Why we need dose of dogness
“I so needed that today – a decent dose of dogness,” he says from his hospital bed.
September is Therapy Dog Awareness Month and this is one of many columns I could never have imagined writing.
Sometimes there just are no words. A family member’s health and wellbeing is brittle. They are hospitalised and it’s hard to find a way of comforting them or lifting spirits.
We try nature with the beauty of flowers, we try music and books, even chocolate and lollies. A cup of tea, a phone call from a distant relative – every bit of thoughtfulness we summons but still sometimes we come up short.
In the hundreds of lines I’ve written in this august publication over the years I have done my best to avoid mentioning (although sometimes alluding to) my family members. This morning I break with this tradition to share with you a little about my favourite son, Jasper the wheaten border collie.
In the first week in my present employment position I was delighted to find that one of my responsibilities involved bringing a therapy dog to the hospital.
I will spare you the details but after a long search throughout this fair town I came up with not even the faintest whiff of a dog or volunteer handler.
In desperation I decided to offer up one of our favourite family members Jasper for assessment with Delta Therapy Dogs.
He has a long history of hating baths and loving mud which I did not believe would put him in prime position as a regular hospital visitor.
When I parked at the assessment venue in Brisbane and found out it was a dog-washing facility I almost turned around and drove back up the hill with both of our tails between our legs. But he passed!
In 15 glorious minutes he was assessed as worthy.
It took me the whole of the next day to be trained and I am still learning, all the time.
In the comprehensive training package put together by Delta Therapy Dogs I continually found this wet stuff coming out of my eyes.
I learnt of aged-care residents whose only connection was a furry friend. I heard incredible stories of therapy dogs attending funerals and the legendary work of the late Nanook an Alaskan Malamute who visited the Queensland Children’s hospital for several years.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Jasper has not had as many hospital visits in 2020 as we would have liked.
But each one of them has made an enormous impact. From the moment he enters the hospital doors he receives and gives love.
A number of staff sincerely believe he is their very special friend. And you know what? He is.
He has gone into competition with our cardiologists, performing a miracle on a patient a few months back. They’re still in business for now.
To be in the room as those brown doggie eyes lock in with a person nearing the end of their life is an unbelievable privilege.
He is paid above award wages with a number of his favourites across the hospital regularly topping up a treat container.
The visit may be brief or it may be long – but he leaves more than his hair behind.
We all need that dose of dogness. PS. Jasper cannot wait for each visit and now tolerates a bath.