Select your font size

Just What the Doctor Ordered

	Catherine Mirsky and her Australian Shepherd therapy dog Kye.

By Barb Wilson

Remember Polynesia the parrot, who taught Dr. John Doolittle to “talk to the animals” in the 1920s Hugh
Lofting classic Dr. Doolittle books? Well, Ottawa has some canine equivalents with its Ottawa Therapy Dogs. These talented pooches also “talk” to people, bringing those who need it a little “creature” comfort.

Thanks to the vision of Marilyn Benoit, Ottawa Therapy Dogs began in 2000, with its patient-centred approach to improving the lives of those experiencing physical or mental challenges. The program was modelled from the very successful Therapy Dogs International, founded in 1976 in New Jersey. It seems that in physical and emotional rehabilitation, animals have often succeeded where medical interventions have not. People who are unable or unwilling to speak to or interact with others respond well to fourlegged friends. And that’s where the Ottawa Therapy Dogs come into play.

The program’s Animal Assisted Activities take place at a number of health care institutions across the city and surrounding areas. At these locations, patients can simply snuggle up to a furry face and wagging tail, or watch demonstrations of fly ball, obedience training, and tricks. These encounters have very beneficial side effects for patients — such as lowering blood pressure and heart rate, reducing anxiety and depression, and calming those who are agitated.

Volunteer Catherine Mirsky has been involved with Ottawa Therapy Dogs for more than a decade. She’s the chief evaluator for the organization and sits on its standards and practices committee. Catherine and her Australian Shepherd therapy dog Kye visit a number of places in the city, bringing a positive, non-judgmental attitude via a wagging tail.

She and other volunteers and their fourlegged companions visit The Ottawa Hospital campuses, the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, The Ottawa Hospital Rehabilitation Centre, and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, among other centres, as part of the Animal Assisted Therapy. “It’s heartening to see an elderly Alzheimer’s patient, for example, who has, to a large extent, withdrawn from the people around him just light up when he sees or touches one of the therapy dogs,” says Mirsky. “Sometimes, patients will ‘come back,’ even for a short time, and talk about their days with their own dogs. It’s so rewarding.”

Mirsky and Kye are currently working with the eating disorders unit at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. “We’re part of a group therapy program. During our onehour sessions, the goal is to provide emotional support to the children — and therapy dogs are great for that,” she says. “The dog’s presence during the visit acts to normalize the otherwise clinical setting of the hospital.”

Training for both human handler and canine is thorough. “We perform a detailed evaluation of both the ‘north’ and the ‘south’ end of the leash,” explains Mirsky. The interview process also includes an in-depth orientation, evaluation, and police checks upon successful completion. Then the team completes a twostage mentoring process. “We need to be very certain the individuals and their dogs can respond to a variety of situations in a professional and positive manner,” she adds.

Judging by the popularity of Ottawa Therapy Dogs, the positive power of canine companionship is working little miracles every day. For more information on Ottawa Therapy Dogs, visit www.ottawatherapydogs.ca.