Meet the TOP Dogs

We learn how TOP Dogs are bringing much joy and stress relief to oncology patients.

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You can listen to this article below, or by using your favourite podcast player at pod.link/buddiesforlife

Touch Our Pets (TOP) Dogs, a non-profit organisation, is one of the largest therapy dog organisations in South Africa. It was founded by eight dedicated therapy dog handlers and their pets in August 2008. 

TOP Dogs is involved in three main programmes: 

• Animal-assisted activities (AAA) involving the use of animals in recreational programmes to enhance the quality of life.
• Animal educational programmes (AEP) involving academic goals.
• Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) focusing on health and treatment. 

All of the TOP dogs are pets of our members (who are all volunteers). We visit about 50 plus organisations every month throughout Gauteng, Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Jeffreys Bay. 

We believe that TOP Dogs are born, not bred, and we simply evaluate dogs based on their character and temperament to be socially well-adjusted dogs.

Socially active partners

The basis for therapy dogs is that in contemporary society, animals have come to be regarded as socially active partners in the lives of humans. 

Humans and dogs are capable of sharing intersubjectivity as they can read each other’s gestures and demeanour while interacting and participating in shared activities. Due to this intersubjectivity, animals have increasingly been implemented in therapeutic settings, leading to what we call animal-assisted interventions (AAI). 

AAI is an umbrella term that describes goal-oriented and structured interventions that intentionally incorporate animals in health, education, and human service for the purpose of therapeutic gains and improved health and wellness. 

During AAI, the animal handler and the therapy animal work together as a dynamic team to benefit and assist people. This can be summarised by the fact that the stroking of a dog and companionship a dog can provide has a physical and mental health benefit to our clients. This is caused mainly by the release of feel-good hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins. If you’re a dog lover, you’ll know what we mean.

TOP Dogs visit oncology patients

The introduction of monthly visits by Top Dogs and their handlers to outpatient radiotherapy units aims to improve the experience of patients undergoing radiotherapy. 

Numerous studies show that these voluntary and informal interactions positively impact both the emotional and physical health (lowering of blood pressure and pain) and well-being of patients by reducing stress, anxiety levels, and feelings of loneliness and depression.

These visits offer a helpful distraction to patients from the fears and worries they may have around their disease, their treatment, and even their pain, providing a dose of paws-itivity.

Not only are these visits beneficial to patients but they bring joy and comfort to the staff too who look forward to these monthly sessions. Anecdotally, it’s apparent that people’s expressions change when they see the dogs entering the hospital; smiles, a momentary sense of relief, and perhaps a normalisation of the hospital environment.

Not all patients or staff wish to physically interact with the dogs during these visits. However, we’ve noticed there is a positive response even when they watch others interacting with the dogs (stroking them or scratching their tummies) and chatting to the handlers about their own pets.

To date the programme has been introduced at two radiotherapy units in Gauteng: Netcare Milpark Radiotherapy Unit and Netcare Olivedale Radiotherapy Unit. We look forward to expanding the programme to our other Gauteng units. We have introduced a similar programme at the Parklands Radiotherapy Unit and Oncology ward in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

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References

1. Meet Buddy, one of five therapy dogs bringing some paws-itivity to our hospitals by providing comfort, companionship and cuddles to our patients and staff. https://issuu.com/royalmarsden/docs/rm52_winter_2022_web_pdf_singles_for_issuup/s/17700516

2. Animal assisted intervention for oncology and palliative care patients: Asystematic review Karina Diniz Pinto*, Claudia Teresa Vieira de Souza, Maria de Lourdes Benamor Teixeira,Maria Isabel Fragoso da Silveira Gouv

3. The “pet effect” in cancer patients: Risks and benefits of human-pet interaction The Royal Adelaide Hospital, Medical Oncology department, Adelaide, Australia

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