I was visiting a rehab hospital with one of my corgis, Jack, in our role as a therapy dog team. A nurse came over and said, “One of our patients just loves corgis! Would you see her?”
I entered a room that was slightly darkened but not oppressively so. It was illuminated by the presence of the patient’s family and pictures of dogs on the side table. And the dogs in the pictures? Corgis, of course!
The woman lying in the bed was recovering from a stroke. As soon as I picked up Jack, she broke into the biggest smile and began to pet him. And as she stroked Jack, her family gasped, cried and smiled. It was the first time the patient had used her arm.
That’s the power of therapy dogs, and that’s why I think of them as angels on a lead. Their very presence can bring healing and comfort when nothing else can. They are the essence of love. The Letter to the Hebrews says there are times that we entertain angels unawares. I believe when welcoming therapy dogs into hospitals, schools, crises response areas, cancer centers and more, we have welcomed angels.
I belong to the local chapter of the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). The mission of ATD is simple – sharing smiles and joys. All the ATD members have their own stories to share. Beverly Calvert became involved with ATD after retirement as a way of giving back to the community.
She finds it especially meaningful to visit “folks in assisted living that can no longer have their beloved pets with them or visiting college students during exams or other stressful time when they are really missing their pets.”
Beverly knows that her dogs have a magic ability to bring people out of themselves or be a calming presence in time of need.
If you have a dog in your life, then you have your own therapy animal and that is a blessing in itself. But not every dog is cut out to be a licensed therapy dog. In ATD, each prospective dog and handler is tested to see how they respond to different environments and people. Then, there are three supervised visits to see the team in action. Only then can the team be a member of ATD.
Carol Cox is another long-term member of ATD. She told me that, “Since I worked in the medical field in cardiology for over 30 years, I know how important giving back is. I know how the people in the hospital enjoy seeing the dogs. It lowers blood pressure and helps fight stress. When you’re a staff member and you’ve had a bad day, seeing the dogs just brighten your day. And bringing my dogs brightens my day.”
Carol also related how therapy dogs can make a difference just by their very presence. She was making an evening visit to Wellstar Hospital when she met a young resident who was just going home for the night. He told her, “I’ve been here for hours, and I’m exhausted. And you just made my day.”
That’s the essence of the work of therapy dogs – making someone’s day. For me, this has become my ministry since retiring as an Episcopal priest. One of my favorite places to visit with my current therapy dog Zelda is Augusta Oncology (AO). It’s also the most meaningful because I’m a patient at AO.
Just a few minutes with Zelda can lift the spirits of the staff or bring smiles to the patients. Zelda and I spend time listening to the patients. Some will want to talk about their cancer journey with a person who knows what it’s like. Others want to talk about their own pets or what they want to do when they finish treatment. Others just want to stroke Zelda’s soft fur, saying nothing, but speaking volumes with their eyes. And Zelda and I just listen. It’s a holy interaction. But then, of course it is. I’m with an angel on a lead.
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Taylor, is a retired Episcopal Priest and full-time animal lover.
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The corgi and Cindy are angels. Cindy is unleashed.