Hunter gets as well as gives on visits to nursing homes

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

Hunter, a therapy dog, kisses Village at Westerville resident Roger Zimpher (center) as fellow residents Edna Miller and George Davis look on. Hunter visited the residence Saturday with his owner, Angie Jones.

By KEVIN PARKS

ThisWeek Staff Writer

Angie Jones smiled down at her German shepherd as she tried to figure out what HE gets from being a certified Therapy Dog.

The West Side resident thought about how heart-warming her experiences have been from taking Hunter on monthly visits to the Village at Westerville Retirement Center.

She thought about the joy on the faces of the center's residents as they gazed fondly on their four-legged visitor.

Jones thought about how happy Village administrator Louis Borowicz and members of his staff are that their charges have something to look forward to.

But what does Hunter get out of this?

At last, Angie Jones had the answer.

"It gives him a chance to lick a hand," she said.

Sometimes that's all a big tail-wagging fella needs out of life.

Jones is director of Central Ohio Good Shepherds, a chapter of Therapy Dogs International Inc. The New Jersey-based nonprofit organization was founded in 1976. Its purpose is to provide certification for qualified handlers of dogs who are willing to take their pets to hospitals, nursing homes and other institutional settings as a means of providing a pick-me-up to the residents or patients.

"Four-footed therapists give something medical science can't do without the use of drugs," according to the web site for Therapy Dogs International. "It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching and talking with animals, patients' blood pressure is lowered, stress is relieved and depression is eased."

Angie Jones has seen all of these things, and more, during her trips to nursing homes with Hunter. These experiences have made her a dedicated advocate for Therapy Dogs.

"It's taken me over because of what it does for elderly people and what it does for people in general who need help," Jones said.

Angie Jones was born in Grand Island, Neb. Her father was a serviceman, so the family moved around a good deal. She finally settled for good in Columbus in 1958.

"I love dogs, love animals," Jones said.

As a 13-year-old, she began working with horses, primarily quarter horses. Back problems forced her to give up riding, but she still enjoyed having animals in her life. After going to work for the Central Ohio Comfort Corps on East Fifth Avenue, Jones asked owner Bob Kelly for recommendations on the type of dog she might like to have.

The owner of a German shepherd himself, Kelly didn't hesitate to recommend the breed. She read up on shepherds and decided to follow the advice of her boss. In 1996, Jones obtained Hunter when he was 8 weeks old.

"To me, the German shepherd was a lot like the quarter horse, in that it was so versatile," Jones said. "Plus the beauty of the breed, and then personality."

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

George Davis gets to know Hunter, a therapy dog owned by Angie Jones, during a visit to the Village at Westerville Retirement Center last Saturday.

German shepherds are extremely loyal dogs, according to Jones, protective of their owner and their domain but at the same time friendly toward people and other dogs, in the main.

In order to get some help in training Hunter properly, Jones joined the Columbus All-Breed Club. Hunter quickly rose through the ranks, from puppy obedience to beginner and then advanced obedience. He even did well in agility training.

"He was very intelligent, very competitive, and he'd listen to me very well," Jones said.

The idea of training Hunter to become a certified Therapy Dog came about as a result of her own father having spent time in a retirement home. When Hunter was four months old, Jones said, she took him to visit her father.

"Next thing I knew, elderly people were coming out: 'Oh, look at the dog!' Hunter would wag his tail and go up to them."

"Once you take a dog to a nursing home, you're hooked," commented her boss, Bob Kelly. "Those people are so appreciative. They can't thank you enough."

"It's just an aura about them that glows," Jones said.

Nurse saw benefit of dog visits to English patients

By Joe Maiorana/ThisWeek

Hunter, a German shepherd, rests next to the desk of his owner, Angie Jones, at the Central Ohio Comfort Corp. off Fifth Avenue in Columbus. In addition to being an office fixture, Hunter is a therapy dog.

Elaine Smith, a registered nurse originally from New Jersey, was working in a hospital in England when she observed the reaction of patients to daily visits from a chaplain and his golden retriever.

The chaplain was no doubt all right in his own way, but it was the dog that Smith felt the patients most benefited from seeing.

Upon returning to the United States, Smith was determined to bring the concept of pet therapy to health care facilities in her native land.

She would go on to found Therapy Dogs International Inc. in 1976.

"The dogs bring sparkle to a sterile day, provide a lively subject for conversation and rekindle old memories of previously owned pets," according to the nonprofit organization's web site.

The local chapter of Therapy Dogs International Inc. is called Central Ohio Good Shepherds. West Side resident Angie Jones is director of the chapter.

"Therapy Dogs International Inc. was formed so that dogs could be certified, insured and registered as volunteer therapy dogs," according to the web page. "The goal of the organization is to unite and increase the number of available therapy dogs, give them the recognition they deserve and to alert hospitals and other institutions to the importance of Therapy Dog visits to their patients."

Another Web site touting the benefits of Therapy Dog visits recounts an initial encounter between patients and pets:

"The first time a dog prances into a care facility, most people do a double take. A split second later, broad smiles stretch across faces. Regardless of how residents look or how they feel, the animals are happy to see them. Often deprived of acceptance and love, those who live or must stay in a care facility immediately respond to tail-wagging greetings and warm paws."

Terry Gibson, a licensed social worker and activity coordinator at the Skilled Care Unit of the former Park Hospital, wrote to Angie Jones after she and her dog Hunter paid a visit to the facility.

"I have received so many positive comments from staff and patients," Gibson wrote.

"Everyone was talking about the 'beautiful dog' that was on the Skilled Unit.

"Your visit has prompted many of the patients to reminisce about their own pets, and this has brought back many fond memories. It helps us, as staff, get to know the patients better when they share information. It is very kind of you and Hunter to take time out of your busy lives to help brighten the day of others."

Hunter hardly needed the thanks, according to his owner.

"He loves it," she said.

-Kevin Parks