Bringing smiles to the infirm one nuzzle at a time

Daniel Hinsley sits in his walker, grabs Milo the dog’s leash and weeeee, goes for a brief ride down the hallway at the Montana Veterans Home. Hinsley has a huge smile and Milo looks at him as if to ask, “Want another?”

Milo is a 110-pound black Labrador-English setter cross. He’s a human pet therapy dog owned by Patti Bass.

A well-behaved and well-trained dog, Milo specializes in visiting people being treated at hospitals, living centers and care facilities like the Veterans Home.

Bass became interested in pet therapy years ago when her mother was suffering from a terminal illness.

“Her spirits were always lifted when I brought in the dog,” she said.

Bass now operates Northwest Montana Pet Partners, a branch of the national nonprofit Pet Partners, which is dedicated to pet therapy.

According to the American Humane Association, animal therapy has been shown to help children who have experienced abuse or neglect, patients undergoing chemotherapy or other difficult medical treatments, and veterans and their families who are struggling to cope with the effects of wartime military service.

Bass says she takes Milo out for a visit to the Veterans Home or another facility about once a week, but not more than that.

“What you want is for the dog to be enthusiastic about going in (to the facility),” she said.

Bass and her partner in the operation, Vicki Lee, are both licensed by Pet Partners to evaluate and certify animals and their owners as therapy pets. They evaluate not just the pets and their temperament, but the owner’s ability to work with people as well.

Dogs, for example, must go through a physical test and be examined by a veterinarian before they can be certified. Not every dog is cut out to be a therapy pet. They have to be friendly, well-behaved and tolerant, not just to people but to other animals as well.

During a visit last week, veteran Glenn Jackson showed off some tricks he taught Milo. First he put a treat on the dog’s nose, and Milo had to wait until he was told he could eat it. The next time, Jackson put a treat in his own mouth and Milo lifted gently up and took it from him.

“It took me about a month or two to teach him that,” Jackson said.

While Bass certifies dogs across the state, she said there’s a real and growing need in the Flathead. The organization can’t keep up with demand.

Interested pet owners can contact Bass through the Northwest Montana Pet Partners online at www.nwmtpetpartners.org to learn more about the certification process. there are some fees involved.

Dogs don’t have to belong to any particular breed, she noted, but they won’t take wolf hybrids.