crazy, ate them up. So I thought, this is great, and the next day I bought 10 cans of green beans. That night I added them to his food and got nothing. He would not eat them. So I tried again the next night, again, not doing it – not eating green beans. So I started trying to figure out why he ate them so well the first time and now refuses. Then I remembered, the green beans I had fixed for the family meal were definitely done southern style with bacon grease. So we have determined that Scully is truly southern and likes his green beans southern style. Scully will not eat canned green beans.”

Have you had any unexpected revelations on your journey with pet therapy?       

“There are times you make a visit and you leave and think, ‘Well that was good work, but I did not really see a spark of excitement or what we might normally see in a visit.’ Good work, but maybe just not all of the normal ‘feels.’ You kind of make a mental note and then move forward.

“My daughter and I both needed new tires for our vehicles. So I took one for the team and decided to dedicate an entire day to getting tires put on both cars. I showed up in the morning at the tire place with my car, got checked in and promptly parked myself in the lobby for the wait. When they were done, I took that vehicle home, picked up my daughters car and returned to the tire place where I once again checked in and settled into the lobby for round two. I think I was there in the lobby most of the day. At one point an older woman joined me in the lobby. We began to chat, of course we talked about our vehicles. I shared that I had a minivan and how I would really like a smaller car but since I have pet therapy dogs I needed the larger vehicle. What came next was a total surprise. Her eyes lit up and she began to share a story with me about her infant granddaughter. The granddaughter had been very ill from birth and had been in the hospital almost a year when a pet therapy visit was scheduled. The medical staff wanted to see how the baby girl might respond to a pet and perhaps the family could make a decision about a special service dog for her in the future. She went on to describe the pet therapy visit and the dog. I am sitting there thinking, she is describing Scully. Then I remembered the visit— it was Scully and me that visited that baby girl. I remember leaving that visit and feeling a little underwhelmed, wondering if we had really added anything to that baby girl’s life that day. I turned to the woman and said — that was me and my dog Scully. At that point the woman became very emotional and went on to tell me that her granddaughter did not survive. But the memory of Scully and that visit that day is still talked about by the family. It was one of the few times they had seen their baby girl smile. They treasured that smile. A visit from Scully that I did not think accomplished very much continues to bring comfort and joy to a family today. That has taught me to never underestimate the blessing of what we do, whether we see it or not.”

Katie and Scully get out and visit 4 or 5 times a month. We are thrilled to have Katie and Scully on the AHH Pet Therapy team. We hope you have enjoyed meeting these fabulous humans and dogs! They make a difference for our patients every time they come to visit. Arkansas Heart Hospital is grateful for the gift of their time and talents.

See our other beloved animal friends who take part in pet therapy at Arkansas Heart Hospital, along with other news and updates about our heart health team.

 

For several years, Arkansas Heart Hospital has used pet therapy as a way to promote healing, motivate progress and lift spirits for our patients. These furry friends aren’t just helpful companions in times of need – they’re instant mood boosters when they walk through our doors. We’ve seen countless faces light up at just the moment they need something to smile about, and we know it’s going to be a good day when we see these pups in our halls.

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal that aims to help that person recover or cope with a health problem or mental illness. At Arkansas Heart Hospital, dogs are the pet therapy animals our patients interact with, though there are many types of animals that can be used in pet therapy. We’ll be introducing you to some of our four-legged friends and the people that love, care for and train them to be a blessing to our patients.

Yeti is a 3 ½ year old mostly white Labrador Retriever.

Georgann is so involved with Central Arkansas Pet Partners now, it may come as a surprise to those who know her that starting pet therapy was a bit of a spontaneous happening for her.

“I knew I wanted to incorporate therapy dogs into my mental health practice. When I found my first therapy dog, it seemed to make sense to not only use them in my practice but also in a volunteer capacity for facilities and other places that could have a day brightened by a pet visit. I have used pet therapy dogs professionally and in volunteerism for over 20 years now.  I got Yeti when she was 4 months old – she is my seventh therapy dog.”

Georgann started out by connecting with an organization called Pet Partners (petpartners.org). She realized early on that she would need help in order to ensure that her pets were vetted and trained since her first goal was to use them in her professional practice. She is now very involved with the local chapter of Pet Partners, Central Arkansas Pet Partners (CAPP) as a handler, instructor and evaluator. She also serves on the board of the local chapter. Georgann helps with education and information for those desiring to bring their pets into the pet therapy arena. Pet Partners is one of the most rigorous organizations for registering and certifying therapy pets. Georgann emphasized the importance of appropriate training and team work necessary for the handler and pet to perform at extraordinary levels and provide a wonderful and beneficial experience for those they visit.

After owning and training seven therapy dogs, Georgann has developed a good sense of how a dog will fare as a therapy pet.

“She says that it is a lot like raising kids – each one has a different personality and they all learn in a different manner. It also becomes easier to identify what specific skills each therapy dog possesses. With Yeti, she wasn’t quite sure if the fit was right, but she was determined to give it a try. Georgann got Yeti from a friend who trains service dogs.

“My friend had adopted Yeti and after four months asked me if I would take her. Yeti had too much energy to be a service dog. I agreed with the caveat that if it did not work out, she would take Yeti back. As you can see, I did not return Yeti. We worked hard and Yeti has become an excellent pet therapy dog. She was a bit of a wild child to begin with and honestly sometimes still is when we are out and about. But once we ‘go to work’ she falls into her role and brings great happiness to everyone we visit.”

What is Yeti’s favorite activity?

“Yeti loves to dock dive. She will do it until she drops. She also loves to chase and retrieve tennis balls.”

What is one thing Yeti will not do?

“I have two other dogs. We have a feeding schedule that we adhere to. Yeti has assigned herself the duty of helping with the food bowls. Her job is to bring all of the empty food bowls to me in the kitchen after all three dogs have eaten. This is a very important chore for her and she gets very upset if she cannot bring all three bowls to me. The one thing Yeti will not do is challenge Hank. Hank is our 20 pound Terrier (Yeti is a 60 pound Lab). Yeti will not challenge Hank for that bowl if he is not finished. Hank likes to linger over his bowl, causing great angst to Yeti. However, she will snatch the bowl away from the Corgi in a minute whether she is finished or not. Until Hank clearly is finished and moves away from his bowl, Yeti will not attempt to bring it to me. She will pace back and forth and wait until Hank says all clear. Yeti will not challenge Hank.”

Because Georgann is so involved with pet therapy and CAPP, she has extensive knowledge of the process for training and certification.here is an 8 hour course that the handler must take and pass. This course goes over topics like infection control, HIPPA, handling and much more. After that, the handler will come back for the second part of training which is done with their pet. This is for an evaluation of the pet, which takes about an hour. The pet will be given several “scenarios” in order to demonstrate how they respond. For example, a few volunteers will simulate an argument and get very loud and semi-aggressive, or evaluators might drop a metal object that is very loud to see how the pet “startles.” There are about 20 exercises the pet will go through, and the handler takes them through each exercise. We look at temperament and manners. The pet and handler are scored individually and as a team. Their certification is good for 2 years, then they recertify every two years thereafter.

Georgann says that while it seems like a lot, CAPP feels it very necessary in order to ensure that pets are vetted so they can be used in places like hospitals and hospice care in particular. We are thankful for the rigorous training these pets go through in order to bring a bright spot to our patients’ experience.

Yeti and Georgann bring so much joy to our patients, their families and staff. We can hardly wait for them to come back.

Check out our blog for more pet therapy features and to learn great heart health insights from our team of heart health experts.

For several years, Arkansas Heart Hospital has used pet therapy as a way to promote healing, motivate progress and lift spirits for our patients. These furry friends aren’t just helpful companions in times of need – they’re instant mood boosters when they walk through our doors. We’ve seen countless faces light up at just the moment they need something to smile about, and we know it’s going to be a good day when we see these pups in our halls.

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal that aims to help that person recover or cope with a health problem or mental illness. At Arkansas Heart Hospital, dogs are the pet therapy animals our patients interact with, though there are many types of animals that can be used in pet therapy. We’ll be introducing you to some of our four-legged friends and the people that love, care for and train them to be a blessing to our patients.

Boom Shocka Locka is a 4 year old Border Doodle from McKinney, Texas. Vanessa and Boom have been involved in pet therapy for about 3 years.

Vanessa knew she wanted to do pet therapy and she wanted to do it at Children’s Hospital. She set out researching and learning about pet therapy and which breeds would make good pet therapy dogs. She had a Lab at the time but wanted to find the best breed to be a therapy dog. She spent about 6 months researching breeds and programs every night. Vanessa said that one night she came home and she was really tired so she decided to be specific in her search – “really smart dog that does not shed.” That’s when she discovered the Border Doodle – and the rest is history. She found Boom Shocka Locka in McKinney, Texas, when he was 9 weeks old.

Vaness and Boom took many training classes to build a trusting relationship with each other. In her opinion, communication and trusting your partner are two of the important elements for a successful team. That trust goes both ways. She started working with Boom when he was around 12 weeks old. They started with PetSmart obedience training. There were folks in classes that kept telling her that she needed to meet Georgann with Central Arkansas Pet Partners (CAPP). She was told that Georgann was a wealth of information regarding animal assisted intervention. One day, Vanessa just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got to meet Georgann. Georgann took Vanessa under her wing and mentored her through the process. Vanessa and Boom continued working hard to be ready for the CAPP evaluation. Shortly after his 1st birthday, they passed the evaluation to become a registered team.

What is Boom’s favorite activity?

“Boom loves to run with other dogs and swim and fetch. He will fetch anything. He loves agility. In this time where we have not been able to do our regular visiting, we have been working on agility. He loves it. Agility is like running an obstacle course. He gets all excited to run the course.”

Did you know Boom would make a good pet therapy dog?

“I did. As I said, I started training early on. He is really smart and it showed every step of the way as we trained. He was a natural in so many ways. When we get to our visiting destination, he takes the lead. He is very confident. I think there is a bit of entertainer in him – he loves applause after he does a trick. Sometimes when we are at Children’s Hospital, he will do a trick and wait for a response. I have to say to the kiddos, he is waiting for you to clap for him. They do and he gets very happy.”

Where does his name come from?         

“We were almost to Boom’s home in Texas to pick him up. I said I thought it would be fun to name him Clark Kent. We already had a lab named Maximus Kal-El (Superman’s Kryptioian name). I was thinking it was fitting to name the puppy Clark Kent. My kids yelled, ‘NO,’ at the same time. They convinced me to name him something original. So of course, I started calling out the names of the fighter pilot call signs of one of the best TV series ever, Battlestar Galactica. Starbuck — my kids said NO. Apollo — NO again. Boomer—my son said no because of the football player from Oklahoma, Boomer Sooner. Then I said what about Boom? The next words I heard were Shocka Locka! We chanted it for a little bit and decided the name was perfect. The first time we saw him we knew his name was perfect because he was booming with energy. If someone hears his name for the first time and they don’t smile, then they are having a bad day. If you want to make him happy, chant Boom Shocka Locka and watch his tail wag!”

Vanessa wanted to encourage folks who are interested in doing pet therapy to educate themselves. Anyone interested in pet therapy can contact the local chapter of Pet Partners, Central Arkansas Pet Partners (CAPP) or visit our website. They are always happy to answer questions from potential handlers.

When Vanessa started visiting, it was because she wanted to be part of making a difference in someone’s life — even if it is just for five minutes. What Vanessa did not realize was that the visits would end up being just as much for her as it was for the people they get to visit. She says that in just a few minutes, it can totally shift her mindset from down to up.

Boom Shocka Locka and Vanessa definitely make a difference when they visit the patients and staff of Arkansas Heart Hospital. We are so proud to have them as part of the AHH pet therapy team.

To learn more about how Arkansas Heart Hospital provides amazing treatment for its patients, learn more about our heart care services.

For several years, Arkansas Heart Hospital has used pet therapy as a way to promote healing, motivate progress and lift spirits for our patients. These furry friends aren’t just helpful companions in times of need – they’re instant mood boosters when they walk through our doors. We’ve seen countless faces light up at just the moment they need something to smile about, and we know it’s going to be a good day when we see these pups in our halls.

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a trained animal that aims to help that person recover or cope with a health problem or mental illness. At Arkansas Heart Hospital, dogs are the pet therapy animals our patients interact with, though there are many types of animals that can be used in pet therapy. We’ll be introducing you to some of our four-legged friends and the people that love, care for and train them to be a blessing to our patients.

Stella is a 5 year old English Retriever from Colliersville, Tennessee.

Mike had been aware of pet therapy for a long time through his wife Leslie, who was involved in pet therapy with her dog Maggie. He watched Leslie and Maggie do their magic in the community for quite a while. When Maggie passed away, Mike wanted to get another dog for Leslie and found Stella in Colliersville, Tennessee. Under the ruse of taking a vacation, Mike took Leslie on a trip to Tennessee where he surprised her with Stella. They came home happy to include Stella in their family. As time passed, Stella became deeply bonded to Mike —  she went everywhere he went. She was so loyal to Mike that one day, Leslie suggested they try training her for pet therapy. They connected with Central Arkansas Pet Partners (CAPP) and went through their handler and pet training.

At first, Mike wasn’t sure if Stella would be the right fit to be a therapy dog, but wanted to try anyway.

“I just knew I wanted to give it a shot,” Mike said. “So we started the process and did the work necessary for Stella to become a good therapy dog, and just as importantly, the work that would make us a good team. At first Stella was afraid of everything. I honestly was not sure she was going to make it. At one of our CAPP meetings, they suggested that I take Stella to Home Depot 3 days a week for a few months. We did that. For six months, I would take Stella to Home Depot and we would just walk around. Over the course of that time, Stella warmed up to the role of being around people. We continued working hard and together we certified and have become a great team.”

Through their training, Mike and Stella’s bond has only grown stronger. Mike is diabetic. One of the things that Stella has done instinctively – not by special training, but as a result of her tight bond with Mike – is help him monitor his blood sugar. Stella will come and bark or paw at him when she senses something amiss. Mike says Stella took it upon herself to be his guardian angel.

What is Stella’s favorite activity?

“Stella loves to play with tennis balls. She just goes nuts. Her favorite toy is the canine launcher – a contraption that we put the ball in and it launches it into the air and she goes after it. She will do this over and over and over until I tell her it is time to stop. Her other favorite thing is visiting. She can be an absolute diva nut dog around the house – but when I put her vest on her, her whole demeanor changes. She is calm, steady, stands tall and is ready to go to work. She is such a flirt and loves to go out and visit.”

What is one thing Stella will not do?

“Oh my, Stella hates to go into the crate. When I pull out the pet carrier here at the house she hightails it down the hall. When we visit at Children’s, they have a crate that she has to get into so we can visit. When she first saw it, she balked, but now she recognizes where we are and that if she gets in that crate she will get to see children, so she willingly jumps in (this is the only place she willingly gets into a crate). And the pool – she will not get into the pool. She will chase a water sprinkler and play with it – but there is no way she is getting into the pool.”

What is one thing people should know about pet therapy visiting?

“If someone is thinking about doing pet therapy with their dog, they need to remember it is a team adventure. The dog really has to want to do it. You should never force your dog to do it just because it makes you the handler feel good about yourself. I was not sure Stella was going to make it. We took an extra six months to slowly work together to make sure this be as big a joy to Stella as it would be for me. I would have had no problem stopping the process and not pursuing pet therapy if Stella had not made the changes she made in that six month time frame. It is all about the people we get to see and the interaction between Stella, the patient, the family and the staff. I just get to go along for the ride and observe immediate joy.”

Stella and Mike like to get out and visit 3 days a week.

We could not be more proud to have Stella and Mike as part of the Arkansas Heart Hospital’s pet therapy. Learn more about Central Arkansas Pet Partners here. To learn more about how Arkansas Heart Hospital provides amazing treatment for its patients, learn more about our heart care services.