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Four former cardiac patients who traded the treadmill for workouts walking stray and homeless dogs at their local shelter have gained as much as they give — and then some — in the novel program. Best of all, the dogs they walk are getting adopted quicker, thanks to the socialization, training and exercise they receive.
When you think you’re doing these dogs some good, that’s really rewarding,” says Charlie Christenson, one of four men in their 70s who regularly walk dogs at the Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) in Waukesha, Wis. “We go as often as we can.”
Christenson, a retired corporate pilot, is a self-described dog lover. That goes too for the three friends he met in rehabilitation who join him to walk dogs at HAWS. The others are Bob Jesion, a retired appliance business owner, Ole Bleiler, a retired truck driver, and Dick Hagemann, a retired banker.
Each man underwent heart surgery for a serious cardiac condition. Each one needed to get in shape through regular exercise. The rehabilitation program at ProHealth Care’s Waukesha Memorial Hospital provided a suitable aerobic activity via treadmill conditioning, but then Susan Kidder brainstormed a different idea.
“I am a big believer in pet rescue,” Kidder says. “I had worked in cardiology 10 or 15 years ago as a technician so I knew about the importance of rehabilitation programs. I thought to myself, the best
exercise anyone can do is walking a dog.
Then I started thinking that HAWS had a great walking area so why not see if we
could put the two together as part of a therapy program.”
When Kidder presented her idea to hospital and shelter representatives, they welcomed the opportunity. “I loved the idea from the start and was immediately on board,” says Debra Bina, manager of Wauk e sha Memorial
Hospital’s Cardiovascular Department and Cardiovascular/Pulmonary Rehabilitation. “It helped promote both
exercise and animal adoption.”
“In lieu of these heart
patients going to the hospital
and walking on a treadmill for
an hour, they come here to
take the dogs out,” says HAWS
volunteer coordinator Kim Kalczynski.
“It helps our dogs get out of
their kennels and have human contact.
The socialization helps keep them happy
and friendly, and the exercise is important for both the dogs and men.”
Thus, Cardiac Friends was created in
fall 2008. Though a cold winter kept the
program from launching until April, once
it began, it was an immediate success.
Measuring Success
More than once the men have returned from walking a dog to learn the dog has been adopted. That news is rewarding recognition of their efforts.
“‘Dixie’ was one of the best dogs I’ve ever walked,” Christenson says. “She was just outstanding. One day when I returned her to her kennel, a shelter
worker told me, ‘You won’t be able to walk her after Wednesday because somebody’s going to adopt her.’”
Another time Christenson returned to the
shelter to find an “Adopted” sign on a dog’s kennel. “I love those stories,” he says.
The HAWS walking trail is a flat area adjacent to the shelter that was developed by local scouting groups. The youth cleared the land and made a trail with benches along the path for resting. Volunteers mow the grass and shovel snow. Five laps around the property constitute one mile.
More than just dog walkers, the men help train the dogs. Many of the shelter dogs are not accustomed to leash walking and start out pulling and cavorting wildly. That begins to change with practice.
“We encourage anybody who walks a dog to take treats with them and do some positive reinforcement training,”
says Kalczynski. “The men have been great in helping to train the basics like‘Sit’ and ‘Down.’”
Dogs also gain experience in a dog park
environment, where they can run off-leash with other dogs in one of three large fenced areas on the shelter grounds. The socialization with other canines helps make the dogs more adoptable.
The one-on-one interactions the men
have with the dogs help the HAWS staff
members learn about the dogs’ temperaments and how they interact with other dogs and people. The information helps the staff better match dogs with potential adopters.
Cardiac Friends also helps introduce
many of the shelter animals to men. “The
majority of our volunteers are women,”
Kalczynski explains. “Having the men
around is a really positive thing, especially for dogs that may be leery of men. They’re getting more used to being around different people.”
The original intent of the Cardiac Friends program was to identify dogs that would make good companions for older adults and those with physical disabilities. Identifying appropriate senior dogs and smaller breeds was the focus. Dogs walked through the program would have a laminated “Cardiac friends” sign on their kennel to draw
attention and prompt questions.
“Visitors who see a dog in the kennel
with the Cardiac Friends sign know they
will probably be able to handle the dog
since he’s used to walking,” Kalczynski
explains. “These are the dogs many
people want to meet and oftentimes
end up adopting.”
All that changed once Christenson,
Jesion, Bleiler and Hagemann started
coming regularly to HAWS. “Now they
walk every dog,” says Kalczynski. “They take puppies out and big dogs too. They take everybody.”
“They like to walk a variety of dogs to
increase the number of dogs tagged as
‘Cardiac Friends,’” says Bina. “They love the flexibility of the program and enjoy being able to bring their family with them. All the volunteers appreciate being involved in a new pioneer program.”
As Jesion says, “These dogs need some
love and walking, and that gets them out
of the kennel. It’s a pleasure to do it.”
Every Monday, the men meet at the
hospital’s fitness center for a workout.
Then, they go for coffee, and head to the shelter. Often they come several times a week either together or separately.
“They’re pretty dedicated,” says Kalczynski. “We can always count on them to be here every Monday.”
Walking Is Recommended
Cardiac Friends is for patients in the
final part of a four-phase rehabilitation program. Most patients have had a heart attack, angioplasty, stent implantation or open heart surgery. “These patients have moved beyond monitored and supervised workouts and can exercise independently,
charting their own progress,” Bina says.
“Walking is recommended so the Cardiac
Friends program fits nicely.”
“When you think of rehabilitation, it’s
about changing lifestyles,” Kidder says.
“Cardiac Friends does that on many levels.”
The volunteers benefit as much as the
dogs. “The cardiac rehab patients get
exercise opportunities and satisfaction
from helping the dogs,” says Bina. “These men have been going to rehabilitation as a group so they are also strengthening their friendship bond.”
Bleiler, the retired truck driver, agrees. “We have a good time. I feel pretty good, and walking the dogs helps quite a bit.”
The interactions the men share with
the dogs provide health benefits besides
physical ones, Kidder says. Before launching Cardiac Friends, Kidder helped develop the animal-assisted therapy program for Waukesha Memorial Hospital. She herself has been active in pet therapy for eight years, and she helped launch a similar program at a hospital in Massachusetts before moving to Wisconsin. Kidder also trains and certifies pet therapy teams for Therapy Dogs Inc.
“Research has shown that spending
time with animals helps to decrease anxiety and depression,” says Kidder. “It also helps lower blood pressure, increase selfesteem, motivate patients to get well and decreases a need for painkillers in some post-operative patients.“
With its multifaceted approach, Cardiac
Friends is a win-win for all involved. It not only helps dogs in a shelter, it also helps cardiac patients engage in an exercise program. Retired banker Hagemann reflects that he gets “a sense of selfsatisfaction and accomplishment from the program.”
A volunteer fire chief for two Wisconsin
communities, Hagemann saw a dual purpose
in volunteering for Cardiac Friends.
“I felt that I could use the additional
exercise, but at the same time I would
be giving the dogs exercise,” he says.
Kalczynski hopes to add more dog walkers at HAWS through Cardiac Friends.
“Our goal is to get more people involved, because this is working really well,” she says.
Kidder would like to expand the program
to include diabetes patients. “It really
doesn’t cost anything to participate,”
she says. “It’s a great fit for people who cannot afford a gym or can’t have a pet because of their living situation. It’s about helping. It’s about being needed. It’s about making a difference.”
Despite their small number, the four
charter members of Cardiac Friends
have already made a big difference, says
Kalczynski. “It’s always good to see them because they’re happy and like what they’re doing. We’re hoping everybody who comes will be as dedicated as they are.”
That dedication is what makes Cardiac
Friends’ contributions so valuable to the program, the dogs and their own recovery. ♦
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