Eager Pooch Lifts Patient Spirits

“Please let it be me,” Buster’s expressive eyes say when his owner, Seddie Barber, pulls out the yellow vest.

The appearance of the vest means that one of Seddie’s therapy dogs is going to be heading out to volunteer that day and each hopes it’s their day.

“My mom was a hospice patient and died at home with me. Her dog meant so much to her. Many patients don’t have have access to their pets, so I knew sharing mine would be a way I could give back.”

Buster is a four-year-old labrador/weimaraner mix who joined Crossroads Hospice as a volunteer after being certified as therapy dog 1-½ years ago by the Human Animal Link of Oklahoma.

“Buster is a gentle soul and he’s great with the patients. When you put that vest on, he’s very calm. We visit one patient and he just lays his head on his stomach the whole time. With another woman, she lights up whenever I say, ‘I brought Buster to see you.’”

Seddie explains, “There is just something about when you have a dog….people lose the inhibitions. They become silly and loving. It’s a whole different attitude.”

Her own experience with her mom taught her the importance of hospice. She shares, “Hospice is a wonderful thing for families. It’s a great comfort. It sure helped my sister and I.”

To those considering becoming a volunteer, she says, “Visiting with the patients is so rewarding. They don’t get out much. A lot of them have no family. It’s very lonely. Two that I visit are bedridden. These patients need volunteers so badly. They just need someone to visit with them. You’ll be amazed at the amount of love they give in return.”

Seddie has done a lot of different types of volunteer work, but for her, “this is the perfect fit. You have to find your thing, and pet therapy is the right thing for me. I love being with my dogs. What better thing to do with them than to share them with people who can’t be with their own pets.”

Crossroads Hospice accepts friendly pets who are up-to-date on their shots for companionship visits with patients. To learn more about volunteering with Crossroads Hospice, please call 888-564-3405 or submit an application on our Facebook page.

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