Posted: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Rucker is a frequent visitor to the Crisis Stabilization Unit, where he transforms from everyday dog to pet therapy dog. He makes an appearance every other Sunday morning with his owner, Taylor D’Addario, Healthy Connections program manager and per diem case manager at the CSU.

D’Addario has always known she wanted a pet therapy dog. At 13, she had her appendix out and the pet therapy program at the hospital helped her with through that unpleasant experience.

“Being able to not think about my operation for just an hour while I played with the pet therapy dog made such a difference then,” D’Addario said. “When I started my career as a clinician, I wanted to try to integrate pet therapy into my work.”

Rucker, a two-year-old Jack Russell terrier mix, is a rescue dog from Alabama. When he arrived in Rhode Island, D’Addario enrolled Rucker in training to prepare him for his pet therapy career. For his pet therapy certification, he demonstrated his mastery of basic commands and was evaluated on his reactions in specific situations, such as walking next to someone in a wheelchair.

As with most pet therapy, Rucker’s work is done on a volunteer basis. On this early fall morning, Rucker was the center of attention at the CSU.

“Seeing the smiles on clients’ faces when they see Rucker in the building is so rewarding,” she said. “Lots of our clients are animal lovers, but can’t keep pets because of their illnesses or living arrangements. Rucker brings them so much joy.”

Beyond the soothing, calming qualities of petting a dog, as an accompaniment to therapy sessions, Rucker helps to serve as a connection between therapist and clients. His presence brings a commonality to the group, and fuels interaction between them. “If I am running a group and the clients’ participation is low, Rucker can change that immediately.”

But, this is just Rucker being Rucker—cute, friendly and playful.

“It’s so fun to watch him interact with our clients,” D’Addario said. “He doesn’t even know what a difference he is making; he’s just being himself.”