Every dog has its day. For Roz, a golden retriever, it comes every other Thursday at Stanford Hospital. That's when the 8-year-old (and her owner, Carol Porter) make the rounds in a program designed to bring a healthy dose of puppy love to patients.
Launched in March 1997, Pet-Assisted Wellness at Stanford -- PAWS -- has sent nine dogs into the hospital. They've visited more then 600 patients. "Some folks are really sick, and some are terminally ill," says Vivian Vestal, the program's coordinator. "Dogs sense things and reach these patients in totally different ways than we do, ways that no medicine or doctor will."
The dogs must pass an obedience course and be certified to work in hospitals. But their bedside manner goes beyond basics. Roz, for example, can stand on her hind legs against a hospital bed, making it easier for patients to reach her. That trick charmed patient Lorraine Haag on a recent Thursday. "You are so special," she cooed as she patted Roz's head. "Dogs have a tendency to make people forget they're sick."
