Lately, patients may have spotted a furry team member tip-tapping her way down the halls of UnityPoint Health – Finley Hospital, on the way to provide some canine comfort to patient and families.

Hope, a four-year-old Leonberger, is a certified therapy dog who has been volunteering at Finley Hospital for the last six months with her owner Ann Mentzer, RN. Ann, a nurse in Babka Surgery Center, brings her to the hospital once or twice a month to bring comfort and smiles to patients and team members alike.

Pet therapy, also called Animal Assisted Therapy, can provide relaxation, socialization and mental stimulation, along with reducing anxiety and depression, providing a therapeutic companionship to those who miss their own pets and helping increase a response from patients who otherwise do not respond to many activities.

While visiting patients in the community room in the Behavioral Health unit, or spending time with those receiving chemotherapy treatments, Hope will often lay her head gently on a patient, inviting them to pet her. Her tail wags and gentle nature and presence puts a smile on everyone’s faces.

Ann got Hope from a breeder in California after experiencing several tragic losses in her personal life.

“She is named Hope because it stands for hold on, pain ends,” Ann said. “After seeing the comfort she provided in my home, I decided to share her love for people and took the steps necessary for certification.”

Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) consist of spontaneous visits, and the duration of the visit varies. These visits are causal interactions between the patient and/or family. All AAA visits are coordinated by the hospital’s Volunteer Department.

Therapy dog teams self-schedule their visits through an online volunteer scheduling software or by arranging with the department manager.

There are areas of the hospital that are not allowed to have pet therapy teams, including: Isolation Rooms; Neonatal or newborn nurseries; Surgery rooms; Critical Care units; Sleep Labs; Cardiothoracic Vascular units; Cath Labs; Toilet/ shower areas; Linen storage areas; Rooms of patients who are allergic to dogs or scared of dogs; General lounge areas of the hospital; and Dining areas / food preparation / storage.

Interested in a story about therapy animals? Email Amanda.munger@unitypoint.org to set up a date and time for interviews, photos and/or footage with Ann and Hope making the rounds at Finley Hospital.