Dogs are not always welcome
Although pets commonly visit nursing homes and day-care facilities, they are not always welcome at hospitals.
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, the largest cancer specialty hospital in the state, forbids pet visits. Therapy director Cynthia Medeiros cited concerns about infection and allergic reactions, as well as a lack of space.
"Not everybody is fond of pets," Medeiros added.
State public health officials said decisions about pet therapy programs are typically left to local boards of health or hospital administrators. The National Institutes of Health, the federal agency that establishes benchmarks for health and safety at hospitals, says more research needs to be done to assess possible hazards of pet therapy.
One NIH study of 284 nursing homes in Minnesota found that visiting and live-in pets were safe and that "only two significant injuries" involving a pet occurred during one year of research.
For the last 10 years, Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., has offered weekly pet therapy for its cancer patients. Tina Piccirilli, coordinator for oncology recreational therapy at the center, said cancer-patient stays at the hospital average four to six weeks. Some patients who are very sick or who have a cold or sore throat may be kept away from the dogs, but usually that's to keep the dogs healthy, she said.
"There are huge benefits," she said. "It provides a normal life experience . . . for hard-to-reach patients."
Organizations that certify pet therapy animals also say the benefits far outweigh the risks. Therapy Dogs International and the nonprofit Delta Society certify that dogs meet standards for behavior. The Delta Society also screens cats, llamas, birds, and other animals for pet therapy purposes.
Dogs must be at least a year old, in good health, and up to date on all their shots. Obviously, they also have to like people, said Michelle Cobey, resource coordinator for the Delta Society.
"There are no breeds we won't allow, except for wolves and wolf mixes," she said.
Diane McDonough, a retired nurse and dog trainer who volunteers in a Freetown group called Pawsabilities, said hospitals need the service. Doctors and nurses have less time to devote to bedside manner, and not many people are comfortable holding a cancer patient's hand, she said.
"The ability to just put your hand on the dog and get that unconditional love, you can't understand what it means to people to be part of something like that," McDonough said.
Caring Canines Visiting Therapy Dogs Inc., the largest pet therapy group in New England, has a long waiting list of nursing homes and retirement facilities from Natick to Boston that want pet visits, said its president, Marilyn Gilbert.
"We could use a thousand more dogs," she said.
MEGAN WOOLHOUSE
