|
Mary Washington Hospital patient Faith Marburger pets Bree, a rescued greyhound.
Devon Montgomery, 6, gets a visit from Angel as she recovers from a horse kick last Sunday at Mary Washington Hospital.
Smiles are contagious when Spiritkeepers are around. Here, they visit hospital staff members. |
Brown dogs, yellow dogs, black dogs, white dogs.
Goldens, Labs, greyhounds, schnauzers.
More than 50 dogs lounge around the room, lifting noses for pats and thumping the floor with their tails as passers-by lean over to scratch behind their ears.
These are therapy dogs, trained to cheer the sick, comfort the bereaved and listen uncritically as novice readers stumble over unfamiliar words.
The occasion is the 10th anniversary of Spiritkeepers, a chapter of Therapy Dogs International, and a surprise tribute to Sue Peetoom, the organization's founder.
"If you and Lee had not decided to do this, none of us would be here. We wouldn't have met these wonderful people, shared these wonderful experiences," says Linda Damiano as she presents Peetoom with a scrapbook filled with photos from a decade of canine caring.
Lee Peetoom, Sue's husband, also has been involved in the organization.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs that help the handicapped. Their function is, as their name implies, therapeutic.
Kim Fraser, owner with her husband of two therapy dogs, cites studies that show the dogs lower blood pressure and increase pain-reducing endorphins, as well as getting people's minds off their troubles.
Spiritkeepers grew out of something that happened when Peetoom was visiting her father in a Bowling Green nursing home.
The wife of another patient asked if a dog could visit her husband, who was in a coma. When they put his hand on the dog's paw, the man squeezed it and tried to stroke it. It was his first response in three weeks, and the beginning of his recovery.
"I'll never forget that," Peetoom said at the anniversary celebration. "I had heard of therapy dogs before, and I thought this was something I'd like to do."
She soon connected with Therapy Dogs International, a volunteer organization dedicated to providing comfort and companionship to hospital patients, nursing home residents and other places where they can make a difference.
Not just any dog can be a therapy dog.
Cathi Allison explained the ideal temperament by describing her American pit bull terrier, Pumpkin.
"She's mellow, not dog-aggressive, loves children, sits quietly. She's very intuitive. She loves everyone and everyone loves her."
Intuition is a key ingredient, the dog handlers agree.
Fraser tells the story of a visit to the maternity section at Mary Washington Hospital with her greyhound, Bree.
"She was the patient," Fraser said of the mother-to-be, "but [the father] was stressed to the max. Bree went right over and jumped onto the couch with the guy."
Therapy dogs also have to be what their handlers call "bomb proof"--able to take loud noises and unexpected events in their stride.
They also have to pass a test before they can start visiting places.
From its origins with a few dogs from King George County, Spiritkeepers has grown to around 75 volunteers and 100 dogs, and expanded its range of operation to include Mary Washington Hospital, Snowden at Fredericksburg, a number of local nursing homes and the PAWS for R.E.A.D.ing program at Central Rappahannock Regional library branches.
It took more than two years to get hospital officials to agree to let the dogs come in. Angus Muir, director of palliative care at the hospital, started taking his dogs to make his patients feel better. Damiano worked hard to expand the areas where the dogs were welcome.
"We started with pediatrics," Peetoom said. "Now the only place we don't go is the ICU."
They even visit the emergency room, where the staff has a special drawer with doggy treats for canine friends.
Spiritkeepers members say it isn't only the patients and their relatives who benefit from the dogs' visits--staff members relieve stress by hugging furry bodies as well.
Linda Nesbitt, youth services library assistant at the CRRL headquarters on Caroline Street, waxes enthusiastic about Spiritkeepers' reading program. The dogs are uncritical listeners, easing pressure on those who might be a little shaky on their reading skills.
"Dogs, children, books, how could it get any better?" Nesbitt asked.
The program is massively popular.
"Everybody comes," Nesbitt said. "Moms, grandpas. We've had so many we've had to turn some away."
In order to accommodate everyone who wants to participate, the headquarters branch has gone to offering the program two times a month instead of just once.
"We're so lucky to have this great partnership," Nesbitt said.
The most memorable event in Spiritkeepers' first decade, members agree, was the month they spent at the Family Assistance Center at the Pentagon after Sept. 11. The dogs were there to offer comfort to family members who had come to find out what had happened to their loved ones.
"The dogs did it all," Peetoom said. "We let [the people] come to us; we didn't know what they needed."
The stories are haunting, like that of the Marine who knelt by Muir's golden retriever, Z.J., threw his arms around the dog and buried his face in its fur. He stayed like that for perhaps 15 minutes, then rose, said "Thank you," and walked away.
Many of the dogs at the Pentagon during that time were already fairly old; only a few are left now. There were five veterans at the anniversary celebration. Irish, a 14-year-old golden retriever, traveled all the way from Glen Burnie, Md., for the celebration.
"We had to come," said Laurie Collins, Irish's handler. "These are wonderful, wonderful people."
Fraser agrees.
"We have all, because of Sue, become a right tight group of families. Who knew 10 years ago that they would become such great friends?"
To reach LUCIA ANDERSON:
Email: landerson@freelancestar.com
