Virginia Treatment Center for Children Welcomes New Facility Dog

By Chris Landrum
VCU Communications and Public Relations

Bahia pokes her head into classrooms to see how patients are doing and receives a warm welcome from the staff and patients at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center’s Virginia Treatment Center for Children.

Bahia is a consummate professional with the patients, never raising her voice, or in this case, her bark. She is a specially trained facility dog who works with patients at the VTCC as part of their therapy.

“She has the ability to love absolutely everyone,” said Tess Searls, her handler and a nurse clinician at VTCC. “Some of our children are intimidated by adults, but a dog normalizes their hospital experience.”

Bahia, who will turn 2 years old in March, is one of six facility dogs in Virginia, according to Searls.

Searls applied for a facility dog through Canine Companions for Independence two years ago. After nearly a year and a half of training for Bahia and two weeks of full-time training for Searls, Bahia arrived at the VTCC in January. The application process is lengthy to ensure a proper fit for the facility dogs and to prepare the dogs to work well with sometimes difficult patients.

“Bahia doesn’t raise her voice, she doesn’t bark or bite,” said Searls. “She simply shows stress by closing her eyes and turning her head. As soon as her vest comes off, she relaxes and runs all over the place, but while the vest is on she’s as calm as can be.”

Searls related one incident where a patient was having trouble communicating his need to leave the room.

“He couldn’t vocalize his desire,” she recalled. “We calmed him down, and then I brought Bahia over. I explained how, since Bahia can’t speak, she stands by the door to indicate that she needs to go out.”

The lesson worked, said Searls, and she stressed that Bahia is never placed in dangerous situations. Instead, Bahia is brought in after the patient calms down to help empathize with the patient and communicate a lesson or work through a problem.

“She’s absolutely wonderful,” Searls said. ”The patients love her.”

Part of the VCU School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry, the VTCC provides mental-health services to the children, adolescents and families of Virginia. The center offers a wide range of psychiatric services and works to improve mental health through patient care, education and research.