Healing Power: Facility Dog Program Poised to Expand

Learn how the success of Peru the facility dog has Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation set to welcome another canine team member soon.

For more than four years, Peru, the facility dog at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation White Oak, has charmed and partnered with people served in physical therapy and occupational therapy during their recovery journeys. After documenting Peru’s success, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation is preparing to welcome a second facility dog to the team.

During rehabilitation sessions, Peru helps patients living with deficits due to stroke or injury practice activities of daily living and improve mobility.

“Peru is a working dog and an employee of the hospital,” said Heather Tropiano, PsyD, rehabilitation psychologist for Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation and Peru’s handler. “She is part of the rehab team and greatly enhances the experience for our patients.”

The Powers of a Facility Dog

Unlike a therapy dog, who has a volunteer handler and provides emotional support to people served, Peru has received rigorous training to work as a facility dog. The nearly 7-year-old half-Labrador and half-golden retriever was bred to be a service dog. After two years in the Canine Companions program, the staff realized Peru would be better placed as a facility dog, helping dozens of people every week, rather than just helping one person as a traditional service dog.

“Peru is extensively trained and vetted,” Dr. Tropiano said. “She also must be retested regularly to ensure she is still up to the job. We as a team also have to go through recertification every year. It’s a lot of ongoing work.”

Peru knows more than 50 commands that allow her to assist patients with daily tasks, including:

Helping a patient take off a jacket
Opening or closing drawers
Pushing a button to summon an elevator
Picking up dropped items, such as keys and pill bottles

During rehabilitation sessions, Peru assists people with tasks, such as kicking a soccer ball back and forth or retrieving rings thrown on a stand.

“If someone has had a stroke, getting them to stand or take their first steps can be overwhelming and anxiety-provoking,” Dr. Tropiano said. “Having Peru work with them one-on-one can help them get closer to their rehabilitation goals without them even realizing it because she is such a novel and engaging distraction.”

Providing Inspiration and Help

Peru has worked with Dr. Tropiano, a former military psychologist for the U.S. Air Force, since 2020. When someone enters rehabilitation, they are asked if they are open to working with Peru. No one is forced to interact with her if they are allergic or scared of dogs.

Therapists individualize Peru’s work according to each person’s therapy goals. Peru can help people improve balance, dexterity and other important skills that support independence and quality of life.

“We collaborate with the physical, occupational and speech therapists to coordinate how Peru can best fit into their multidisciplinary care plan,” Dr. Tropiano said. “We’re always brainstorming new, creative ways to use Peru to help people get back to their lives.”

Expanding the Facility Dog Program

Not all rehabilitation hospitals have facility dogs. However, this novel approach has proven so successful at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation White Oak that it will be expanding into Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation Rockville in 2025.

“A second facility dog will join our team in 2025,” Dr. Tropiano said. “The wait has been long, which speaks to how intense and selective the training for a facility dog can be. It takes a lot of skill and hard work to train a dog and pick the right one for this job.”

The dog will join Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation after completing the Canine Companions program. Occupational therapist Colette Calomeris will be the dog’s handler.

Intriguing Research

Dr. Tropiano has been tracking Peru’s effectiveness with people served at Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation White Oak for a research project.

“We’re in the process of revising the manuscript to submit to journals focusing on human-animal interaction and animal-assisted interventions,” she said. “The most surprising finding was that people who did not ever own a dog or did not currently have a dog in their household engaged in task performance with Peru longer than those who had dogs in the past or currently owned a dog.”

Dr. Tropiano plans to replicate the research she conducted with Peru with the new facility dog to bolster her findings.

Patient Favorite

Peru receives plenty of love on patient evaluations after they have left rehab.

“People frequently comment that working with Peru is more helpful than working with a therapist,” Dr. Tropiano said. “She helps them take their mind off the pain or the anxiety they’re feeling, so they’re able to do things that they didn’t think they could.”

Life Off-Duty

When she is not working, Peru lives with Dr. Tropiano and her family, which includes two other dogs. Peru loves baked salmon, squeaky toys and swimming.

“All her training goes out the window when she gets to the pool – we have to physically take her out of the pool sometimes, because she just wants to stay in,” Dr. Tropiano said. “When Peru doesn’t have that work vest on, she’s kind of like a teenager – she hears you, but she won’t do what you’re asking her to do. And that’s OK. She deserves a day off.”