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One of the most special manifestations of the animal-human bond is the ability for a dog to put a smile on the face of a child in hospital or the residents of a nursing home. THE VETERINARIAN One of the most special manifestations of the animal-human bond is the ability for a dog to put a smile on the face of a child in hospital or the residents of a nursing home. For a special moment, people are able to transcend their circumstances and give themselves up to the joy of patting and interacting with a furry friend. The Delta Society’s Pet Partners Program trains volunteers and their pets for recreational and diversional activities in facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centres and community group homes. The program started in 1998 with eight volunteers and by the end of this year it will have nearly 500 volunteers. Teams visit more than 250 facilities in city and regional areas. Delta Society general manager John Cornwall said all sorts of people and dogs participated in Pet Partners, from miniature poodles to rottweilers. “We recruit dogs that are as close to perfect temperamentally as you can get,” he said. “They undergo training and have to be fool proof.” Volunteers and their dogs are trained and tested rigorously including assessments of how the animal reacts to over-enthusiastic or clumsy petting, gesturing and being held by strangers. Successful teams are matched to a facility in their area, wear a bright uniform on visits and carry photo ID of the volunteer and dog. Owners take care not to work their dogs past its limits and are trained to detect stress. Some sessions last 45 minutes, others can last up to three hours. “The dogs are quite remarkable as many get to know when they’re going to work,” Dr Cornwall said. He said Cilla, a six-year-old dog from Adelaide, was a bit of a crazy girl, running around, invariably into trees and lampposts. But as soon as her owner puts on the visiting uniform, she settles down and gets ready for work. An integral part of Pet Partners success has been people’s generosity. The non-profit program is supported by donations from the public, facilities it visits, local businesses and community clubs. More than seventy dogs that visit acute care children’s and adult hospitals are pathology tested every three months to ensure they are not carrying zoonotic pathogens. Throat swabs are cultured for Strep pyogenes, faecal flotation is conducted to detect ova, cysts and parasites and faecal cultures are done to eliminate Salmonella, Shigella and Campylobacter. Mayne Vetnostics and Gribbles Pathology provide their services free of charge and most veterinarians waive their fee for consults. This saves the program in excess of $50,000 each year. Volunteers are not paid, not even a travel allowance. If volunteers were paid $120 for every visit it would cost about $2 million each year to run the program, Dr Cornwall said. Taking advantage of a lot of goodwill, it costs about $180,000 each year. A small price to pay for a lot of smiles. |
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