Dogs are healing local patients


Third grade student, Madison Rix, sits while "Brodie", the pug, listens to orders from his trainer. The event was part of a Catholic School's Week Celebration.

By Erin O'Connor

Staff Writer

WESTFIELD - Students of St. Mary's Elementary School were visited by members of the K-9's for Kids Pediatric Therapy Dog Unit on Feb. 1 during Catholic Schools' Week celebrations.

The Dog Unit, based out of Sandy Meadow Farm in Westfield, is orchestrated by Head Trainer Missy Kielbasa. The therapy services are offered to children with physical, emotional and learning disabilities.

"Don't get these dogs confused with service dogs," Kielbasa said. "Therapy dogs are specially trained by their owners. They live with the person not to assist the people they live with but to assist people in the community."

There are both emotional and physical components of the therapy. "It gives children in the hospital a break from their daily rituals," Kielbasa said. "They are specially trained to go into the hospitals and the kids can snuggle with the dogs."

Kielbasa said the dogs can also help with physical therapy.

"Some patients push on the dog's back and use this to help them walk."

The Dog Unit was started ten years ago in 1997 when Kielbasa was approached by members of the Melha Shriners in Springfield.

"It took two years before they [dogs] were ready to be in the program. In 1999 we had seven dogs with seven dog handlers but had to remain on probation for one year."

Places that the Dog Unit visit include Shriners Hospital in Springfield, Baystate Medical Center, the Westfield School System, East Longmeadow and Belchertown libraries, Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Brightside, the Ronald McDonald House and the Sadowsky Pediatric Oncology Center in Springfield.

There is one dog that is left onsite at a summer camp program and the Blanford and Otis School systems have recently took an interest in the program.

The Dog Unit currently has 20 teams. The teams include the following breeds; German Shepard, Pug, Collie, Labrador, All-American dogs (mixed breeds) and a Chinese Crescent.

"The Chinese Crescent goes into hospitals with a hula skirt," Kielbasa said.

Before the dogs can officially become therapy dogs they must pass a series of tests that tells if the dog really loves being around kids. The test also examines the dog's ability to work around medical equipment and includes a course that lasts seven weeks in which children are brought around the dogs.

"These are contact dogs and people make physical contact with the dogs," Kielbasa said. "These dogs hang out and snuggle with somebody. They are secure at being touched," She spoke of one dog, Reba, that can be left for three hours in a patient's room just doing contact work.