Dogs on Call: Canine Companions are Back
When Goldendoodle Sky walked through the halls of Mugar recently at Cape Cod Hospital (assisted by his handler, Patrick), he is greeted by nurses with an abundance of love, smiles and hugs—as well as enthusiastic comments from staff:
“The dogs are back!”
“It puts us in a good mood. Thank you!”
“We missed them.”
“The gift of a Goldendoodle!”
“Hi, my little friend.”
“OMG—look at him!”
Patrick and Sky are volunteers for “Dogs On Call,” a program that returned recently to Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital. The pet therapy program aims to bring comfort and a sense of peace to patients, visitors and staff. Requirements to be a certified therapy dog include maintaining a calm and easy-going temperament; good manners and social skills with people; and getting along with other dogs.
Goldendoodle Sky, a therapy dog with Dogs On Call, visits with staff on the Mugar floors at Cape Cod Hospital.
Handler Patrick and his Goldendoodle Sky spreads cheer to staff at Cape Cod Hospital’s Mugar Building.
Handler Lois, with Aurora (a long-haired dachshund), and handler Judy, with Breezy (a cavalier King Charles spaniel), bring joy to staff and patients at Falmouth Hospital.
Leah Hyman, lovingly referred to as the “dog lady,” launched Dogs On Call in 2019 and built up the program to 25 teams of dogs and their handlers. A year after it started, COVID-19 unfortunately paused Dogs On Call indefinitely. “It was the worst timing because just when patients and staff needed therapy dogs the most, we weren’t allowed inside the hospitals,” says Hyman.
But in early February 2023, the Dogs on Call program began once again and is spreading cheer in the hospitals’ hallways and patients’ rooms. Visits occur every week at both Cape Cod and Falmouth Hospitals and has now expanded visits to the Davenport Mugar Cancer Center and Cuda Women’s Health Center in Hyannis.
When the teams visit the hospitals, nurse managers provide the coordinator with instructions, detailing which patients might like a visit. If patients would like a therapy dog visit, they are required to sign a patient consent form, stating that they aren’t afraid of dogs and have no allergies.
“It’s all about bringing smiles to patients and staff,” says Hyman, who has fond memories of volunteering with her late rescue greyhound Ruby in the Caring Canines Pet therapy program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. “If I could describe this first day back in one word, it would be ‘joy’ and it will only be multiplied when we have more teams!”
Dogs On Call is seeking additional volunteers: Does your dog love people and lots of affection? Please email Kerry Lawson (kelawson@capecodhealth.org) for Cape Cod Hospital and Susan Hanley (shanley@capecodhealth.org) for Falmouth Hospital to find out how to get your dog certified as a therapy dog and volunteer!
