Judging by the wagging tail and big smiles, it is hard to tell who enjoys the visits more — the dog, the volunteer handler or the person being visited.
The local St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program currently sees six volunteer handlers and their dogs visiting homes and centres in the Sea to Sky Corridor.
The program, which started in the corridor in 1997, is a volunteer-based program for dog owners who would like to spend some time bringing comfort to those in need.
Diane Kokubun has been a volunteer handler with her dog Hana since April. “For many years, I had been a teacher of special needs kids at Howe Sound Secondary and I brought my dog in to interact with them and I could see such a great benefit,” she said, explaining why she signed herself and Shih Tzu -Poodle cross, Hana up to volunteer with the St. John Ambulance program.
Kokubun and Hana make weekly hour-long visits to the Shannon Falls Retirement Residence.
“It is so fun,” she said. “There are people there who wait for Hana to come.”
The visits help the seniors feel less isolated, Kokubun said.
For the volunteer, the reward is watching how the visits make people happy.
“And I enjoy knowing that they really are feeling comfort and happiness playing with her,” Kokubun said.
Volunteers can give as much or as little time as they like to the program.
Hana can work for about two hours before she becomes tired, Kokubun said.
The pair travelled to an evacuation centre in Cloverdale during the wildfires over the summer and there Kokubun said she saw the power being with an animal can have on people experiencing trauma.
A man at the centre picked up Hana and hugged her and then started to cry, Kokubun recalled.
“There was so much tension and worry and Hana was able to comfort him,” she said.
Other St. John Ambulance initiatives with the therapy dogs include “Paws 4 Stories” which helps young children learn to read,
Therapy dogs and volunteers can also work with youth at risk and children with special needs.
In some areas, university campus visits are very popular helping to relieve stress during exam periods, according to Sue Ennis, St. John Ambulance therapy dog unit facilitator for the Sea to Sky Corridor.
Any breed of dog can be a therapy dog.
There is an evaluation of the dog’s temperament before it will be accepted into the program to ensure it is suited for the therapy work, Ennis said.
Dogs will be considered at one year of age, but in some cases two years of age is better. For dogs to be accepted into the program, however, they must be on a regular regimen of veterinary vaccinations for rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus.
The organization is always looking for more dog owners who want to be involved in the therapy program, according to Ennis. For more information click http://www.sja.ca/English/Community-Services/Pages/Therapy%20Dog%20Services/About-The-Therapy-Dog-Program.aspx
