Banner Del E. Webb to celebrate expansion of dog therapy program with a costumed pet parade
SUN CITY WEST (April 13, 2009) – Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center has something to howl about – its Caring Canine program has grown to a corps of about 35 dogs in preparation for an expanded program that will provide hospital-wide patient visits beginning April 20.
The therapy dog program began in 2002 with six dogs and quickly expanded. Currently, however, the dogs and their human companions only visit the Medical Psychiatric and Dementia units. Now, the program will be expanded throughout the hospital with the dogs visiting most units.
To celebrate, the nonprofit medical center will host a parade of its therapy dogs through the hospital starting at 10 a.m. April 20.
This won’t be just any parade. The dogs, with the help of their volunteer humans, will be dressed to thrill in their spring finery. The procession will begin in the East Lobby of the hospital where children from the Child Development Center will be on hand to pet, cuddle and send the hospital’s most beloved four-pawed volunteers on their way. The dogs will visit all six floors of the medical center.
“It is amazing to see how patients respond to the dogs,” said Marci Coffman, director of Behavioral Health at Banner Del E. Webb. “Dementia patients are especially responsive to the animals’ visits. Where they might not be interacting with people at all, the dogs seem to elicit memories and give these patients a connection to their surroundings.”
The dogs that volunteer at the hospital are carefully screened, according to Ron Schoenwald, a hospital volunteer who oversees the program. His dog Sonny, a Papillion, has been part of the program since it began. “The main thing is that the dogs are healthy and good around people. They must undergo a thorough check up and then they have to pass a test to ensure they are well behaved when on site,” Schoenwald added.
Suzy, another caring canine, visits on a regular basis with her human, Debbie Heim. Suzy, a Pomeranian, seemed a natural when visiting Debbie’s mom in assisted care. “She’d stop by each door, wanting to say hello to all the other patients,” Heim said. “When I heard about the pet therapy program, I thought Suzy would be perfect for it.”
About Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center is a 404-bed, acute-care nonprofit medical center in Sun City West offering heart care, emergency care, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, cancer care, obstetrics and gynecology, outpatient services, physical rehabilitation and behavioral services. Banner Del E. Webb is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit health care system with 22 hospitals throughout the West.
