Therapy dog makes 100 visits
April 2, 2020
Dogs make everything better.
Patients and staff at the Parkview Cancer Institute seem to agree.
On Monday, Natalie Manges and her therapy dog Maggie made an extra special visit to the Parkview Cancer Institute.
Manges and Maggie have been visiting patients and staff regularly and made their 100th visit on Monday.
The duo, working with PAWS, Inc., give patients facing a tough road to recovery a chance to interact with a cute and cuddly dog.
Manges and Maggie have been visiting patients and staff regularly and made their 100th visit on Monday.
The duo, working with PAWS, Inc., give patients facing a tough road to recovery a chance to interact with a cute and cuddly dog.
A non-profit animal-assisted therapy organization that provides visits with certified therapy animals and their handlers to existing education and healthcare programs.
“As you can see, patients as they walk through the door with their anxiety or with their fears, or just hesitation, but when they see that animal, a smile instantly come on, and they forget where they are and what they’re going through,” Faith Haines, Concierge Services Manager, at Parkview Cancer Institute said.
Manges said Maggie’s journey as a therapy dog began three years ago.
“She would literally stop cars on the street. They’d stop and ask what kind of dog she was, and people would ask if they could touch her,” Maggie’s handler Natalie Manges said.
“And I thought, man, she needs to be in community service of some sort.”
It’s hard to argue that fact.
After lots of training and certifications, 10-year-old Maggie is often the center of attention when she enters the room.
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