Fact: Canis therapy is a time-honoured and proven treatment method, allowing specially trained dogs as companions in hospitals and senior homes. And they can work wonders – even in apathetic patients they can evoke emotions and literally bring them to life for a while – and make them smile!
A MEETING “PURELY BY CHANCE”…
As the saying goes: the best things happen spontaneously – they are not planned! C4C´s Dr. Klaun team member, Martina, met Romana during an after-work activity, “purely by chance” . At the time, Romana, together with her dog, Shany, were a canine therapy team on the look-out for an opportunity to help children in hospitals. Was that a “coincidence”?
Long story short: The C4C Dr. Dog initiative had its inception on that auspicious day!
KOLIN HOSPITAL GETS ON BOARD – DR. DOG PREMIERS ON THE 3RD OF OCTOBER
So, after a lively discussion at a C4C meeting, our newly created Dr. Dog team got the Kolín´ hospital’s permission and it didn’t take two weeks before Dr. Dog, Shany, could wag his tail between the beds of the children in the hospital! Even with a red nose in his mouth! And he was collecting one red nose after another from the children – he loves fetching, you see?
Shany went around all floors and spread joy to the children at the surgery ward and to the other resident kids. The canine eyes of this little Flat Coated Retriever are irresistible. He also does silly things, he plays, cuddles – but , well-trained as he is, he knows that he can´t jump on beds – no more than his snout can be sticking into the bed. He made so many kids happy that day!
MEDICAL STAFF APPARENTLY NOT IMMUNE TO DOGGY CUDDLING EITHER…
Seemingly, nurses and doctors have a need to cuddle too… As it turned out, Shany got the most strokes and attention from the head physician of the children´s ward himself! No wonder, working in a hospital is physically and mentally demanding and so the staff seemed also very much in need of our “dog snout therapy”.
C4C´s Dr. Dog team will be visiting the hospital on a regular, weekly basis and we are already in talks to expand to other hospitals as well. And we already have a few more promising doggies to train! Will you help us with this? Your regular donation will help our Dr. Dog team to visit the children in hospitals and senior homes on a long term and regular basis. Thank you very much!
So let´s put paws to it, shall we?
This is the way to help Dr. Dog:
https://www.darujme.cz/projekt/1205516
Thank you!
Author: Martina Pupcsiková
