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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2017)
1C THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017 CONTACT US Erick Bengel | Features Editor ebengel@dailyastorian.com WEEKEND BREAK FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorian Katherine Lacaze/For The Daily Astorian Finn, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever who provides pet therapy through Providence Seaside Hospital’s Angel on a Leash program, greets (from left) registrars Sarah Kisel, Kellie Walsh and Helen Moore during a visit to the hospital Aug. 30. He is accompanied by his volunteer handler, Shari Moynihan. CANINE CAREGIVERS ‘ANGELS ON A LEASH’ THERAPY DOGS BRING SUPPORT TO PATIENTS AT NORTH COAST PROVIDENCE FACILITIES Moynihan, who started volunteering with the program a few months ago because “you get to a certain age where you need to feel needed,” confi rmed the salubrious effect Finn has on people at the hospital and clinics who start opening up after having contact with him. The pair spends a majority of their time listening rather than talking. “It does my heart good to see them so happy to see him,” she said. By KATHERINE LACAZE For EO Media Group W hen Finn, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever, begins his shift at Providence Seaside Hospital, sport- ing his leash and offi cial badge, he has a single purpose: to soothe and support patients, their families and caregivers. “He is just there to make you smile,” his owner and handler, Shari Moynihan, said. Finn has a particularly exuberant personality — “because he’s so friendly and people-oriented,” Moynihan explained — so he only visits humans in waiting rooms and around reception desks at the Providence Rehabilita- tion Services center in Gearhart and the hospital and clin- ics in Seaside. Generally, though, Providence’s Angel on a Leash therapy dogs can conduct visits in the main lobby, chapel, waiting rooms and designated patient rooms at all facili- ties, including the Providence ElderPlace, the Providence North Coast Clinic in Cannon Beach and the Providence Heart Clinic in Astoria. “Basically, every place Providence is at on the North Coast has access to our pet therapy program,” said Cher- ilyn Frei, the director of mission integration and spiritual care, who launched the program in Seaside in the fall of 2016. Pet therapy on the coast Frei and her husband, David, are pioneers in pet ther- apy, having worked in the fi eld since they were volunteers at a Providence facility in Seattle in 1998. “We immediately saw the magical and spiritual con- nection people have to their pets that helps facilitate the healing process,” Frei said, adding that pets are “a bridge to communication.” The couple moved around during the past two decades. Within every hospital or clinic setting where Frei worked as a chaplain, she launched a new program, with her hus- band serving as the fi rst volunteer along with their own dogs. They currently have an 8-year-old Brittany named Grace and a 10-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Angel, who is nearing the end of her tenure as an active therapy dog. When the Freis moved to Seaside last year, they brought the program template, as well as the title, and inte- grated it into Providence’s North Coast services. The hos- pital works with Pet Partners, a nonprofi t therapy animal registry group, to coordinate its volunteer handlers and their dogs. Angel on a Leash now has six active teams from the North Coast area, with two pending. Each team must include at least one handler and one dog, but other com- binations — such as two handlers per dog or several dogs per handler — are possible. The right fi t Finn greets Dave Lene, of Warrenton, in a waiting room at the Seaside facility. The therapy dogs help strengthen and support the experience of patients and their families during their time in Providence fa- cilities along the North Coast. Before serving, potential volunteers and their dogs must complete Pet Partners’ handler course and a team evalua- tion, undergo a professional screening, and perform an ini- tial visit where they are shadowed by staff. Teams can take anywhere from one to six months to get registered. To continue volunteering, teams must maintain current registration and be in good standing with Pet Partners. The program is also monitored by annual patient, family and caregiver satisfaction surveys. ‘Bringer of hope’ Providence’s mission is to “reveal God’s love for all, especially the poor and vulnerable, through our compas- sionate service,” and Frei perceives the dogs and their han- dlers as “the spokespeople” for that mission. Therapy dogs emphasize care of the whole person by affi rming their emotional, spiritual and physical connection to animals and its interconnectedness to health and healing. “A dog is a great conduit of God’s love in our commu- nity,” she said, adding each one is “a caregiver in their own right, a bringer of hope and wellness and joy.” While pet therapy is generally associated with patients and their loved ones, it is also helpful for caregivers, whose daily work can produce stress and tension, said Alana Kujala, the manager of community partnerships. Moynihan will look for opportunities to interact with staff while volunteering. One of the program’s main priorities is to ensure the dogs are enjoying themselves. Providing comfort and con- nection to humans in clinical settings requires abundant focus and control of their natural instincts. They must behave a certain way and know how to respond in the mid- dle of a traumatic situation. “The dynamic can change very quickly, because it’s a hospital,” Kujala said. For that reason, most sessions last from half an hour to an hour, and handlers must be aware of their dog’s stress signals. “You want to keep it fun for them so they look forward to coming back,” Frei said. Certain dogs thrive in the pet therapy program because of their natural instinct and intuition. A breeder or owner often can tell after puppies are whelped which ones pos- sess the personality to thrive as a therapeutic companion, Frei said. Training and help from the handler are only used to refi ne the dog’s innate response. Some teams will begin the training and registration process but not complete it when they realize the dog isn’t the right fi t. Pet Partners’ registration process is intention- ally rigorous; there are many health and safety issues to consider when conducting a pet therapy program in a hos- pital-like setting. Patients can schedule visits from therapy dogs, and handlers can choose which days to volunteer. Sometimes they will walk around the facility and see if anyone would like the service, always asking permission before entering a space, Frei said. “Patients should have a choice to reject a service,” she said, adding “to be able to say ‘no’ is empowering.” Individuals with a passion for pet therapy need not have their own dog to volunteer with the Angel on a Leash program. To learn more about volunteering with Angel on a Leash or any other Providence program, contact Volun- teer Coordinator Mark Squire at 503-717-7249 or Mark. Squire@providence.org.