CRMC Pet Buddy Program Searching For Volunteers To Expand

Cookeville Regional’s Pet Buddy Program is looking for volunteers to help expand its services and better support patients.

Volunteer Service Coordinator Cyndi Maxwell said they are searching for people who are willing to volunteer their dogs to be used as pet therapy animals. Maxwell said they are looking to expand because they currently have only eight dogs providing the service and demand is increasing.

“We get calls from schools,” Maxwell said. “They like to have visits with the pet therapy with the students and everything. So if we just have more, then we have more who can visit at the hospital, who can visit at schools, the library.”

Maxwell said dogs in the program must be certified by either Therapy Dogs International or the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. She said people who do not have a certified dog can still assist the program by being volunteering as a pet buddy partner.

“They help provide support as well,” Maxwell said. “They walk along with the pet therapy dog and their handler.”

Maxwell said the dogs also visit nurse’s stations and offices in the hospital to provide relief for staff. Maxwell said this expansion will allow more patients to have access to the therapy dogs if they want it.

“You can just watch the stress level leave their faces when they’re interacting with the pet therapy dogs,” Maxwell said. “It takes away, for that few minutes, you know, of them dealing with whatever stress they have going on with – with work, or with their health concerns, and the family members as well. It just takes that few minutes just to give them a break from that and just let them love on the dog and the dog loves right back.”

Maxwell said anyone interested in participating can contact her or talk to Thunderhawk Canine to see if their dog is eligible to become a therapy dog.