Hospital expands kids’ therapy dog program
B.C. Children’s Hospital is doubling the number of visiting dogs in its pet therapy program and building a dedicated playroom for the visits.
The hospital’s dog visitation program now has 15 dogs instead of seven, and will help 86,000 patients every year in many areas of the hospital, including emergency, surgical daycare, the medical day unit and the neurology and cardiology wards, the hospital announced in a release on Tuesday.
Blayke Vandusen, who’s four and has been an outpatient at B.C. Children’s since she was two weeks old because she has the rare chromosomal disorder Turner syndrome, was delighted to play with the dogs on Tuesday while she was there for several appointments.
“She said her favourite was George the Shih Tzu, but she was glued to Riley (the goldendoodle) the whole time,” said Blayke’s mother, Cassandra Vandusen.
She said last year Blayke was hospitalized and intubated for nine days, and her parents took her back to the hospital when she recovered to show her it wasn’t a scary place.
“Her anxiety was bad, but when they brought in the therapy dog, it made a huge difference,” Vandusen said. “She went from so worked up to totally calm.”
The incident led to the Vandusens getting a Frenchton, a Boston terrier-French bulldog mix, they named Molly.
“So now we have one at home,” said Vandusen.
“It’s unbelievable how much a pet coming in brightens up their (in-patients’) day and makes coming to the hospital if they’re an outpatient a better experience,” said John DeFranco of PetSmart Charities of Canada, which funded the expansion.
“It completely changes their outlook for that day. It makes something that could be a difficult time a little more fun.”
DeFranco said the volunteer dogs and their owners are trained through St. John’s Ambulance program for therapy dogs.