Enid Buzz | Wednesday, June 22, 2016
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ENID, Okla. - There’s no better therapy than that of a four-legged furry friend. That’s exactly what Chester, a 19-month old Golden Retriever, provides to the patients and employees at INTEGRIS Bass Baptist Health Center.
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Chester and his handler, Lisa Shriner, visit many different places throughout Oklahoma, and INTEGRIS Bass gets the honor of seeing them each week.
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Shriner started training Chester when he was only 8 weeks old and by the time he was 1 year he was a certified therapy dog.
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“I got him when he was 8 weeks old and I knew I wanted to train him to be a therapy dog,” Shriner said.
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Each week, the duo visits INTEGRIS Bass bringing a ray of sunshine to the hospital hallways.
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“For the patients it brings them a little bit of joy and it’s something unexpected,” Shriner said. “You don’t expect to see a dog when you’re in the hospital. It also helps to take their mind off of any pain they may be in because they can sit and pet Chester and talk with me.”
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However, having Chester around doesn’t only benefit the patients, it’s also a great stress relief for the employees, doctors and nurses when Chester comes to visit.
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Chester and Shriner start on the top floor of the hospital and work their way down.
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“He’s so excited when he gets there,” Shriner said. “I think he knows what he’s there to do. He does get tired though and by the end of the day, he’s ready to go.”
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Chester is part of the INTEGRIS Bass Volunteer program and his hours are counted as part of the total number of hours worked throughout the year. He is honored with the same perks as any other volunteer at the hospital. For more information about how to become a volunteer call Carolyn Holden at 580-548-1113.
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Chester brings ray of sunshine to INTEGRIS
