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Winchester Hospital ‘Caring Canine’ Featured in Children’s Book
Winchester, Mass. – Winchester Hospital’s pet therapy program is featured in the recently released children’s book, “Pug: What a Mug!” by Lori Haskins Houran. The book features Joseph, a 12-year-old pug, and his regular visits which lift the spirits of patients in Winchester Hospital’s pediatric, oncology and adult surgery units.
Joseph is with Caring Canine Visiting Therapy Dogs, Inc., an all-volunteer, non-profit pet therapy program serving the Greater Boston area. Established in 2001, the organization has more than 100 volunteer dog/handler teams that regularly serve more than 60 nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, schools and residential programs in an effort to improve the quality of life and emotional health of those served.
According to Medford resident Peter Hobson, Joseph’s owner and handler, Houran asked to include Joseph in her book after reading about him on the Caring Canines Web site about a year ago. Published by Bearport Publishing Company, Inc. in January 2009, “Pug: What a Mug!” tells the story of how a visit from Joseph cheered a patient who spent her fourth birthday in the hospital.
In the book, Hobson and Joseph are pictured together in Winchester Hospital’s medical/surgical unit. In another photo, Joseph visits with 6-year-old Karissa Galise of Woburn.
“We’re so proud that Joseph is in the book because he’s already famous at Winchester Hospital,” said Cathy Robinowitz, child life coordinator at Winchester Hospital. “Peter is skilled at facilitating interactions with patients, especially the very ill. And Joseph has such charisma. He is always loved by patients and their families.”
Hobson said his pug initially seemed to be an unlikely candidate for pet therapy visits. Before Hobson adopted Joseph through Pug Rescue of New England in 1999, he lived with a family who had given him up. In the early days with Hobson’s family, Joseph was afraid of noises, sudden movements and meeting new people.
Over time and with constant love and encouragement, according to Hobson, Joseph’s behavior and self-assurance steadily improved. In fact, Joseph became so popular at the retirement community in which Hobson’s mother resided that Hobson thought he would make a good therapy dog. Joseph received his American Kennel Club (AKC) Canine Good Citizen rating in May 2004, and was certified as a therapy dog with Caring Canines in June 2004.
According to Hobson, Joseph’s temperament and obedience were strictly evaluated before he was accepted into Caring Canines. Today, Joseph loves meeting people, performing tricks and being patted. He remains calm around crutches and canes, wheelchairs, nursing staff and medical equipment. Joseph generally “works” one to three days a week, for a total of more than 325 Caring Canines visits to date.
“Joseph is such a good therapy dog because he’s very social. He likes to greet and interact with everyone,” said Hobson. Highlights of Joseph’s “career,” he noted, include delighting the family of an elderly stroke victim who spoke for the first time during her week-long hospitalization while patting Joseph.
“It doesn’t matter if the person is young, old or in between,” Hobson added. “Joseph loves everyone.”
About Winchester Hospital
Winchester Hospital is the first community hospital in Massachusetts to earn Magnet recognition, the American Nurses Association’s highest honor for nursing excellence. As the northwest suburban Boston area’s leading provider of comprehensive health care services, the 229-bed facility provides care in general, bariatric and vascular surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, oncology, gastroenterology, rehabilitation, radiation oncology, pain management, obstetrics/gynecology and a Level IIB Special Care Nursery. Winchester Hospital has clinical affiliations with several nationally recognized hospitals in the region, including Children’s Hospital Boston, Tufts Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.winchesterhospital.org. |
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