A Match Made In Heaven: Cardiac Patients and Dogs in Need

By: Marie Tubbin

Take adoptable dogs needing socialization and add cardiac patients needing exercise and what do you get?   “A match made in heaven!” according to Kimberly Kalczynski, Volunteer Coordinator at Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) in Waukesha. 

The program is the idea of Susan Kidder, a founder of the pet therapy program at Waukesha Memorial Hospital.  The HAWS program has cardiac patients in the last phase of their rehabilitation, and therefore exercising independently, walking the dogs at the humane society on a regular schedule.

The program started early in 2009 with a general volunteer orientation session for the potential walkers.  These included Dick Hagemann, Charlie Christenson, Ole Bleiler and Bob Jesion.  Charlie said he was interested in the program because “I am an old country boy.  I have dog,  have had dogs forever and I like dogs.”  Kimberly provided a tour of the building, described volunteering in general at HAWS and then reviewed the rules and policies of dog walking.

The biggest rule?   All dog walkers must pick up the poop!  The dogs get walked in all sorts of locations, including the HAWS property, nearby walking trails built by Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts and some neighboring properties that allow them to walk there as long as the property is clean.   Other rules for dog walking include keeping the dogs separate so that there is no contact unless they are housed together.  Additionally, each dog has their own leash and toys which shouldn’t get intermixed. 

How do dogs become a part of the program?  The original plan for the cardiac patients, who just also happen to be seniors (or as Charlie puts it “old codgers”), was to encourage them to go with the smaller or older dogs because they would be easier to handle.  Kimberly laughs, “These guys didn’t go for that.  They just went for whoever was up for adoption.  They ended up walking everybody.”  According to Jennifer Smieja, HAWS Development Coordinator, “When we started out, the ideas was that we would put these little marker cards on the kennels of the dogs being walked by the guy.  People would know these are the dogs being walked by the cardiac program walkers.  It would give you an indication that these would be the kind of dogs that would be more easy-going and easier to handle.   But now every dog has a sign!”

The dogs get more than exercise.  According to Jennifer, “for whatever reason, a lot of our volunteers are younger females.  So, this is a whole other group that the dogs are getting exposed to socially.  When the dog is up for adoption, we can say that the dog has been exposed to different ages and sexes.”  Charlie says, “You know, I get the leash to take Rover for a walk today and Rover goes cowering in the corner.  He doesn’t know who I am from a bale of hay.  Tomorrow someone else is going to walk into his cage, his territory.  These poor little rascals just don’t have the social skills so the program is good for them that way.”

For the cardiac patients, there are the obvious exercise benefits.  But Jennifer also adds, “Every single one of the cardiac volunteers has been a dog owner in the past.  And, maybe they can’t have a dog now because of lifestyle or health or it just doesn’t work out for them to have a pet right now.  For them, it is a way to get their ‘dog fix’.  It shows that even if you can’t have a pet in your household, you can do something to help.  Also, these guys were not close friends when they started this program.  They have formed new friendships.”  According to Charlie, “There is a real good bunch of dedicated people at HAWS.  There are some regulars who walk every day.  We get to meet nice people who spend their spare time also doing good deeds for other little critters.  It is a good bunch of people down there.”

The program benefits the HAWS team, too.  According to Kimberly, “They are a good group of guys.  They are responsible and reliable.  They come when they are supposed to come.  They follow the rules.  They are super cool to be around because they are so funny and sarcastic and a really fun group of guys.”  Jennifer chimes in “They bring a really neat energy to the building.”

The plan for the future of the program is to expand the number of participants.  Kimberly said, “The people at Waukesha Memorial are already recruiting additional people.”  According to Jennifer, “ProHealth Care wants the program to grow as much as we do.  The guys who are doing it now are helping talk it up with other patients.  Other patients are getting a better idea of what these guys have gone through in the program.  It is getting a bit more popular at the hospital as another option for exercise.”

And walking dogs for exercise is not just limited to cardiac patients.  Jennifer says HAWS is always looking for volunteers.  According to Jennifer “There is never a bad time to sign up.  As it gets cooler, there is typically a drop off in volunteers.  People who like the outdoors should come to HAWS in the winter.  There are places to walk even if the snow flies.  You don’t have to worry about wearing your hiking boots.  We make sure there are paths for you.”   Volunteers are needed year round both inside and outside.  HAWS volunteer orientation sessions are on the website (www.hawspets.org) and there is no need to pre-register.  The sessions are held even if only one person shows up.

The hardest thing about the program, according to Charlie, is making time to do it.  He expands saying “Everyone says when you are retired, you can do this and do that.  But there is just NO time for this and that.  You wonder how you got everything done when you had a regular job to do.  Something will be put on the back burner because you are going to spend an hour or so walking the dogs.  But they deserve it and, hey, you catch up later (on your chores.)”

So the mixture of dogs and humans is a winning combination.  According to Kimberly, “The guys need to do this.  The guys want to do this.  The dogs look forward to it and get to know the guys.  And the dogs love them.”

For Charlie, it is all about the dogs. As he says, “It must be terrifying for all those critters in there.  Every day is a new experience.  I mean, holy mackerel, every time when I walk by I just hope and pray that they get a good home.  When I put the dog back, I pet it and love it up and give a treat.  I say, I hope you aren’t here the next time I come.  I hope you get a good home, buddy.  And, sometimes it works that way.”

Marie Tubbin loves spending time with her two best buddies, her husband, Mike and her dog, Louie.  She met Mike at Burger King and Louie at HAWS and considers those two of the luckiest days of her life.