Michelle Traw, Therapy Dog Director, and Jack; Beverly Wlodarski, RN; and Toni Glenn and Spring

Toni Glenn and Spring

On Wednesday evenings, post-op patients at Bone & Joint Hospital’s “Joint Center” in Oklahoma City are getting restless as they anticipate going home the following day.  They’ve been there since Monday when they had their surgery, and they have been going through their prescribed rehab for several days.  Now, they’re just ready to get home to their families, familiar surroundings and, for many, to their pets whom they’ve also missed.

Shortly after dinner, Beverly Wlodarski, RN and Evening House Supervisor, gingerly sticks her head in each door to announce:  “The Therapy Dogs are here…would you like a visit?”

If the answer is yes (as it most often is), Therapy Dog teams consisting of A New Leash on Life, Inc. volunteers and their pets, quietly enter the room and introduce themselves and their dogs.   While the patient is already eagerly petting and ohhhing and ahhhhing over the dogs, most conversations follow the common threads of:  “Do you have a dog?….what’s his name?”....and off they go telling stories about their beloved pets, both past and present, and laughing over their endearing antics or qualities.

For a short time, their attention has shifted to the calm presence of the dog and warm conversation about something they love. They always smile and have been duly “cheered” by the end of the visit.

When asked what she thinks the dogs bring to the patients, Beverly said, “ A healing touch…and uplifted spirits.   They love the Therapy Dog visits.”

For more information on how you and your pet can become a certified Therapy Dog team, see our website at www.newleashinc.org or call (405) 224-7715.