HHS therapy dog program brings smiles to Juravinski Hospital patients

Hamilton Health Sciences’ Juravinski Cancer Centre (HHSJCC) saw a very special and fluffy volunteer helping out as part of National Volunteer Week.

Harrison, a six-year-old Portuguese Water dog, has been helping children of adults diagnosed with cancer.

“He knows when I get my uniform out and this kit comes out he goes crazy,” said Penny Porter, Harrison’s owner. “He knows he’s going to go to work. He runs around in my space, he gets super excited.”

As a certified therapy dog with St. John’s Ambulance, Harrison spends some of his days at the HHSJCC providing support to children and teenagers under 18, of adults diagnosed with cancer.

“You know a child and their family may come into the room and they’re kind of a little stiff,” said one member of volunteer resources.

This is where Harrison comes in.

“As soon as they see the dog, it just makes them feel much calmer and they’re more open to sharing, and more open to interacting with not only the dog, but with the rest of the team,” said the member of volunteer resources.

The pilot program which relies heavily on volunteers launched three months ago.

“Harrison is a perfect little patient, as we’ve seen that kids really gravitate towards them,” said Laura Jin, a child-life specialist. She said Harrison is very popular during family therapy sessions.

Porter says Harrison is helping about one-to-two families a week through pet therapy sessions.

“It’s very, very rewarding in the fact that if we can just bring a smile to somebody’s face on a daily basis, that’s a pretty amazing thing to do,” said Porter.

So far, Harrison has helped 10 families and Hamilton Health Sciences staff say they hope to help more as the program expands.

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