OCTOBER

WELL-BEING
HEALING HELP
FROM MAN’S
BEST FRIEND
Dogs at Work do
Wonders for Health
BY SARAH KELSEY
C
orporate Canine Therapy, corporatecaninetherapy.ca, is the culmination of
Rodney Kaufman’s lifelong dream to give back to his community. It started with
the purchase of his now five-and-a-half-year-old dog, Harlow. “My idea with getting a
Great Dane was always to have a therapy dog,” he says. “I went to Woofstock and St. John
Ambulance had a stand about them, so I asked the team about training Harlow.”
One of the pup’s first official jobs, after being certified, was for Kaufman’s mom
when she was being treated for lung cancer. Because of Harlow’s training, she was
able to identify that his mom was having a massive heart attack - even when medical
professionals didn’t know that’s what was happening - and then, comforted her through
the pain.
After several similar experiences, in particular, seeing how Harlow helped kids and
babies at a local children’s hospital, Kaufman started to think about how she and other
therapy dogs could ease the suffering of an often overlooked and distressed group of
individuals: employees of big business.
“I noticed there was a niche and a need for this kind of therapy on a wider scale,
especially for people who feel they never get a break.”
24 VILLAGE LIVING MIDTOWN
He notes that the intense pressures that
accompany the daily grind not only impact
a person’s mental and physical well-being,
they can lead to a loss in productivity for
corporations. The antidote, according to
research Kaufman cites, is puppy playtime.
Studies show that people who receive visits
from therapy dogs heal 30 per cent faster
than those who don’t. Even brief hangouts
with pets can release calming endorphins,
lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular
health, reduce stress, and increase happiness.
To make accessing his company’s services
easy, Kaufman says he’s created a sort of
Uber for pet therapy. With a quick phone
call, bosses and managers can set up a visit
with one of his team’s 50 trained handlers.
Animals who are part of the program have to
meet a certain set of criteria, and naturally,
they must be good with people.
Though it just launched, the company has
already worked with a major hotel chain to
inspire its team members during a planning
session. “The event was so successful
we’re now in the corporate retreat package
and offer employees a chance to play with
dogs in-between meetings.” His team has
also worked with a minister who wanted
a therapy dog’s presence to ease tensions
during counselling sessions. “These dogs can
do just about anything,” Kaufman notes.
And while the initial inspiration for this
company is set to retire in a couple years
(thanks to Harlow’s life expectancy), Kaufman
says he’ll continue to grow the business.
“We’re looking for another family pet to
continue Harlow’s work,” he says, adding,
“I know what these dogs do makes a huge
difference to a person’s life, so it’s a fun way
to give back.”