Dog Therapy Begins At Genesis Good Samaritan

Genesis Good Samaritan hospital is bringing comfort and healing to patients and visitors in a whole new way.

Caring Canines is a new dog therapy program taking place at the hospital. Handlers and their certified dogs can walk the halls and visit patients. Kathy Lighthizer, an on call staff nurse and dog handler says that the response has been a positive one.

"It’s been an extremely enthusiastic response. I go to Good Sam and the first place we go when we go into Good Sam is the third floor waiting room and that’s where you wait while your family member is in surgery in CPU, and of course those people are especially anxious and nervous and max really brings smiles to peoples faces."

There are 5 dogs total taking part in the program. One of those dogs being Max, Lighthizers 4 year old German Shepherd. All of the dogs go through rigid training and are then tested and certified by Therapy Dogs International. Lighthizer says that this method of therapy has a lot of importance.

"Well I think that it’s many and varied. A lot of times it can just be a break from the tension and anxiety of the day because anyone that’s in the hospital or visiting in the hospital, you’re automatically nervous, anxious, concerned, in pain, whatever the case may be and I think that a dog can break that for a brief period of time."

If you would like to learn more about therapy dog training and requirements, you can visit the Therapy Dog International website: www.tdi-dog.org