When Finn, a 34-pound dog, sees the bed made, he springs into action: collapses there, spins around four times, and prepares to cuddle.
But for Finn, it’s not a vacation, but part of the job. After all, he’s a therapy dog at Riley’s Children’s Health in Indianapolis, and it’s his job to comfort sick little ones.
“He’s a lovely dog,” says Finn’s owner, Cathy Moore. “He walks from one ward to another for two hours, lies down with each little one on the bed, lets himself be hugged and petted, and accepts treats. »
Before living with Kathy Moore, Finn organized a dog race in Dayton, Florida under the name Gene’s Outlaw. He liked to race with other greyhounds, but he was never a champion.
After nine months on the run, Flynn entered the Prison Greyhounds program in Indianapolis. Its meaning is that dogs are brought to inmates. Connecting with people helps them transition to a quieter lifestyle. And for people behind bars, communication with dogs is also very useful, it calms them down.
Cathy met Finn two years ago while looking for a dog to breed. The Prison Greyhounds organization also allows ordinary people to take ex-racing dogs home for a period of time. Cathy took Finn like that, then she decided not to give him anymore.
Finn spends most of his day sleeping. But he has such an affectionate disposition that Cathy knew he was the perfect therapy dog. And she took Finn to special training where they train therapy dogs.
After two months of training, Katie applied for a job at Riley’s Children Health. Finn had an interview where he had to prove he was a decent, smart dog who wouldn’t take food from the little ones, fear wheelchairs or get upset by rubbing his ears.
“We watch the behavior of the dog. Does she like it when she is caressed and touched all the time, is she in tune with the constant communication with people?
And we watch for unnecessary loud and excessive barking, growling, aggression,” says Caitlin Dougherty, specialist at Riley Children’s Health. The hospital’s pet therapy program started in 2013 and has shown great results ever since.
The little ones thrive on the sight of the dogs and can’t help but smile. “It’s a great opportunity for patients and their families to reduce stress and anxiety,” adds Caitlin.
Now that Finn is volunteering at a children’s hospital, Cathy Moore dresses him for the holidays. This Halloween, for example, he was a lion. And at Christmas he wore deer antlers.
