by Chris Daponte
C. WEllington – For the last 15 years the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program has provided regular visits to local nursing and group homes.
For those lucky enough to receive a personal visit, many of whom are elderly, ill, or just plain lonely, even a few minutes of unconditional love from a four-legged friend can be the highlight of their day or even week.
“Dogs really are non-judgmental. They accept people who are ill or suffering from dementia or whatever the case may be,” said program coordinator Alex Graham.
She has acted as co-coordinator of the Fergus-Elora program for about four years, along with Julie Wheeler-Bryant. The local program boasts about 13 members and dogs, encompassing a wide variety of breeds, and last year members logged about 722 volunteer hours.
The idea behind the program is simple. People volunteer with their dog and make weekly visits to one of several locations, including Highland Manor Retirement Lodge in Fergus, the Wellington Terrace nursing home in Aboyne, and the Caressant Care nursing home in Fergus.
But not just anyone can join. Due to the nature of the volunteer work, applicants must past police and reference checks and their dog(s) must be well behaved, trained, and groomed, and they must pass a certification test from a qualified inspector.
The local program held a test in Elora on Dec. 13, the first such test held in the area in about six years (often participants have to travel out of town for the test).
All five dogs tested in Elora passed the examination, which screens dogs using aggression, temperament, distraction, and noise tests. Part of the exam involves a wheelchair and other situations dogs may encounter at the homes.
Now, the five new dogs and their owners will make a few visits to one of the locations accompanied by either Graham or Wheeler-Bryant. The coordinators will decide when the dog and member are ready to visit on their own.
“It takes a fairly outgoing person to do it,” Wheeler-Bryant said. But once settled into the job, the dogs sort of take over, she noted.
“The dogs know how to act and they get to know people,” she said. “They can sense when someone is older and using a cane or walker versus someone that is younger and just playing with them – it’s amazing.”
The St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program was established in 1992, and the local program was started about a year later.
Graham has participated with a few of her golden retrievers for the last six years, and Wheeler-Bryant with her wheaten terrier and old English sheepdog for about 12 years.
The program was very successful for about 10 years but began to sort of fizzle out, so both women decided to take on a more prominent role.
“We felt it was really important to keep the program going,” Graham said, adding the results have been great.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” she said of the program. “The dogs love it, so do the people they visit, and we benefit from it as well.”
Wheeler-Bryant agreed.
“There’s a lot of job self-satisfaction,” she said, adding some of the residents of the homes really look forward to the visits. “Sometimes they don’t relate to many people, but they do to dogs. Their faces light up when they see them.”
In addition to the obvious social and emotional benefit that comes from petting, cuddling and talking to the dogs, Graham noted there is also extensive research indicating this interaction can have a positive impact on a person’s overall health.
And while some do not like dogs at all, most residents do, and many of them become lifelong friends to their canine visitors. The program has become so successful there is a waiting list for facilities that would like to receive regular visits.
For instance, Caressant Care in Arthur is on the list, but the program does not really have members who live close enough to that nursing home to make a regular commitment.
Graham and Wheeler-Bryant said they are looking for someone from that area, but are also open to new members located elsewhere. They would like to once again expand the program to include various group homes.
Those interested in joining the program should call Graham at 519-846-5533 or Wheeler-Bryant at 519-846-5567. The pair can also be seen regularly at local home shows.
For more information on the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program visit www.sja.ca and click on Community Service Programs.
