April 2004

By Zachary Mesenbourg
Contributing Writer

		Therapy dog had a rough early life Anne Barnes' therapy dog Ted appears to be a natural at working with patients. Seeing him in action, you'd never know that he had a rough early life... Click here for more. Therapy dogs help in teen’s recovery Instead of playing sports and enjoying his final weeks of summer vacation in mid-August 2003, thirteen-year-old Kevin Crowley lay in a coma at the hospital after being hit by a car. When he awoke, he started rebuilding his young life with help from his mom, St. Camillus and therapy dogs... Click here for more.

Wheelchairs, walkers, canes or difficulty speaking do not bother Ted who offers therapy to nursing home patients. Shaking hands with patients, listening to stories and helping spark memories are a few of his tasks.

Oh, by the way, Ted is a therapy dog.

Animal assisted therapy has become more commonplace over the past few years. Doctors now even prescribe sessions. The pets and owners involved hope to illicit responses from the people they work with that normal therapy sessions cannot.

Ted, a 9-year-old Airedale Terrier and Golden Retriever mix, and his owner Anne Barnes of Camillus, visit St. Camillus and other nursing homes. They typically visit St. Camillus every Monday afternoon for a 30-minute session.

"That was a good one today…for him to maintain that kind of attention with a person, to sit there and to really not be focused on me," Anne said during a recent session. "He was pretty into it. It was unusual for him not to be looking to the food or me."

Along with visits to St. Camillus, Ted is part of Sunshine Friends, Inc., a pet therapy program in Liverpool. Sunshine Friends offers visits from various animals to places such as nursing homes and hospitals.

When Ted arrives at St. Camillus, it seems as though he’s at work.

"He's looking for treats already," one patient said as Ted curiously strolled by. "I had a dog like this, but he tried to break out."

	From left, Anne Barnes watches as her dog Ted, a specially trained therapy dog, works with former St. Camillus Brain Injury Program inpatient Kevin Crowley and Trish Triffo, therapeutic recreation supervisor.

Patients that are normally quiet began to talk to Ted because he would listen no matter what. Donned in a puppy print scarf, Ted continued to bring smiles to patients' faces.

"What a job Ted has…he comes and gets pet," said Trish Triffo, therapeutic recreation supervisor for the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at St. Camillus.

While Ted lay in the lounge, one man told him about his son and the dog he once had. Ted stared directly at him, wanting to hear every word of the one-way conversation.

"He's not doing this for food anymore, he's doing this for you," Barnes told the man.

Afterwards, a man in a wheelchair came in and he held Ted's face in his palms. Ted tried to give his paw to the man, almost as if to say, "I remember you." The man started to remember aspects about his old family farm and the animals he once had.

After all of the sessions, the patients not only had smiles on their faces, Ted had a little smirk as well.

Barnes said Ted looks forward to the sessions and even tries to take his therapy to new levels. She believes animals are non-judgmental, which makes patients want to respond to them.

"The first time he pulled a wheelchair…he would go and stop and go and stop. It was hard for him to do," Barnes said. Triffo observes the sessions and also brings her dog Angie, a German Shepherd mix, to the center for therapy work on Fridays.

"It is so great to see a patient light up when they see the dog coming," Triffo said. "At times, patients have been irritated or depressed about their situation but when they see the dog, they often calm right down."

Triffo said the animal therapy makes patients happier and more willing to cooperate. Angie will even take individual steps with patients who have trouble walking.

Barnes said she feels amazing after a session. Getting certified to take part, however, is no easy task for the dogs. They need to get a Canine Good Citizen certification from the American Kennel Club. Ted has proven himself to achieve just that.

"They smash two garbage lids together, simulate a crowd scene, approach another dog," Barnes said. "They will hold on to him for three minutes while you disappear, weave poles and basic obedience stuff."

Peggy Southwell, president of Sunshine Friends, also does therapy sessions with her animals. The organization offers therapy training in order to get qualified animals. Getting started was not easy, Southwell said.

"In the beginning we contacted facilities and said this is what we can offer, and we can come in and this is what we can give you," she said.

Now, some places contact Sunshine Friends.

Everybody involved said the program is great not only for them, but the dogs, the patients and everyone's feelings.

"For me, it gives me one-on-one time with my pet," Southwell said. "This gives them a chance to come out with me and spend time. It is a great way for me to give back to the community."

Therapy dogs do give so much to so many people, and the results can be seen in the smiles of patients, owners and the animals.

Zachary Mesenbourg is a newspaper journalism graduate student at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.