Pet Therapy
For information, call the Volunteer Office at 203-789-3480.
Saint Raphael’s Pet Therapy Program has been bringing four-legged joy to patients and visitors in the hospital for approximately three years. Specially trained to deliver warmth and comfort to patients, the pet therapy dogs have earned “Canine Good Citizen” certificates to become official “pet therapists.” Wearing their little pet therapy vests, they escort their trainers to various wards throughout the hospital helping in-patients temporarily forget about their pain, pre-operative patients calm their jitters, and bringing smiles to the faces of all the visitors they pass along the way.
An entirely volunteer program, pet therapy recently expanded into the Father Michael J, McGivney Cancer Center. The program currently includes Savannah, a 2-1/2 -year old Woodle (Wheaten terrier/poodle mix) and Yankee Doodle, a deaf Dalmatian. Both dogs are leashed and supervised by their trainers during their visits.
Research shows that pet therapy promotes healing and comforts patients undergoing various procedures and treatments. Observing the smiling faces of patients who are stroking under pet chins or scratching one of the dogs behind the ears bears out the data. Each of the dogs visits more than 50 patients per visit.
Savannah:
Visits Saint Raphael’s on Wednesdays starting at 1:00 p.m.
Yankee Doodle:
Tours the hospital on Mondays, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Page last updated on Feb. 25, 2009