Three times a week for the past five years, patients, caregivers and visitors at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital have been delighted and calmed by the site of Jordy, a labrador/golden retriever cross, who holds the official title of hospital facility dog. Accompanying Jordy while she’s working is her handler, former NICU nurse Kathy Bellino, who retired in 2024 after a 53-year career, 22 years of which she spent at Memorial Hospital.
Jordy is a graduate of the Canine Companions® service dog training program. Headquartered in Santa Rosa, this national nonprofit
provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, the judicial system and educational environments.
Jordy’s work is focused specifically within Memorial Hospital. When she and Kathy are onsite they visit patients and caregivers on every unit. As Jordy walks down the hall physicians, nurses, technicians
and housekeepers all come around to say hello, scratch her head
and receive some doggy love in return.
Jordy and Kathy started their work at Memorial during the COVID-19 pandemic, lending a paw to support and motivate caregivers during that highly stressful time. “The support she provided to caregivers was immeasurable,” said Kathy. “There are nurses who literally didn't burn out because of spending time with Jordy.”
Kathy’s nursing experience is an additional asset to her role as Jordy’s handler. Even before entering a patient’s room, she can assess when it’s ok to bring Jordy inside. Jordy’s training and Kathy’s knowledge make it possible for her to be with patients experiencing serious conditions in the intensive care unit (ICU). Kathy can see where an injury is located and guide Jordy on how to approach the environment. Jordy carefully walks around catheters and cords to greet patients and sometimes leaps onto the bed for a cuddle.
For patients facing a serious illness, spending time with Jordy can make their hospital stay much less stressful. “Dogs possess miraculous healing powers for people,” says Kendra Crawford, chief nursing officer at Memorial Hospital. “They help lower stress hormones, bring down blood pressure, and can put a smile on our faces even during very difficult times.”
Kathy recalled the relationship that Jordy had with a cancer patient who asked her to visit him every time she was on duty. When he was readmitted a few months later, his first question was whether Jordy could visit him. After that, Jordy saw him two or three times a week, even climbing up into bed with him. “This man knew he was dying, but every time he saw Jordy he would break into a wide grin. Her presence made all the difference to him,” said Kathy. “Jordy became close with the patient’s family during his long hospital stay. When he died, she was invited to attend his memorial service where she walked up to his casket to say a final goodbye.”
Facility dogs like Jordy are indispensable to caregivers trying to help children though their own health challenges, or those of a family member. Kathy shared the story of a family whose father was on a ventilator as the result of a serious accident. The ICU nurse asked Jordy to accompany his child while they visited with him. Sadly, the father died the next day. Afterward, the family expressed their thanks to Jordy for the immense comfort she provided during what turned out to be their final visit.
Jordy’s Journey to Facility Dog
Jordy’s journey started before she was even born, as the Canine Companions breeder dog selection process is rigorous. Potential breeder dogs are evaluated for their genetics, temperament, physical attributes and more. This ensures that puppies are bred to be calm, dependable and affectionate, traits required to assist patients.
When Jordy was born, she was raised by a teacher in Sacramento until she was about 20 months old. Puppy Raisers, as these volunteers are called, give puppies a stable and loving home, take them to obedience classes and provide them with positive socialization. From there, Jordy spent several months being professionally trained at Canine Companions headquarters, where she learned over forty advanced tasks such as retrieving dropped items, opening doors, turning on lights, and how to apply pressure across a patient’s lap or body to help calm those going through medical procedures. As a Canine Companions facility dog Jordy is required to work at the hospital for a minimum of 20 hours a week. Training and recertification for facility dogs is an ongoing process to ensure their skills stay strong.
Kathy has volunteered with Canine Companions since 2008 and during that time has raised six puppies for the program, been a male dog breeder caretaker, and helped to coordinate fundraising initiatives that raised $800,000 for the organization. “After raising all those puppies and seeing what these dogs can do for people, I was thrilled to keep Jordy and have the opportunity to work together to benefit patients and caregivers at Memorial Hospital.”
The Role of Canine Caregivers at Providence Sonoma County
Canine caregivers have long been a welcome sight at Providence Northern California hospitals and outpatient centers. In Sonoma County our four-legged caregivers are officially defined as either facility dogs or therapy dogs. Both play a vital role in providing emotional support, companionship and a happy distraction for patients. Read below to learn about the similarities and differences between them.
| Facility Dogs | Therapy Dogs | |
| Definition |
Facility dogs are expertly trained dogs that partner with a facilitator working in a health care, criminal justice system or education setting. Facility dogs are trained to perform over forty service dog commands such as picking up and carrying items, opening doors and providing calming physical pressure on patients. Their skills can also be incorporated into structured patient therapies. |
Therapy dogs are pets that love people and have the temperament appropriate for therapy dog work. Therapy dogs are trained to be comfortable in new environments and to interact with different people. They should have a calm temperament, be unfazed by unfamiliar noises and movements and be comfortable being handled. Therapy dogs can be handled by a volunteer handler who brings their therapy dog to a facility. They are not trained in specific tasks. |
| Organizations supporting Providence canine caregivers | Facility dogs are bred, trained and certified through Canine Companions (CC), which provides service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities. | Therapy dogs are evaluated, trained and certified by Paws for Healing (PFH), an organization that supports teams in settings such as hospitals, mental health facilities, adult day care centers, cancer units, hospice, rehabilitation units and assisted living facilities. |
| Where and when they work at Providence |
Jordy and Kathy Bellino are the Providence Sonoma County facility dog team. They focus specifically on patients and caregivers at Memorial Hospital. Facility dogs are required to work a minimum of 20 hours per week. |
PFH currently has six volunteer therapy dog teams at Providence Sonoma County under the guidance of Don Forst, director of volunteer services for Sonoma and Napa Counties. Therapy dogs visit Santa Rosa Memorial Oncology at the Outpatient Round Barn Circle center and the Outpatient Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy Department on Stony Circle. Therapy dog team volunteers make a minimum commitment of 4 hours/month, with many teams visiting daily. Each visit lasts between 30-90 minutes, depending on the dog’s abilities and stress levels. |
| Breed types | CC breeds and trains Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and crosses of the two breeds. | PFH does not exclude any breed from being evaluated to become a therapy dog. However, dogs must be well socialized and have had some obedience training prior to evaluation. |
| For more information or to volunteer |
Call 707-577-1700 or visit canine.org |
Call 707-775-9242, email info@pawsforhealing.org |
*Information sourced from the following websites:
