AIDA THE GOLDEN THERAPIST

Posted on Monday, February 11, 2008

Animal Assisted Therapy: Tender Treatment

(Courtesy Photo)

Aida, a Golden Retriever trained for animal assisted therapy, spends a quiet moment with new mom Elayna Poniatowski and son, Matthew David. The dog, trained through Whitehouse-based Therapet Foundation, is being inducted Tuesday into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame after spending more than 500 hours providing comfort to patients.

By JACQUE HILBURN
Staff Writer

Aida the Golden Retriever seems to know she's special. With soulful brown eyes, a luxurious blonde coat and gentle spirit, she apparently operates on the assumption that strangers are merely friends not yet introduced.

These qualities, plus the fact the 5-year-old Therapet dog has logged more than 500 hours lending comfort to hospitalized patients, helped her to earn a special honor: induction into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame.

Established in 1984, the Hall of Fame is designed to recognize "remarkable" contributions animals make in human lives, according to Kate Sheehy of the Austin-based Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.

Of the three award categories, hero, companion and professional, Aida will be recognized Tuesday with the latter during a special meeting of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

Aida is one of dozens of dogs, cats and miniature horses trained through the Therapet Foundation to provide Animal Assisted Therapy to patients located throughout East Texas.

Shari Curran, Aida's best friend and handler, said the honor recognizes the work of all therapy animals.

"She really represents all the members of Therapets," Mrs. Curran said. "Aida's accepting the award for all of them. I'm thrilled. I've been doing this for 24 years and this is the first time one of my dogs has been recognized with this type of award."

Mrs. Curran, who serves as director of the Whitehouse-based Therapet project, and husband, Kevin Curran M.D, have six dogs in the program.

Even as a tiny puppy, Aida apparently had the qualities necessary for therapy work: she was mellow, intelligent and content to lie still for extended periods of time.

"Aida seems to understand patients need her," Mrs. Curran said. "It's amazing to watch her work."

Aida's veterinarian, Dr. Sharon Phillips, nominated her for the honor.

"For the small child, she is as gentle as a soft sigh," she said in the nomination letter sent to the association. "For the elderly patient, she lays her head on an aged and arthritic hand, providing warmth and encouraging interaction. For coma patients, she lies quietly next to the patient in bed, careful to not disturb the many IVs and monitors. Aida will then gently place her head on the patient's chest, waiting for any response from her newfound friend."

Animals that participate in the program undergo several months of training and testing before they are eligible to enter a hospital environment.

Each visit requires an abundance of prep work. They must be bathed, their ears cleaned, teeth brushed and nails trimmed, said Mrs. Curran.

Aida's family reported it takes about four hours to prepare her for a hospital visit.

Because frequent bathing can lead to skin problems, Therapet animals are limited to working only a day or two every other week.

On this point, however, Aida doesn't always agree.

"She's jumped in the tub when I'm trying to run the kids' baths," said Mrs. Curran. "She loves the water. I think she was a diva in a former life."