A Time for Paws: Therapy Dog Brings Comfort to Rose Haven Guests

By Cam Wilder

I’m Cam Wilder, and I serve as an Integrative Health Student Intern from the University of Portland. As part of my internship experience, I was tasked with implementing a health promotion or education project to benefit Rose Haven’s guests. Past projects by interns have taken the form of health related events or formal needs assessments, but I knew that I wanted to do something a bit different.  

Throughout my internship, I served in direct hospitality roles to assess which needs were still left unmet before deciding on my project. At Rose Haven, guests have access to plenty of tangible resources—food, supplies, and clothing. Hygiene resources and medical attention are prioritized through the wellness desk and in the clinic. As for emotional support, you can feel the sense of community the moment you walk into Rose Haven. My early experiences with Rose Haven demonstrated that they are able to meet most, if not all, of their guests’ basic survival needs. I knew I needed to dig deeper to find out how I could add to the guests’ experience.

During a conversation with a guest, inspiration struck. I sometimes volunteer in a weekly yarn group that Rose Haven holds every Friday, and one week I had the opportunity to sit down, chat, and crochet with guests. One of the guests I was chatting with about my project asked for more mental health resources, and mentioned that it would be great if Rose Haven brought in therapy dogs. So I did some research on the health benefits of working with therapy animals and found that spending time with trained therapy animals can increase happiness and decrease anxiety. 

Guests often bring their pets when they visit Rose Haven, exciting other guests and staff alike and bringing more joy into the space. While Rose Haven frequently has pets that accompany their owners, I decided it would be impactful to expand the therapeutic experience of being in the company of animals to make it accessible for all guests.

Maddy Linder (Rose Haven’s Mental Health Manager), Shannon Duggan (another University of Portland Student Intern), and I strategized to make the event happen. We researched non-profits in the Portland area that send out therapy dogs to various locations to help reduce stress, and DoveLewis’s Portland Area Canine Therapy Teams (PACTT) was a perfect match.

We met with PACTT director, Kathy Loter, and she coordinated with her team to send a pup and their owner to Rose Haven for a one-hour session. We were extremely grateful to welcome Jenny Collins and her sweet puppy Metzi to Rose Haven on Tuesday, April 15 for our first Rose Haven-PACTT event!

sniffing

Everyone involved—PACTT, volunteers, staff, and guests—responded with overwhelming positivity. Each guest spent ten minutes petting, chatting, and relaxing with Metzi, and those ten minutes seemed to have quite the impact. Stress was low and spirits were high after their experience. Several guests completed a short survey and every one of them shared that they felt happier and calmer after spending time with the therapy animal. 

Metzi reminded guests of their own pets, giving them the time and space to reflect on how important their animals are to their overall well-being. Even after ten minutes, I could sense an emotional release, and the guests’ stress seemed to dissipate after sharing their time with Metzi. It’s safe to say that Rose Haven guests wouldn’t oppose another visit from a PACTT pup!

petting dog

This one short visit with a therapy animal sparked emotional vulnerability and healing—and it’s only the beginning. With PACTT’s interest in a long-term partnership, we hope therapy dog visits can become a regular source of comfort for Rose Haven guests. What began as an open-ended internship project turned into something far more meaningful—for Rose Haven and for me. I’m grateful to have played a part in bringing relaxation and connection to a space already so full of care.

Want to support our guests and their furry friends?

We are always looking for more donations of these supplies:

  • Dog food: wet and dry
  • Cat food: wet and dry
  • Cat litter
  • Leashes
  • Harnesses
  • Collars
  • Toys
  • Bowls

See our donations page for more information!

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