Pup Therapy for Duke Patients

On the fourth floor of Duke Cancer Center, breast cancer patient Martha Whittley waited in an oncology treatment room for a nurse to stop by, examine her medical chart and hook up an IV to the access port in her chest.But when a Bernese mountain dog named Zellie lumbered through the doorway, panting softly, Whittley smiled, not expecting the furry face peeking in to keep her company. Whittley, a 64-year-old retiree who lives in Durham, was nearing the end of her year-long treatment at Duke.“I just love the dogs,” said Whittley, who has a 9-year-old chihuahua named Misty at home. “Animals and children will make you do a whole lot of things you don’t want to do. …The medicine, it makes you tired, but some days you got to keep going. Those dogs make you feel good.”Zellie, the 5-year-old Bernese mountain dog, is one of 20 dogs that are part of the “Pets at Duke” therapy program for Duke Medicine. Zellie has gone through many trials to gain approval as a Duke Medicine therapy dog: She’s been pushed by strangers, listened to the beeping of medical equipment, walked through hallways of wheelchairs and walkers, and has tolerated crowded petting. Despite an arduous approval process, there is a four-year waiting list of volunteers and their dogs who want to be part of “Pets at Duke.” The initiative, provided by the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program, began in 1994 in Duke Hospital’s adult oncology ward as a way to reduce stress and provide companionship and relaxation to patients with life-altering diagnoses, invasive treatments or surgeries. Different dog breeds, from labradors and golden retrievers to corgis and even a blind beagle, have spent time with patients, family members and Duke staff. The program now visits 14 Duke Medicine locations in Durham. Kristy Everette, Duke’s coordinator of oncology recreation therapy and the “Pets at Duke” program, is known as the “Dog Lady.” Pet therapy is a personal mission for her. She was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer of the deep tissue in her tongue, when she was 24 years old, and her collie shepherd mix, Miller, brought her comfort.“He was my buddy through the whole experience,” Everette said. “It motivated me to get up and move during days when I didn’t think moving would be an option.”During her 10 years with “Pets at Duke,” she has seen therapy dogs evoke small smiles or rapid eye movement in unresponsive patients. Everette has watched a patient preparing for a leg amputation share his fears with a dog when he hadn’t spoken a word to staff. “Our adult population has such an emotional response,” Everette said. “You bring in something that reminds them of home. The emotions that come with that are beautiful.”Zellie’s handler, Raleigh resident Beth Weaver, said it sometimes takes her and Zellie 30 minutes to walk from the car to the Duke Cancer Center elevators, just because so many people stop to pet Zellie and open up about their own pets. “It’s the most rewarding thing for me, just being able to share her with these wonderful people,” Weaver said. “Zellie looks at me, and it’s that bond, that she knows it’s her job. When I put her vest on, she looks at me and she knows.”