On December 2nd, 2011 the Shizuoka Shinbun published an article about the Tyler Foundation’s Shine On! Therapy Dog Program. Below is our own English translation.
Work With a Therapy Dog
Support child cancer patients at a prefectural children’s hospital
Tokyo-based Non-Profit Organization
“Handlers” Wanted
The Tyler Foundation (Tokyo) is a non-profit organization supporting child cancer patients and their families. We are looking for an individual who would like to become a therapy dog handler (trainer) at the Children’s Hospital in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ward.
The Tyler Foundation currently sends “Bailey”, Japan’s first therapy dog, and her handler Yuko Morita (age 30) to visit a children’s hospital. The Foundation is already preparing to introduce a second therapy dog to another institution, next year, and as such, Ms Morita will be transferred. The Foundation is therefore looking to train a new handler.
In addition to spending time with the children in the pediatric ward of the hospital, the therapy dog also accompanies them to the operating room and helps ease their fears when needles are administered. The handler raises the therapy dog in their home, and commutes to the hospital together with their dog. Working together with the therapy dog at the hospital, the handler uses their knowledge in nursing to keep safety and infection prevention in mind while playing together with the children.
Ideally, the new handler will be a nurse with experience working in a pediatric ward, but applications will also be accepted from doctors, clinical psychologists, etc. Duties are scheduled to start in April of next year. (This may change depending on the training progress of the dog.)
“You get to see a wonderful side of children that they do not show to all people. This is a job worth doing,” says Ms. Morita, who awaits her successor.
For inquiries, please contact the Tyler Foundation at.
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