A golden retriever named Molly has a remarkably fine record as a pet therapist. Her handler, Bonnie Malm of Lexington, tells of the impact her dog had on one person who was a patient at the geriatric psychiatry unit in Mount Auburn Hospital:

“A gentleman had five family members visiting. This man never smiled. I brought Molly in and she headed right for him and put her head in his lap and now he had the biggest grin on his face. He loved the dog.”

Another woman, Lynne Peters of Arlington, speaks in similar glowing terms about the work of her dog Andy, a greyhound: “There was a lady here, she was quite depressed, you could not see any recognition of anything from her. Andy went up to her and gave her a little kiss and looked at her and she looked at him and they said that was the first time she had recognized anything around her in some months.”

Lynne Peters points out another beneficial effect of Andy’s presence: “I think it’s a good thing for family members, too; they enjoy seeing their loved ones enjoy themselves and seeing others care about their relative.”

Watching Andy and Molly interacting with elderly patients at the hospital on a recent Sunday afternoon was my introduction to the Caring Canines program. Started in 2001 by Marilyn Gilbert, a Winchester resident, this program now boasts 92 dogs who are trained, approved, and registered for visits to facilities where elder citizens, children, and others of various ages welcome them.

Another of the dogs I have met is Zoe, the English cocker spaniel handled by my friend Deana Furman, an 11-year-old girl who lives in Arlington. She and her mother, Carole Bohn, take Zoe to several elder residences and nursing homes, much to the delight of elderly residents.

Of the dogs who visit Mount Auburn, Marilyn Gilbert says: “I select them very carefully; in a psychiatric unit you need our most engaging dogs.”

Andy has a special trait: he is trained to lean against people. “He leans, so he’s a good therapy dog,” boasts his handler Lynne Peters.

The patients in the room where the dogs were visiting all seemed delighted with them. “Molly and I are buddies,” announced one man.

Two other patients, both women, also praised their visitors: “They’re beautiful, they’re so friendly.” Another explained why the dogs please her: “I like the dogs because they’re very well behaved. They have nice personalities.”

My only problem with the program is that so little  time is given to visiting. At Mount Auburn, the dogs come only once a month and stay for a half hour or so. Marilyn Gilbert says it’s because the program does not have enough dogs and volunteer owners to satisfy the demand from nursing homes, hospitals, adult day care centers, and assisted living residences.

To take part in Caring Canines, a dog’s handler must follow a series of rules designed to safeguard the patients’ well-being and comfort. You can find these rules and other information about the program at its web site, www.caringcanines.org. This site features handsome photos of the dogs, along with tallies of how many visits they have accumulated thus far.

Throughout my first experience of pet therapists, I kept wondering if Phileas J. Fogg, our household cat, could ever take part in such an activity. Unfortunately, I knew the answer as soon as the question rose in my mind: Phil is simply too ornery ever to submit to the discipline required of pet therapists.

In looking for reports of research done on pet therapy, however, I did find mention of two cats who take part in animal visitation at Bayside Medical Center in Springfield. They have visited patients in intensive care units and, according to nursing staff there, “eased the patients’ isolation and depression symptoms.”

An article with the arresting title “Take One Pet and Call Me in the Morning,” appeared two years ago in the periodical “Generations.”  The author says research suggests “the human-animal bond is perhaps stronger and more profound in late life than at any other age.” That conclusion, however, is based on companion animals who live with people rather than visiting animals.

A huge number of Americans have such companions at home, some 60 percent of households.  Of these the author says, “Companion animals offer one of the most accessible enhancements to a person’s quality of life, increasing happiness, and improving physical functioning and emotional health.”

Obviously, more research needs to be done if the value of visitations is to be proven scientifically. But many people do not need to wait to be convinced: they already experience at first hand the benefits of visiting dogs like Andy, Molly, and Zoe. 

To inquire further into the program, you can call the director at (781) 729-8285.

Richard Griffin