Dogs have a way of brightening up the mood when they enter a room.
That natural bond between humans and certain animals is increasingly recognized by the medical community to be beneficial to patients recovering from illness or surgery.
That hasn’t gone unnoticed at the Wyoming Medical Center, which now has a therapy pet program organized by the Volunteer Services department and the NERD Health and Wellness Center.
So far two volunteers working with the Alliance Therapy Dogs program are involved.
As Charlie Vogel and Tomi Cox made their way through the WMC’s surgical center on Wednesday, they were constantly stopped by both staff and patients for some quick quality times with their dogs.
Vogel, a former WMC employee and now volunteer, rescued her greyhound mix Annie a few years back. “She was thrown away 30 miles from Cody on the side of the road as a puppy,” said Vogel.
Cox’s dog, Takoda, is a Border Collie and new to the program.
The animals need a number of qualifications before becoming registered for the program. Personality and obedience tests, vaccinations, and the ability to work as a team with owners are some of the requirements.
“I get more out of it than the patients do, I think,” said Vogel. “Dogs seem to get through to people.”
“They smile, they always smile,” said Vogel.
Cox recalls a case where a family was involved in serious accident that killed a grandfather and left a young boy without legs.
The boy was in a “deep state of depression,” said Cox. Her visits dramatically helped the boy’s mood as well as his family’s.
“There’s nothing more loving than a dog that gives unconditional love,” said Cox.
Mary Bundy, from Lander, has been recovering in the hospital for nearly 30 days after suffering a life-threataning stomach perforation.
Bundy, who has several pets back home, says the dog visits the highlight of her days. “I think that we become depersonalized in here, and the dogs bring that back out,” said Bundy. “They’re lovable, they’re huggable, and they give you a lot…and they don’t even know you.”
Anyone interested in the therapy dog program can contact director of population health director Mary Facciani at the NERD Wellness Center at Wyoming Medical Center. For information on becoming a registered therapy dog handler, call 307-577-2931
