ANIMAL THERAPY
DOGS AT WORK
Dondi Austin, CNM, MS
Kaiser Permanente, Downey
GDD Tomay
Working Dogs
 Guide Dogs
 Psychiatric Service
 Service Dogs
Dogs
 Therapy Dogs
 Seizure Alert Dogs
 Olfactory Research
Dogs
 Assistance Dogs
 Hearing Dogs
 Skilled Companion
Dogs
 Facility Dogs
Working Dogs… Other Jobs
 Police Dogs – K9 units
 Explosive Detection Dogs
 Drug Sniffing Dogs
 Search & Rescue Dogs / Cadaver Dogs
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Prohibited discrimination on the basis of a disability
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)

Expanded coverage to anyone with a “physical or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major
life activities” entitling them to protection under the law,
against discrimination in employment, housing,
transportation & other areas of public life.
Under the ADA
 Businesses & organizations that serve the public MUST allow
people with disabilities to bring their service animal into all
areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to
go.
 Applies to ALL businesses including:
 Restaurants
 Hotels
 Taxis/shuttles
 Hospitals/medical offices
 Grocery/dept stores
 Theatres
 Health clubs
 Parks & zoos
Americans with Disabilities Act
 Businesses MAY ask if an animal is a service animal
and/or what tasks the animal has been trained to
perform
 Businesses MAY NOT ask about the persons
disability nor require special ID for the animal
*puppies in training are not covered by the ADA; puppy
raisers are taught to ask permission
Americans with Disabilities Act
 People with disabilities who use service animals
CANNOT be
Charged extra fees
 Isolated from other patrons
 Treated less favorably than other patrons

 They may be charged for damages in the same
manner as other patrons if damages are caused by
the service animal
Americans with Disabilities Act
A person with a service animal CANNOT be asked to
remove the service dog from the premises UNLESS:
 The animal is out of control & the owner does not take
effective action to control it (e.g. a dog barking
repeatedly during a movie)
 The animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of
others.
* allergies or fear of animals are NOT valid reasons
Americans with Disabilities Act
A business is NOT REQUIRED to provide care or
food for a service animal or to provide a special
location for the animal to relieve itself
Canine Companions for Independence (CCI)
 Founded in 1975
 Non-profit organization that enhances the
lives of people with disabilities by providing
highly trained assistance dogs & ongoing
support to ensure quality partnerships
Canine Companions for Independence
 Headquarters - Santa Rosa, CA
 Regional Center – Oceanside, CA (southwest)
 Largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs
 Breeding program
 Volunteer puppy raisers
CCI Assistance Dogs
4 types of Assistance Dogs:
1. Service Dog = assists with physical tasks to increase
independence of a disabled person by reducing
reliance on other people
Disabilities may include: spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis,
cerebral palsy, spina bifida, arthritis
SERVICE DOGS … OPEN DOORS
CCI: Types of Assistance Dogs
2. Skilled Companions = dogs trained to work with a
child/adult with a disability, under the guidance of
a facilitator (parent, spouse, or caregiver) who are
responsible for customizing the training needs.

Can also serve as a social bridge for people who are not used
to relating to a person with a disability
Disabilities may include: cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy,
Down syndrome, autism
Cory with Skilled Companion “Melly”
“I used to be the kid in the wheelchair, now, I’m the
kid with the amazing dog.”
CCI: Types of Assistance Dogs
3. Hearing Dogs = alert the deaf and hard of hearing
to sounds such as a doorbell, telephone, alarm
clock, someone calling a name or a smoke alarm

Customized training may include E-mail message alert, text
alert, microwave timer, dropped keys (retrieval)
Disabilities served: hearing impairment
CCI: Types of Assistance Dogs
4. Facility Dogs = taught over 40 commands designed
to motivate & inspire clients with special needs

Generally work in healthcare & educational settings
CCI Facility Dog Millie
“ Millie gives patients a sense of wellbeing, a connection to
their home life, a bridge to trusting hospital staff &
motivation to get out of bed.”
-Jennifer Johnson, Child Life Specialist
CCI: Wounded Veterans Initiative
 Providing assistance
dogs to veterans with
physical disabilities
resulting from military
service:
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Service dog
Hearing dog
Skilled Companion dog
Facility dogs
To visit & work directly with
veterans through therapy
professionals
“The most advanced technology capable of
transforming the lives of people with
disabilities has a COLD NOSE & a WARM
HEART.”
Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs)
 A service dog trained individually to mitigate the
effects of their disabled partner’s psychiatric
disabilities by performing certain tasks
Disabilities served: panic disorders, post traumatic stress
disorder, depression, bipolar disorders & agoraphobia
Psychiatric Service Dogs
Job Description:
 Guide a handler disoriented by anxiety
 Conduct a room search (to alleviate fear of intruder)
 Interrupt a panic attack & seek help for an
incapacitated handler
 Provide tactile stimulation to bring partner back to
awareness
 Can interrupt repetitive behaviors
 Can provide an excuse to leave an upsetting
situation
Psychiatric Service Dogs
Other therapeutic behaviors
 Bring medications, portable phone or beverage,
answer doorbell
 Call 911 (large button – pre-programmed with
speaker phone – dog barks @ speaker)
 Summon help – nudge another household member
or carry a note
Psychiatric Service Dogs
 Handlers report the presence of their dog helps them
feel calm, relaxed & more willing to interact with
others eliminating feelings of isolation
 A PSD is a trusted companion & can therefore serve
as a bridge between the handler & his/her
environment
Psychiatric Service Dogs
The Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
“strongly believes that Psychiatric Service Dogs
have afforded many disabled individuals to reach a
new level of wellness & opportunity to lead happy &
productive lives.”
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Caring for a dog helps maintaining a routine which can help to
manage daily tasks & activities
Caring for a dog can lead to feelings of self confidence, self
reliance & improved self esteem
How do you get a PSD??
Working through Behavioral Health Professionals

Adopt from a program that specifically trains PSDs
NEADS = National Education of Assistance Dogs

Encourage partner to write out a job description for PSD

Includes partner’s lifestyle, type of housing, location, job,
hobbies, travel, and level of activity
Psychiatric Service Dogs for Veterans
 Long history of pairing service dogs with physically
disabled vets
 PSDs are now being paired with vets dealing with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
 PTSD

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a disorder characterized by recurrent & intrusive distressing
recollections of a past event
Symptoms include: hallucinations, flashback imagery,
recurring dreams, feeling that the events are still happening
Behaviors include: anxiety, extreme wariness, irritability,
anger, sleep disorders, which can lead to substance abuse
Psychiatric Service Dogs for Veterans
 Psychiatric Service Dogs – are specially trained to help
traumatized veterans leave the battlefield behind as they
re-integrate into society.
 Job Description for PSDs assisting PTSD partners:
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(87 different commands)
“Block” – dog stands perpendicularly in front of the person in order
to keep others at a safe distance
“Get my back” – dog sits facing backward by person’s side
Trained to jolt a soldier from a flashback
Sense a panic attack before it starts
*Caring for the dog renews a veterans sense of responsibility, optimism & self
awareness
Lt. Colonel Jay Kopelman with “Lava”
Psychiatric Service Dogs for Veterans
For the Battle Scarred, Comfort at Leash’s End

“Just weeks after Chris Goehner, 25, an Iraq war veteran got a
dog, he was able to cut in half the dose of anxiety & sleep
medication he took for PTSD. The night terrors & suicidal
thoughts that kept him awake for days on end ceased.”

“Aaron Ellis, 29, another Iraq veteran with PTSD scrapped his
medications entirely soon after getting a dog, and set foot in a
grocery store for the first time in 3 years.”
Lorber, J. (April 2, 2010) The New York Times
Psychiatric Service Dogs for Veterans
 Dozens of interviews with veterans & therapists report
drastic reductions in PTSD symptoms & in medication
use but… does scientific evidence support anecdotal
reports on dogs speeding recovery?
 Federal Government – currently spending several million
$$ to find out


SB written by Senator Al Franken (D. Minn)
Pilot program run by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, gives
veterans with PTSD a service dog (est. cost $20,000/dog)
“Mya” and Jacob
Puppies Behind Bars (PBB)
 Program founded in 1997 by Gloria Gilbert Stoga, NYC
woman working for Mayor Guilliani’s Youth Commission
 1991 – she adopted an 18 month old puppy from Guiding
Eyes for the Blind (Yorktown, NY) released for health
reasons
 4 yrs later she read a newspaper article about prisoners
in Ohio who raised guide dog puppies for the blind
 Got the “go ahead” from Bedford Hills Correctional
facility, but had no puppies (none of the Guide Dog
schools agreed)
Puppies Behind Bars
 Stoga bought 5 puppies “rejected” by Guiding Eyes
for the Blind @ $500 each to board with inmates as a
pilot program
 3 weeks later –Guiding Eyes for the Blind agreed to
give the puppies free of charge
 2 out of the first 5 puppies went on to graduate &
become working guide dogs
*current success rate for puppies raised by inmates = just > 50%
Puppies Behind Bars
“Inmates are very motivated & raise very well behaved
dogs, as good as those of our best raisers”
 Puppy raiser inmates are chosen based on:
 Clean disciplinary record x 1 yr
 Interview with prison officials, Stoga, & other puppy raisers
 2 raisers/puppy: primary & back-up
Puppies Behind Bars
 Dogs live in a crate in the inmates cell
 Dogs spend 20 months with the raiser & are taken
everywhere including prison jobs, dental appts etc.
 Raisers attend 6 hrs training /week
 Dogs are furloughed out to volunteer families 2-3
weekends/month to provide experiences the prison
environment cannot (e.g. shopping malls, car travel,
children, household appliances)
Puppies Behind Bars
Quotes from inmates
“To watch them grow & learn & to know that you’re
responsible – well, that goes deep … you get confidence
& you believe that you can do something good.”
“I’ve seen 6’2”/250lb guys rolling around the floor kissing
& talking in high voices to their dogs. We don’t care
what anybody thinks, its all about what’s good for the
dogs. We owe them. They did what nothing or nobody
could do… they took away our selfishness.”
Puppies Behind Bars
“The dogs have had a calming, humanizing
effect on the entire staff, me included.
They’ve broken these inmates down, taken
their hard shells & cracked them open.
Their level of love & commitment to these
dogs is something I never expected to see.”
Jim Hayden - Asst. Deputy Superintendant of Programs
Fishkill Correctional Facility, Beacon, NY
Puppies Behind Bars
 1997 -began with 5 puppies @ Bedford Hills
Correctional Facility training guide dogs for the blind

now @ 6 different correctional facilities
 After Sept. 11, 2001 – at the request of law
enforcement agencies, Explosives Detection Canines
(EDCs) were added
 2006 – began training service dogs for adults &
children with other disabilities
 DOG TAGS: Service Dogs for those who’ve served
us. Training dogs to be placed with the wounded
soldiers returning from Iraq, including PSDs
Canine Support Teams (CST)
 Founded in 1989 by Carol Roquemore
 To provide specially trained dogs to people with
disabilities other than blindness
 Service dogs are placed with people who use
wheelchairs, walkers, crutches or canes
 Dogs are taught to assist their partners by pulling
wheelchairs, turning lights on & off, retrieving
dropped items & opening/closing doors & drawers,
barking to get help or providing stability for walking
Canine Support Teams
Jennifer and “Ike”
Canine Support Teams
 Prison Pup Program – makes use of available puppy
raisers, with “lots of time”

Has shortened the waiting list for partners
 2002 California Institute for Women – became the
first prison in the state of CA to have a service dog
training program
 > 85% of CST dogs placed have been trained through
the Prison Pup Program
Canine Support Teams
 PAWZ for Wounded Vets Program
 provides service dogs for men & women who have sustained
disabling injuries, including PTSD, as a result of service in the
military
Effects of Human-Animal Bond
Contact has been shown to:
 Lower BP, pulse & respiratory rates
 Reduce perception of pain
 Reduce wound healing time
 Reduce recovery time
 Decrease medication use
 Increase survival rates for individuals with chronic
illnesses
THERAPY DOGS
 Hospital / Nursing Home visitors
 Hospice visitors
 Physical Therapy Programs
 Schools – (special needs students; ADHD, Autism)
 Public Libraries –Animal Reading Friends (ARF)
 Court system – to support victims preparing to
testify
THERAPY DOGS
 Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)
 Animal Assisted Activity (AAA)
Scientific data
Marx, M. et al. (2010). The Impact of Different Dog – related
Stimuli on Engagement of Persons with Dementia. Am J
Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias.
Conclusion:
 AAT is well suited for nursing home residents with
dementia.
 Provides social interaction not dependent on level of
cognitive functioning.
THERAPY DOGS
Kawamura, N., Niiyama, M., & Niiyama, H. (2009). Animal
Assisted Activity (AAA); Experiences of Institutionalized
Japanese Older Adults. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing.

participants descriptions of experiences were analyzed based on Collazi’s
phenomenological methodology
Summary: 6 themes
1) Positive feelings about the dog
2) Confidence in oneself (r/t sense of responsibility)
3) Recalling of fond memories
4) A break from the daily routine
5) Interacting with other residents through the dogs
6) Enhanced communication with volunteers
THERAPY DOGS
Multiple other studies show positive effects
 Increasing social behavior
 Increasing verbal interactions
 Decreasing agitated behavior & loneliness
AAA with residential geriatric patients demonstrated
 Decreased BP
 Decreased HR
 Decreased depression
 Increased life satisfaction
Charlie and “Molly”
Therapeutic Riding – Equestrian Therapy
Charlie & Angelique
THERAPY DOGS
Dr. Ray Sacks & Ella
Kaiser San Diego - Orthopedics
THERAPY DOGS
COULD YOUR DOG BE A THERAPY DOG ??
Delta Society
Volunteer organization specializing in human health through service &
therapy animals
Currently > 30,000 therapy dogs certified in the US
 Qualifications: calm, friendly, at least 1 year old & well
behaved around strangers
 Training: 12 hr course; partner taught how to handle dog
in a variety of situations (IVs, wheelchairs, etc.)
 22 part evaluation – obedience, skills & control
 Vet certificate of health
THERAPY DOGS
Therapy Dogs Inc.
Therapy Dogs International
** Canine Good Citizen
THERAPY DOGS
“It doesn’t matter if you have disabilities,
can’t read very well or are old & sick – the
dog loves & comforts you anyway.”
Linda Buettner – Professor UNC, Greensboro
Therapy Dogs: Infection Control
DiSalvo, H. et al. (2006). Who let the dogs out???
Infection control did: Utility of dogs in health care
settings & infection control aspects. Am J Inf Control.
Animal Assisted Therapy
 Advantages

well documented
 Disadvantages/ Potential Risks
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pt. phobias
Allergies
Bites – usually NOT a major threat
Zoonoses – dogs viewed as lowest risk for transmission
Animal caused injuries
Therapy Dogs: Infection Control
Policies for dogs in health care settings:
3 categories
 Service Dogs – covered by ADA
 Therapy Dogs *
 Visitation Dogs *
*NOT permitted
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in multibed unit if any pt objects
in isolation/immunocompromised pt rooms
Some ICUs (usually allowed in burn centers, rehab & trauma
units)
Therapy Dogs: Infection Control
Conclusion
 Benefits greatly outweigh risks
 Develop pet therapy policies emphasizing different
categories of dogs
JCAHO standard IC.4.10
“reduction of risks associated with animals brought into the
hospital”
Can Dogs Smell Cancer?
 Tumors release tiny amount of chemicals different than
those of healthy tissue
 Early 2000’s British researchers taught 6 dogs to identify
the smell of bladder cancer in urine samples in a
“meticulously controlled/ double blinded/ peer reviewed
study”…

“The results are unambiguous. Dogs can be trained to recognize &
flag bladder cancer”
 The Lancet (1989) – reported dog detecting malignant
melanoma
 Pine Street Foundation (reprint from Integrated Cancer
Therapies) reported dogs accurately distinguishing
breath samples of lung & breast cancer patients from
controls.
Seizure Alert Dogs
 Alerts pt/family member BEFORE a seizure begins
allowing appropriate steps to be taken for safety
 DO NOT at this time understand how dogs might be
able to do this OR how good they are at it
Seizure Response Dogs
Responds to a person having a seizure by
 alerting others
 remaining with the pt – to help avoid injury
 reassuring & reorienting a pt as they awaken from
seizure
Seizure Dogs
 Epileptic seizure studies – dogs performance poor
 Non-Epileptic seizures – dogs behavior more
predictive

thought to reinforce psychogenic event
Seizure Dogs
While the role of seizure alert dogs has not been
scientifically validated at this time, the dogs do
provide important emotional support, which is seen
as beneficial to patients with chronic illnesses. Their
companionship can be reassuring & their ability to
obtain help may be life-saving.
Guide Dogs
A dog specially trained to provide mobility &
independence to the blind & visually impaired.
The Seeing Eye
 Founded in 1929 (celebrating 81 years)
 15,000 dogs assisting ~ 8,000 men & women
 Headquarters in Morristown, NJ
Morris Frank and “Buddy”
Guide Dogs … cont
 Morris Frank
 Read about dogs being trained as guides to assist blinded
veterans of WWI
 Dorothy Harrison Eustis – American training shepherds in
Switzerland agreed to help Mr. Frank if he would return to the
US & “spread the word”
 1928 Mr. Frank returned to New York City & demonstrated the
abilities of his dog “Buddy” to a group of reporters
His one word telegram back to Mrs. Eustis read “SUCCESS”
Guide Dogs
Guide Dog Schools: California

Guide Dogs for the Blind – San Rafael, CA (Boring, OR)
first on the west coast – 1942
 Started out in order to help returning servicemen (WWII)
 Graduated >10,000 teams to date


Guide Dogs of America (GDA) - Sylmar, CA

Founded in 1948 originally named International Guiding Eyes
 Guide Dogs of the Desert
 Founded in 1972
 Palm Springs CA (Whitewater)
 Has graduated > 1000 teams
GDD “Bailey”
Guide Dogs
 Puppy Raisers
 Takes 8 week old puppies into their home
 House trains, crate trains, socializes pups
 Exposes them to the environment – malls, restaurants, grocery
stores, clinics, office buildings, elevators
 Returns the dog to the school @ 18-20 months for formal
training
Guide Dog Training
Formal guide dog training - “Harness Work”
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4-6 months with certified trainer
28 day partner training; blind recipient & dog work
with trainer on campus with the dog sharing the room
Graduation
On-going support – including in home
Guide Dogs
 Breeders
 Adopted by host family – with same rules as puppy raisers
 Return to facility for mating & whelping
 Females remain with puppies to nurse x 8 weeks
 Puppies adopted by puppy raisers – breeder returns to host
 Ambassadors
 Represent the Guide Dog program @ public events, schools,
fundraisers, etc.
 Career Change Dogs
 “Working dog changes job”
Graduation