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Therapy

Lofranco's Vasta Madame Bonnie is an exceptionally beautiful, large, white Kuvasz. The breed of sheep herding service dogs known as The Gentle Guardians. Living up to her legacy, Bonnie has spent the last eight years travelling to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, seniors facilities, and other handicapped facilities, three of those years as a Registered St.John's Ambulance Therapy Dog.

While anyone who is a pet owner and lover will tell you that their pet is a source of love and joy, only recently in the last few years has the medical community begun to really explore the possibilities of using animals in therapy programs. Therapy Dogs and their owners often find it is a simple boost to the spirit that they provide to the people they visit. " A patient's face will light up when a St. John's volunteer and dog come to visit, sometimes adding variety to an otherwise boring day," says Marlene Phillips, Bonnie's owner. There are physical benefits to pet therapy as well. Owning a pet contributes to the amount of exercise a person gets, but few people realize that the tactile application of holding and petting a cat or dog manifests itself in positive health benefits. " It's been documented that the stroking of an animal lowers your blood pressure," Marlene explains.

Bonnie was a member of Therapy Dogs International, a program based out of New Jersey, U.S.A. before the inception of the St. John's Program here in Canada. Three years ago, Marlene got together with Jim Newell, now the chief for Canada and Doreen Brock, provincial co-ordinator, and coproduced a video with her local cable company to help get St. John's to take on the project. The response was tremendous, and Marlene says there has been no looking back. Indeed, the program has been so successful across Ontario that in three short years of existence its size has grown by huge leaps and bounds. As of March of this year, there were 1,000 handlers taking their dogs to visit 21,000 people each week at hospitals and seniors homes. Most major cities in Ontario now have the program, and there is a long list of towns waiting for trained volunteers with requests for expansion of the program coming from across Canada. As a senior, Marlene says the program is of special importance to her. Aside from the emotional benefits of being a volunteer, it gives her the opportunity to be active and involved in the communities and facilities she visits, and allows her to spend time with Bonnie in a constructive way. According to Marlene, there are a lot of seniors involved in the program, including the founders Jim Newell and Doreen Brock. " These are seniors who are on the go. We're never bored." Marlene Stresses the importance of Therapy Dogs to the seniors she meets through her visits. " I think the elderly really benefit from a weekly visit," she says. " Our social structure is one that tends to separate the elderly from their pets." This is even more significant in that, for some, their senior years are the ones in which animals may be their only source of unconditional love and companionship. With the trend towards recognizing the important role pets play in our lives, Marlene adds that you now see more cats and birds in nursing homes, something she feels is a wonderful improvement in the quality of care our elder population is receiving.

Now that Bonnie is a little older and has been visiting for eight years, Marlene has slowed her schedule down a little. These days, one might see Bonnie in her Red Harness (Therapy dog " uniform") visiting any number of schools in the area, teaching children from Kindergarten to Grade 1 or 2 about good pet care, good veterinarian care, and how to avoid dog bites, something of particular concern to parents with very young children.

" I think there needs to be better education for everybody." Marlene says. Bonnie has, in past, been chosen to represent St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dogs at medical Conventions and schools. " Bonnie's getting a reputation as being very safe to take into the schools." It was during her first 1 1/2 years of age, while traveling across Canada as a Kennel Club Champion, that Bonnie's unique temperament was first observed. She is gentle, loving and patient, all of which are prime criteria for Therapy Dogs who are chosen for this rather than their breed or whether they are purebred. Each dog is put through a rigorous amount of training and must pass a Canine Good Citizen test before being allowed into the program. More tests follow by a St.John's Evaluator and visiting is closely monitored. Marlene explains that it is important that only the right dogs be registered. " Great care must be exercised when choosing a Therapy Dog," she says. Eligible animals have a docile temperament who won't upset when a hospital alarm goes off, won't get annoyed when ears are pulled, and won't bite if a wheelchair accidentally runs a paw. Anyone with a dog that feel may be right for the program and who is interested in becoming a volunteer should get in touch with St. John's Ambulance Head Office and ask about the Therapy Dog Program. Marlene and Bonnie encourage seniors to get involved with the program to keep themselves active, help other seniors, and meet a lot of new people.

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