Cold Noses, Warm Heart

Petty Officer 2nd Class Charles Johnson gently tied a red handkerchief around his dog's neck as he looked down at her, an assured grin on his face.

"Be easy," Johnson told his three-year-old Great Dane, Sierra, as she sat waiting for her next command.

This was his way of letting her know it was time to work.

"Dogs have this unique ability of knowing where they are," said Johnson, a food service specialist from Coast Guard Sector Field Office Southwest Harbor, Maine. "I put the red handkerchief on, and she knows it's time to work and be gentle."

Sierra is a trained therapy dog and together she and Johnson have spent more than 150 hours visiting patients at rehabilitation and retirement centers in Maine.

Johnson and Sierra became involved with Therapy Dogs International about a year ago. TDI is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registering therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions.

Johnson's first encounter with a therapy dog was during volunteer work at a homeless shelter in Maine.

"I was very interested in the program from the moment I learned about it," said Johnson. "It meant I could be with my dog and volunteer at the same time."

"The interaction between the dogs and patients encourages healing, lowers blood pressure, and helps develop emotional relationships," said Alice Workman, the administrator of Courtland Rehabilitation and Living Center in Maine. "Not only is this beneficial to patients, it is also a great way to strengthen the bond between the dogs and their owners."

There are two types of animal-assisted interactions. Animal-assisted therapy, where the dog or other animal works with a patient to achieve set goals, and animal-assisted activities, such as visitation, in which the dog visits with the patient, stands quietly and allows the patient to pet it.

"Animals bring unconditional love and caring to the bedside," Johnson said. "And patients, if they are animal lovers, truly respond."

Therapy dogs must be obedient, socialized in a variety of settings and have a naturally gentle temperament. Before becoming certified, the dogs must be tested to ensure they can safely interact with patients. They must also stay current with their vaccinations and be covered by insurance through the certifying organization.

"It took time, patience and lot of one-on-one work in crowded areas to teach her what was needed to become a therapy dog," said Johnson. "After several months of training she was ready to get tested by a certified evaluator."

Sierra and Johnson are currently on the waiting list to visit Ellsworth Correctional Facility, the Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, and the Ronald McDonald House Charity Foundation.

Johnson said since working with Sierra he hopes to train search and rescue dogs for the National Association for Search and Rescue when he retires from the Coast Guard.

"Sierra has brought so much joy into my life," said Johnson. "It would have been selfish of me not to share that with others."