Susan Reznicsek
I worked in the caregiving industry for over 30 years. I had a heart for the elderly and witnessed
a lot of loneliness and heartache. It was natural for me to want to take the dogs on visits to care
homes. I contacted the activity directors at several locations to set up visit times. This was such
a happy experience, to see the joy and love the dogs brought to the people. Our entire family
would often go with all the dogs. It was a blessing for each of us.
When I began working at a cancer clinic, I thought it would be a great place to take the dogs.
The first visit was amazing. Sad faces turned to joy. Scared faces turned to smiles as people
petted and loved on the dogs. When I worked at the cancer clinic, our dog visits became a
regular practice. One cancer patient said, “There is no medicine they could ever come up with
that could take the place of what these dogs do for people.”
What do dogs do for people? Why does animal therapy work?
There are three main reasons animal therapy works. The first is called comfort contact.
Studies have proven that petting a dog is calming and can lower blood pressure. We discovered
this to be true when we were asked to bring a dog to visit a young man in the hospital who was
recovering from brain cancer surgery. The day we arrived his blood pressure was high, and the
doctor was having trouble getting it stabilized. When our dog, Shadrach, saw this young man in
the hospital bed he jumped right in, and after some time of hugs and love, the young man’s
blood pressure stabilized. The doctor was totally amazed.
The second reason animal therapy works is distraction. The dog brings a distraction from a
person’s illness, pain, sadness, loneliness, and fears. The dog can also bring back fond
memories of a special pet they had at one time. One lady in a care facility wrapped her arms
around the dog’s neck and said over and over, “I love you, I love you, I love you!” Perhaps a
memory was sparked of a dog she once had.
Another lady, lying in her bed in skilled nursing said, “I want your dog. I want to move back
home with your dog and live there; just me and the dog!”
Why do people connect this way with the dogs? It is because of the number three reason dog
therapy works. Dogs love unconditionally. They don’t ask questions, they don’t care if you are
young or old, sick or in a bed or a wheelchair. They just love you. It creates a freedom of
expressing one’s emotions. When loving on the dogs some people laugh and some people cry.
No matter what they are going through the dog has enabled them to feel free. There are no
questions to answer, no advice to give or new instructions. The dog becomes their sounding
board. A cancer patient who fell and broke several bones, including both arms was in the
hospital recovering and asked for a dog visit. She said, “I wasn’t able to pet Shadrach, but he
understood and just sat by me and I talked to him for a half hour! He also gave me the courage
to walk down the hallway, something I was afraid to do. He stayed by my side the entire time.”
We not only made contacts with several nursing facilities, but we also posted pictures of our
visits on Facebook which brought more attention to our services. We began to get requests for
private home visits as well as school classrooms, business luncheons, and church youth
groups. We also give presentations on Service and therapy dogs. The more presentations and
visits we do the more requests we receive. Regardless of where we go, it’s a joy, and we are
happy to accommodate as many people as we can. If someone needs us, we go.
Susan Reznicsek is the author of several books, including “Taking Care of Mother,” and “Gone To the Dogs,” and
“Loved Ones: Inspiring Stories for Caregivers.”If you enjoy Susan’s adventures with the NottaBear dogs, visit
their Facebook page.