Canine Comfort for Our Veterans

It was perfectly natural to see Veterans waiting patiently in the inpatient pharmacy, primary care, mental health and the infusion clinic smiling while pleasantly distracted by the fur babies lapping up the attention. For both animal and human, it was a perfect match.

In the beginning of the pandemic, the halls of our once bustling medical center looked more like a scene out of a post-apocalyptic movie, empty and void of any emotion except fear and sadness. While medical and administrative staff came together to tackle an unknown scenario while creating lifesaving measures, these animals who aimed to please were kept in their homes with their owners, missing the smiles and personal interaction that made them feel special. The American Kennel Club even reported that some therapy dogs also struggled with depression.

Alynn Lupold is employed at the Reno VA Regional Office and her husband, Doug is a retired Nevada State Trooper and Air Force Veteran, currently serving as a Recreation Assistant in the Community Living Center, or CLC. They had recently adopted an 8-year-old standard poodle, Aly. Alynn had always had a heart for charity work, having been a blood and platelet donor and often volunteering at the local food bank, but she hadn’t found her volunteer “home.” When her husband mentioned how isolated the Veterans felt in the CLC due to COVID and what a benefit it would be to bring therapy animals back, she started her research.

After about a year, Alynn and Aly had their first visit on campus. It was worth the wait to see Aly’s magic at work.

On October 30, 2021, Alynn was excited and nervous for Aly to be the first official therapy pet visiting the facility in almost two years. The first Veteran Aly met with was a Navy Veteran, Ray. The two hit it off immediately. Alynn calmed down almost immediately, saying, “I noticed that Aly was more comfortable with Veterans that are seated or in a wheelchair. She walked right up to a Veteran in a wheelchair, Ray, who had several dogs in his life. You could see Ray relax when she came near him and he used such a sweet tone when talking to her.” Lovable whispers passed from man to dog as he patiently stroked her head. At one point, Ray stopped petting her to talk to Alynn and one of the Recreational Therapists, Joanne Ferris, but Aly was quick to make clear that she didn’t like being ignored by her new friend. She pushed in closer to Ray and put her head in his lap, demanding more attention. Ray immediately chuckled and exclaimed, “Do you see this? She’s such a sweetheart!” When asked what he thought about the program returning, Ray said, ““I always look forward to seeing Aly come in! She’s a sweetie and brightens my day.”

In total, Aly had coaxed the softest words from the mouths of roughly 20 Veterans that day with her abnormally long eyelashes, fancy hairdo and purple toenails. One particular Veteran’s reaction caught most of the surrounding witnesses off guard, as he was usually known for having a rather stern personality. His heart proved no match for Aly’s soft, honey-colored eyes.

Covered from head to toe in tattoos and well into his 70’s, Michael had suffered a stroke on his left side and was sitting on his bed when Alynn and Aly came into the room on November 6, 2021. This was Aly’s second visit to the CLC and meeting with Michael. Alynn maneuvered Aly to the left side of the bed so that Michael could see and interact with her. Immediately Aly recognized Michael and jumped up onto his bed, catching everyone off guard. At first Alynn was worried, until she saw the reaction. The older Veteran laughed, teared up and hugged the lovable poodle. It quickly became clear who was in charge as all who stood by watched this man’s heart melt with zero shame. “I love Aly and she loves me,” said Michael with determination.

Joanne Farris followed up by saying, “Having pet therapy in the CLC has lightened the mood. When a Veteran sees Aly their posture changes like a cloud is lifted. The smiles she brings to the Veterans’ faces is unmeasurable. It’s amazing how much the Veterans respond to petting Aly. They don’t always remember names of the medical staff assisting them, yet they always remember Aly’s name.”

For anyone wondering if their perfect pooch would fit the mold, Alynn advises, “Your dog needs to be well socialized with a calm demeanor, good natured and can’t be timid or afraid. It’s also important that the dog has no aggressive behavior towards other dogs or people, as you will be walking around the facility and other people will have their service animals with them.

When asked if all the Veterans’ smiles made the long certification process worth it, Alynn simply replied, “Without a doubt.”  

For more information on certifying your dog as a pet therapy animal, visit Alliance of Therapy Dogs.