Doggie Brigade Celebrates 25 Years of Joy, Comfort & Sloppy Kisses
Alyssa Ronyak, PR Intern
Luna is ready to eat her doggie treat bag. Her owner/handler is Tricia Michel (not shown).
Veteran Akron Children’s Doggie Brigade™ handler Bernie Schwartz smiles as he pets the glossy coat of his black Labrador retriever, Maddie.
“This is the best job I’ve ever had, and I’ve never made a dime,” he laughed.
Schwartz joined Doggie Brigade in 1992, when former director of volunteer services Marilyn McGuckin lead the efforts to create the hospital’s volunteer pet program. He is an original handler, with 25 years of experience.
The Doggie Brigade originally started with 8 handlers, who were permitted to visit one floor during a 2-hour block with only 1 dog at a time.
After the first year, the entire hospital was approved for visits except Oncology, Emergency, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Surgery Pre-Op/Phase I, MRI/X-Ray, food and medication preparation areas. Now, the in-patient floors, Oncology, Emergency, PICU permit teams and Dialysis have an open invitation for the Doggie Brigade to visit. In addition, there are more than 90 dog-handler teams on the roster, and the program is sponsored by Milk-Bone.
There was a great turn out to celebrate the group’s 25-year anniversary. Front Row: Emmy Dobbins & Sadie, Sally Jones (employee) & Abby, Chris Coletta & Sugar Pie, Jill Black & Emma, Mary Mosher & Cooper, Marge Cook & Izzie, Barb McKelvey & Sammy, Marisa Mancino & Vinnie 2nd Row: Janet (employee, John and Jared Strottner & Sunny, July Parton & Rudy, Claire Digianantonio & Ella, Marlene Heineman & Ellie Kay, Jill Wolf & Ralphie 3rd Row: Larry Janchar & Nero, Rhea Marcinko & Buster, Matt Leach & Murphy, Don Weisel (handler for Dixie, Brandie, Katie, Rosie and Daisy), Andrew Addie & Pearl, Jerry and Cathie Edinger & Toby, Shelly Morton & Callaway, Tricia Michel & Luna, Juneann Beltz & Jasmine, Rick and Lisa Blair & Molly 4th Row: Bill Van Nostran (employee) & Epic, Jeannie Bussey & Faith and Sir Orik, Barb Simon & Abby, Ryan Cohen & Ella, Noel Hairston & Winston, Priscilla Fuhrman & Lacey
“This event was the 25th Anniversary of the second Animal-Assisted Interventions hospital program in the nation. It is a tribute to the hard work of the staff and volunteers who came together during a time when dogs in hospitals was almost unheard of to develop safe, effective strategies to establish one of the most recognized and respected programs in the field,” said Whitney Romine, volunteer office coordinator and Doggie Brigade advisor.
Emmy Dobbins smiles bight with her Golden Retriever Sadie, who loves ice cubes. They have been visiting patients since 2010.
It’s important to recognize the dogs and their handlers who volunteer their time and comprise heart of this valued patient service.
“We are privileged to experience the incredible support of not just the Akron community, but much of northeast Ohio. Our volunteer handlers come from all over to share their best friends with our patients and families,” Romine added.
Janet Morgan and Hannah’s tongues are hanging with excitement at the gathering. The Golden Retriever loves tomatoes and has been making hospitalized kids feel better since 2009.
Doggie Brigade teams, like Schwartz and Maddie, visit children in hospital patient units and at special events. While these dogs bring joy to patients and families, something remarkable also occurs.
Staicey Scholtz (center) joins her parents Mary Jane and Bill McGinnis with Bishop at the anniversary party.
“We’ve seen a patient that’s not wanted to eat take a bite, a patient in the Burn Center smile and take a few steps – all because a Doggie Brigade dog was there for support and encouragement,” said Romine. “The stories are endless and the impact they have every day is monumental.”
Whitney Romine, is the Doggie Brigade advisor and also volunteers with her dog Karmie. Here, they have a little bit of fun with the AirBear banner at the party.
There are innumerable stories about how the dogs bring comfort during hospital stays which can be disruptive and scary for patients and their families.
Patients often report that for the duration of their 5-10 minute visit, they forget about their illness or pain and feel like a kid. The involvement of the dogs is also attributed to lower blood pressure, lower stress, increased patient compliance with treatments and increased rapport with staff and their environment.
Louis VanDyke with his boxer Chloe. They have been volunteering since 2014.
Romine looks forward to a year of celebration with the dedicated volunteers who make the program such a success. She also looks forward to continued growth.
“We hope to create new ways for Doggie Brigade to reach as many patients and families as possible,” she said.
As times have changed, and continue to change, Schwartz emphasized that one thing remains the same: the natural bond between dogs and kids.
“Dogs are like people, and kids respond to that,” he said. “These patients get to feed them, pet them, play with them and gain some comfort. For a few moments, everything is normal. We give these kids a happy memory that will last a lifetime.”
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