Stamford Health's Facility Dog Promoted To 'Chief Puppy Officer'
STAMFORD, CT — After a year of being a good boy and helping thousands of patients and staff members, Harrison, the 3-year-old Golden Retriever facility dog at Stamford Health, has been promoted to “chief puppy officer.”
Harrison was given the news of his promotion on Monday, which also happened to be National Dog Day. Stamford Health officials, staff members, patients and donors celebrated the big promotion with a special event at Half Full by Third Place in Stamford, where Harrison was given a new vest to commemorate his new title.
“We’re super proud and happy of Harrison,” Stamford Health President and CEO Kathleen Silard told Patch ahead of Monday’s event, noting that Harrison has met all of his Key Puppy Goals (KPGs) in the 12 months since he was hired.
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“It really makes my heart sing,” Silard added of Harrison’s daily impact. “I feel a tremendous sense of positivity and accomplishment for our organization that we’re able to differentiate ourselves by adding this wonderful, lovable facility dog to Stamford Health.”
Harrison came to Stamford on July 31, 2023, from Precision Canine, a nonprofit organization that trains puppies to be service dogs and places them around the country. He was funded entirely through donations from the community.
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Unlike traditional therapy dogs, Harrison came to Stamford with specialized training to help support pediatric and adult patients, along with health care workers.
Harrison works up to 40 hours a week and currently has shifts in inpatient rehabilitation, behavioral health, pediatrics, the Bennett Cancer Center and the emergency department at Stamford Health. He also attends new employee orientation every other week to meet new staff members.
Harrison knows over 50 commands that help him interact with patients in different settings.
“He knows when we take him into an area where a patient is in bed and can’t really lean to him, we can draw him into the patient with those cues and he’ll come in so the patient can reach him from the bedside. It’s just amazing,” said Harrison’s main handler, Cindy Tanacea, who works as a patient experience program administrator at Stamford Health.
There are countless instances where Harrison has helped a patient or brightened the day of a staff member.
Tanacea recalled a time recently when the hospital was conducting a Lyme Disease vaccine research program, and a participating patient had trouble with needles.
“Every three weeks when that patient was coming in, we had to bring Harrison to him so Harrison could sit and alleviate his needle anxiety as he participated in the trial,” Tanacea said.
Another patient was so touched by Harrison that she was inspired to paint a portrait of him, Tanacea noted, and one patient immediately broke into song at the sight of Harrison in the hospital.
Over his year tenure, Stamford Health estimated that he’s had 15,000 interactions with patients and staff.
“When I walk down the hall with him, it’s amazing. Everyone is so happy to see him. I’m late to every meeting I go to because it takes me extra time to go from point A to point B. Whether it’s patients, visitors or staff, they stop me all along the way,” Tanacea said.
As with humans, the work-life balance is important for Harrison.
Tanacea said Stamford Health routinely makes sure Harrison has plenty of enrichment time and playtime incorporated into his work week, and his handlers in different areas of the Stamford Hospital campus provide feedback on his performance and well-being.
“We feel he’s got many good years still to be spent with us,” Tanacea said. “We’ve seen absolutely no signs of him slowing down.”
Stamford Health conducts employee engagement surveys to determine what the organization is doing right and how to improve. The write-in comment portion of the survey showed each department wants to have a facility dog like Harrison, according to Silard.
“I think we are really nesting [Harrison] into his work, and he continues to excel every day,” Silard added. “We’re open to the possibility of some additional dogs, but right now, I think we’re going to optimize his presence and savor that for a little while because I think he’s just getting started.”
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