Image of Oliver, the golden therapy dog, with two women

Therapy Dog Oliver Brings Hope to Cancer Patients in Atlanta

Oliver — the “golden therapy dog” — has become a much-anticipated visitor every other Tuesday at City of Hope Atlanta.

Two days a month, a celebrity walks through the doors of City of Hope® Cancer Center Atlanta. He’s short, four-legged and furry. And this dog is so popular, it may take him up to an hour and a half just to cross the hospital’s hallway to go from one room to the next.

Since July, Oliver — the “golden therapy dog” — has become a much-anticipated visitor every other Tuesday at City of Hope Atlanta. Although the 5-year-old golden retriever and certified therapy dog was initially tapped to visit with staff, he quickly became popular with patients and their families, too.

And it’s no wonder. Study after study attests to the positive health effects of animal-assisted therapy (or pet therapy) in hospital settings. Some of these benefits include improved cognition and emotional well-being. Others include reduced anxiety and stress.

“As a true dog lover, especially of golden retrievers, I can tell you these wonderful animals may provide great support for patients, in general, and cancer patients, in particular,” says Maurie Markman, M.D., president of medicine and science for City of Hope Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix.

In this article, we’ll explore:

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at (877) 524-4673.

What’s a Therapy Dog?

Dave and Pam Thomas were looking for a way to give back in retirement. Dave had worked as a professional photographer and two of the organizations he photographed were service- and therapy-dog groups.

“When Pam retired, we became very interested in therapy dogs,” Dave says. “We decided to pursue it as a way to give back to the community.”

Image of Oliver the golden therapy dog in a ball cap and boots

Dave and Pam soon adopted Oliver — who had already started with some puppy and off-leash training — and began preparing him to become a certified therapy dog.

Animal-assisted therapy is a form of support service that uses animals to improve people’s health and well-being. Among the skills required for certification, Oliver had to learn socialization techniques — particularly when around a group of people — and how to remain calm when faced with a variety of triggers, like sirens, school bells and elevators.

When Oliver turned 1, he passed a certification test by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, an international registry of certified therapy-dog teams. He also received an additional certification to work with children who have reading disabilities.

After Oliver received the Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) program certification, Dave began taking Oliver to visit with children at the local library. He then expanded Oliver’s work to visiting hospitals, nursing and assisted living homes, as well as fire stations, juvenile courts, schools, first responders and 911 call centers.

Earlier this year, Dave reached out to City of Hope in Atlanta to see if Oliver could help staff and patients.

Oliver’s Bond With Atlanta Cancer Patients

Every time Oliver steps into the cancer center, “people come running from all over,” Pam says. “Staff members text each other to tell them Oliver’s here.”

Dave agrees: “The spirit is just raised tenfold.”

At first, Dave and Pam were just bringing Oliver into the hospital lobby and letting people come to them. But “as soon as we came in, we were inundated,” Pam says. “Staff members tell us they schedule to work on Tuesdays just so they can see Oliver.”

Also, while the initial plan was for Oliver to be available for staff members, his popularity with patients quickly became apparent. For example, Dave says Oliver is adept at picking up on people’s body language, often keying in on patients who may be feeling down.

“Very frequently he’ll pick out a particular person and sit down at their side,” Dave says. “Later, we’ll find out the person had a very stressful day.”

Much of their work involves Dave and Pam sitting on the floor and talking with patients and staff, with Oliver by their side. “A lot of stuff comes out when we just listen,” Dave says. And people are always happier after talking with Dave and Pam and visiting with Oliver.

“Oliver’s done a lot of good,” Pam says.

Supportive Care at City of Hope Atlanta

In addition to engaging with Oliver through the pet-assisted therapy program at City of Hope, patients may take advantage of supportive care services to help manage the emotional and physical side effects of cancer and its treatments.

Behavioral health services, for instance, include coping skills development, stress reduction exercises and meditation. Spiritual support offerings range from individual and group prayer to counseling.

Other supportive care services include:

  • Naturopathic support
  • Pain management
  • Nutritional support
  • Oncology rehabilitation

The goal of supportive care services is to help patients undergoing treatment better tolerate side effects, bolster their strength and stamina, as and improve their mental and emotional well-being.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer and are looking for a second opinion, call us 24/7 at (877) 524-4673.