Focus on Families
Paw Partners
T
he sight of Remmy, a 2-and-a-half-year-old Rottweiler, strolling the corridors of Children’s Hospital with Gloucester Township Police Sergeant Bob Stavola may seem peculiar to some, but Remmy is on a mission to fulfill his role as a four-legged friend to patients and families. Both Remmy and Bob are participants in Paw Partners, a pet therapy program at Children’s Hospital that provides patients and families with visits from certified therapy dogs. The goal: to decrease the stress and anxiety of illness, injury and hospitalization for patients through positive interactions with man’s best friend. The Paw Partners program at Children’s Hospital began in 1998 with a grant from Milkbone, a division of Kraft Foods. This annual grant helps cover behavioral and medical screenings performed by the program’s partner, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Glen Fleischer, vice president of Milkbone, and his dog Oscar were among the first group of Paw Partner volunteers at Children’s Hospital. Today, the program has grown to include 25 dogs and their owners, who regularly visit hospitalized patients throughout Children’s Hospital’s Main Campus. The emotional benefits that animals provide are difficult to measure; pets help humans without anyone knowing exactly why. But the fact that dogs like Remmy can feel a patient’s pain, joy or stress comes as no surprise to pet owners. Families and healthcare providers at Children’s Hospital also clearly see that canine volunteers allow children to focus, even for a short period of time, on something other than themselves.
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Children’s View Volume
4, Issue 1
“Remmy has a way of making people smile and forget their problems, even if just for a minute,” says Bob Stavola. “He is there not only for patients, but for families, nurses, doctors and anyone who stops to pet him.” Remmy offers much more than a head to pat. One afternoon, a family approached Bob to ask if Remmy would visit their daughter. The girl had been bitten in the face by a dog, and her family was concerned that she would now be fearful. “The little girl stood behind a window in the playroom,” says Bob. “When she saw Remmy in the hallway, her eyes lit up. Before we knew what hit us, she and Remmy were the best of buddies playing together.” Lisa Serad, a Paw Partners volunteer with her Rhodesian Ridgebacks Hali and Bauer, appreciates Children’s Hospital’s comprehensive program. “Dog owners are required to complete volunteer screening and training, and dogs must pass extensive physical and behavioral evaluations at Penn’s Veterinary Hospital,” says Lisa. “Handlers must also shadow a volunteer for a few visits before they solo with their dog. With this extensive training, I tend to think of Paw Partner dogs as ‘Ivy League’ therapy dogs,” she adds. Lisa notes that her work with Hali and Bauer brings personal benefits. “It helps put life into perspective,” says Lisa. “If I’m having a bad day at work, I go in and see what those kids and their families are going through, and I realize that my troubles are minor. “If we can help make things a little better for them, even for just a few minutes, how can you not help?”