"He's the happiest dog, and his
tongue is always hanging out of
his mouth. But when he gets into
situations when he's working—when
it's all business, the tongue goes in,
and he's very conscious."
As lovable as Sarge is, it's important
to remember that he's in the hospital
for a specific purpose, and that's
security, not therapy. However, Sarge
is friendly and it is OK to pet him
after first asking his handler Pat
for permission.
Pat says Sarge can tell a lot about
a person just by smelling their feet.
Pat even carries trading cards with a
photo of Sarge that he hands out to
people who approach them
while they're working.
A Lasting Imprint
While the efficacy of the K9 program
has been observed in multiple ways
throughout the hospital, Pat recalls
a story of one patient that formed
a special bond with Sarge.
The patient, a young man with a
brain injury, would sometimes act
out during his extended stay at the
hospital. Pat and Sarge would be
called to the patient's room to
help the care team de-escalate
the situation.
"When this young man would lash
out, I would tell him that if he calmed
down and cooperated, he would then
be allowed to pet Sarge," says Pat.
"Over time, the patient got to know
Sarge and he would quickly calm
down when he was having a hard
moment."
When it was finally time for the
patient to be transferred to another
facility, Pat made sure to arrange
one final visit. Pat brought with him
a 5x7 photo of Sarge.
"When we gave the picture to
this young man, he was so excited.
He was showing his family and asked
for tape to hang it on his wall," Pat
The K9 security program
began at Sacred Heart
Medical Center, with
plans to expand to
Holy Family Hospital,
Providence Medical Park
and other Providence
clinics and doctors'
offices.
shares. "Sarge made a difference
in this kid's life when he was
really struggling."
Expanding The K9 Program
The K9 Security program at
Providence isn't only successful—it's
growing so protection can be added
around the clock.
A second K9 team, handler Corey
Anderson and his partner Dex,
a Belgian Malinois, has been added.
Long term, Sacred Heart Medical
Center and other Providence Health
Care facilities hope to add
additional K9 teams.
When Sarge and Dex aren't leaving
paw prints in the lives of patients,
families and caregivers at work, they
live a normal dog life at home with
their handlers.
■
Sarge and Dex are always on
a leash and under the control
of their handlers.
The dogs can be pet,
but the handler must
first give permission.
