Erlanger seeks more dogs to comfort cancer patients

Therapy dog Georgia, a 12-year old Jack Russell Terrier owned by Susan Millican, waits in one of Erlanger Hospital's hallways.  Erlanger Hospital is taking applications from dog owners for their pet to be a therapy dog.
Therapy dog Georgia, a 12-year old Jack Russell Terrier owned by Susan Millican, waits in one of Erlanger Hospital's hallways. Erlanger Hospital is taking applications from dog owners for their pet to be a therapy dog.
photo Therapy dog Georgia, a 12-year old Jack Russell Terrier owned by Susan Millican, waits in one of Erlanger Hospital's hallways. Erlanger Hospital is taking applications from dog owners for their pet to be a therapy dog.

Is your pet eligible?

Those interested in joining the pet therapy program must attend the Oct. 8 information program, from 6-8 p.m. at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. Pets are not allowed to attend. For more information, contact Ruth Sapp at habit-et@utk.edu or 865-974-5633.

George is nervous.

He's not accustomed to sitting in a lady's lap and he fidgets, looking up at his owner, Susan Millican.

"Here, give him a treat," she tells Edie Robinson, a patient on Erlanger hospital's oncology (cancer) floor.

"Leave it," Susan tells George, and he obeys until Edie puts the treat in front of his mouth and Susan tells him it's OK to eat it.

Edie beams.

And Susan couldn't be happier. A cancer survivor herself, she's one of a dozen volunteers who bring their dogs to Erlanger every month to provide a smile for patients.

"When I was going through [breast cancer] treatment, I could always tell him I didn't feel good and he would climb up and cuddle," Millican said of her 12-year-old Jack Russell terrier. "He was so much help with my journey."

So now Millican, a former Dade County teacher, wants to give back to others facing the same difficult challenge she faced. Once a month she brings George to spend an hour or so going from room to room, wherever the staff feels that a visit will be appreciated.

"We had a young man, his dad said we should come and see him," Susan said. "We went in and as soon as George was on the bed he teared up - that keeps me coming back."

Erlanger has had therapy dogs working in its Children's Hospital for years, but the program for adult patients is only about a year old. It has been so successful that the hospital is now looking for 15 more dogs and owners. They've scheduled an information session for Thursday at Children's Hospital for dog owners who think their pets might make good therapy dogs.

Not every dog will qualify, explained Chris Hensley, head of Erlanger's pet therapy program. While it is not required, obedience training is recommended. Dogs can't be aggressive and must be calm around hospital equipment, crowds of people, and loud noises. For its expanded program, Erlanger is working with HABIT (Human Animal Bond in Tennessee), a nonprofit group affiliated with the University of Tennessee Veterinary School in Knoxville, which will do the screening.

The size or type of dog doesn't matter. The current menagerie includes a Great Dane, a golden retriever, two bloodhounds who are sisters, a shih tzu, a Newfoundland, a Great Pyrenees and George, among others. They do need to be groomed and vaccinated, although Hensley carries around a lint brush to remove unwanted dog hair.

It took a couple of visits for George to hit his stride, Millican said.

"He's real good at going up to people who are standing, but he is a small dog, so when you are putting him in someone's lap or on a bed, he gets nervous."

But now George seems to look forward to the visits. "When we start in the door and he recognizes where he is, he gets that pep in his step," Millican said.

She originally worked with George in Children's Hospital, but realized the adult hospital was more rewarding.

"With the children, it's 'Hey, doggie! doggie!'" she said, "but with the adults, you see that longing goes deeper. They are really missing a pet."

The pets are taken throughout the oncology floors, visiting patients who are terminally ill or others who are just in the hospital for treatment. They'll even visit the intensive care unit if a doctor or nurse requests it.

Erlanger's staff recognizes the value of the program.

"When a family member says, 'This is the first time he has smiled since he has been in the hospital,'" Hensley said, "that's when we know we are on the right track."

Contact staff writer Steve Johnson at sjohnson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6673.

Upcoming Events