Fresno Heart & Surgical patient enjoys some “puppy love”

Douglas May, a patient at Fresno Heart & Surgical Hospital, got a special visit from his female mini-Australian Shepherd, “Sketch.” Terri May, Doug’s wife knew he was feeling down and thought that bringing one of their dogs in would cheer him up.

“The hospital agreed and we made sure all of the vaccinations were up-to-date and the dog was groomed properly, like therapy dogs,” said registered nurse Marflo Urbano, of Fresno Heart & Surgical.

It’s widely known that animals can change a human’s state-of-mind in a matter of minutes and Sketch did just that for May.

“We do our best to accommodate all of the patient’s needs and we don’t ignore a single ounce of pain,” Urbano said. “It was really funny to see the two of them. It changed his mood so fast. I think emotionally and psychologically it really helped him.”

This story was reported by Rebecca Wass. She can be reached at rwass@communitymedical.org.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009