TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | j u ly 2 0 1 5 15 A few years ago, Connie Richards was walking down the familiar halls of Houston Methodist Hospital's ICU, her yellow tabby Milo perched in his stroller, when she heard a woman call out. "Is that a cat?" Richards turned and smiled. She entered the room where the woman stood next to a patient in a coma, her husband, who had been unresponsive for days. "My husband loves cats," the woman said. Richards lifted Milo out of his stroller and laid him across the patient's chest. Milo purred while the woman took her husband's hand and slowly drew it across Milo's back. Over and over again, from Milo's tawny crown to the tip of his tail, Richards watched as the woman helped her husband pet the soft fur. As her gaze shifted upward, she saw that the man had tears streaming down his face. This is the power of pet therapy. Also known as animal-assisted ther- apy, the increasingly recognized form of treatment engages animals in reha- bilitation programs to help patients recovering from illness and injury. Richards, who is the founder and direc- tor of Faithful Paws, one of Houston's long-standing animal-assisted therapy organizations, has been practicing pet therapy with her group for over 18 years. Her cat and three dogs actively serve as certified therapy pets. "It's incredible some of the break- throughs I've witnessed," said Richards. "Our mission is to provide unconditional love to people who are facing a rough time in their lives, and over the years we've seen how a simple interaction with animals can transform patients' emo- tional, cognitive or social state." The positive effects of animal- assisted therapy have become so well B y A l e x a n d r a B e c k e r known that institutions throughout the Texas Medical Center—including Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Hospice, DePelchin Children's Center, Texas Children's Hospital and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, among others—have partnered with various local programs, including Faithful Paws, to provide the service. Caring Critters, another fixture in the TMC, was the first animal- assisted therapy program in the city and has been serving the Greater Houston health care community for over 27 years. Although the majority of therapy pets are dogs (as well as some singularly special cats), their program also boasts therapy bunnies, birds and an ever-popular miniature horse named Sasha on its roster. Both organizations are volunteer- based and require a consistent time commitment of their members, as well as extensive training and adherence to the highest behavioral and hygienic standards. Faithful Paws mandates that all dogs larger than "pocket-sized" pass the American Kennel Club's Canine Good Citizen obedience test in order to be eligible for volunteering, and every pet must be up-to-date on their shots, groomed and bathed prior to visitation. "Presentation is a big concern of ours," said Richards. "It's crucial that we uphold a credible image, that our pets are well-behaved and groomed, and that we follow HIPAA and hospital guidelines when we visit a campus. Prior to each visit, our hospital liaisons communicate with physicians to make sure each visit is appropriate based on the patient's condition and circum- stances. What we do affects every pet therapy group in the United States— we've even had people from other countries contact us for permission to use information we've published on our website and the philosophy we've set out." The popularity of animal-assisted therapy is growing, thanks in no small part to the fact that its benefits are so vast and well documented—and, it seems, deeply rooted in our biology. Archeological evidence suggests that canines have shared an evolution- ary path with humans for at least 30,000 years, allowing for the develop- ment of a relationship that is simultane- ously collaborative and reciprocal. BREED: Leonberger Mix AGE: 1 BIO: Just out of puppyhood, Hondo has already been volunteering with Faithful Paws for four months. He enjoys bringing his infectious energy to hospital patients, family members and staff, as well as resi- dents of assisted living facilities and rehabilitation centers. In his spare time, he loves going to the dog park and playing with his friends. He lives near the Galleria with Dell and Denise Bryant. It is so easy to see the positive impact of the visit by the dogs and their handlers. — RICHARD WEIR Director of Child Life and Expressive Therapies at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital GIVING PAWS A UNIQUE GROUP OF THERAPISTS ARE WORKING HARD ACROSS THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER Hondo BJ BREED: Bichon Frise AGE: 10 BIO: A playful and curious dog, BJ loves bringing smiles to pediat- ric patients at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. She is cared for by Ronnie Forman and has been volunteering with Faithful Paws for a year and a half.

• Cover