When Stacey Engelhardt’s father died, she relied on the calming nature of a little dog named Nicky curled up in her lap.
“He brought me so much comfort when I was hurting with his unconditional, loving attention,” said Engelhardt, an executive assistant in Hospital Administration at UTMB Health. “It was the first really big loss I've ever experienced, and I just really couldn't get through it very well.”
Her brother had some advice: “Find something you want to do—that you enjoy—and serve other people. I promise it'll make you feel better.”
As she looked at Nicky in her lap, and as Nicky looked back at her, she thought about it.
“I got the idea that I could help other people by bringing them joy, by bringing this cute little dog to them,” Engelhardt said. “You know, it’s scientifically proven that pet therapy does lower blood pressure and improves mood.”
Engelhardt began researching and discovered Pet Partners, a pet therapy team program. She and Nicky became a certified pet therapy team in 2019.
Nicky is a 7-year-old papillon, a large-eared dog breed named for the French word for butterfly.
“His ears look like butterfly wings,” Engelhardt said.
She adopted Nicky when he was 2 years old. The previous owners couldn't show the pup or breed him because of genetic issues.
“He was perfect for me,” Engelhardt said. “It was a match made in heaven.”
Engelhardt and Nicky jumped through several hoops to become a certified pet therapy team. But after submitting paperwork and veterinarian records, and completing an online course and an in-person evaluation, they got their certification. Stacey then became a volunteer at UTMB.
“I'm an employee, but I'm also a volunteer,” she said. “In my spare time, we go to hospitals, we go to nursing homes—you could say we are professional visitors.
“We're not an emotional support team,” she clarified. “Nicky’s not a service dog. It's pet therapy, which is basically a licensed visitor.”
The pandemic hit soon after Engelhardt began volunteering with Nicky. Because of that, they didn’t get to do any patient visits for a while. But UTMB staff is another group of people who benefit from Nicky’s visits.
“The most rewarding part to me so far has been visiting with our staff,” she said. “They have just been through so much stress, and when they see Nicky in the lobby or on their unit, it's just all smiles.
“It's such a small thing, but it has a huge impact.,” she said. “It makes their day. I’ve heard things like, ‘We need our own pet therapy animal for our unit.’”
Top photo: Stacey Engelhardt and her dog Nicky. (All photos provided by Stacey Engelhardt.)