A few years ago, Molly Webster, BSN, RN, went to her normal volunteer shift at the Buffalo Animal Shelter, ready to take an adoptable dog out for a walk. Little did she know the dog she’d meet that day would become a therapy dog she’d bring to work at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“He was just brought in with his brother from an abandoned house and they were both very emaciated,” she says. “He had little scars all over him. I walked him a couple of times, then my husband came in and we took him home."
The dog, Zoar, had double pneumonia at the time and was on four different kinds of antibiotics. But his sweet personality was apparent and his temperament never really changed. “We thought after the pneumonia was gone that he would be more crazy, but he was still just snuggly and down to do whatever we were down to do. If we wanted to go for a hike, he’s ready to go. But if we just want to lay on the couch and hang out, he’s always down for that too.”
Zoar has the distinction of being the first American Staffordshire Terrier to serve as a therapy dog at Roswell Park. He’s been a warm, welcoming presence with a loving disposition since the day Webster met him. In addition to being gentle around Webster’s 10-month-old daughter, Zoar has been a foster brother to 17 different dogs over the past few years, including some who reportedly had behavior issues.
“Zoar kind of showed them how to be a dog and how to be ok with that,” Webster says. “He’s great with his human sister too, he loves her.”
“He makes people happy”
Like any other therapy dog, Zoar had to complete a basic obedience course in addition to some supplemental tests to prove he had the right temperament and ability to focus therapy dogs need in order to visit patients in hospitals. He passed every test with flying colors, Webster says.
She’s glad to be able to show, with Zoar, that this type of dog isn’t inherently scary or out of place in public with new faces to greet. “He’s had a very warm welcome. It actually opened my eyes to that,” Webster says. “I think more people are becoming more accepting of (this breed of dog). The amount of people I’ve met that have said, ‘Oh my gosh, he looks like my dog,’ or ‘I have a pitty.’ Someone said they didn’t know pit bulls could be therapy dogs, but it’s been a very good, very positive experience.”
For many years, American Staffordshire Terriers, which also fall under the umbrella term Pitbull terriers, were viewed as inherently dangerous dogs because of their frequent use in illegal dog fighting operations. However, public opinion has started to change in recent years, with the breed’s reputation as loyal and loving taking the lead.
For now, Webster and Zoar, along with Webster’s father Bill, have been making the rounds, visiting patients and walking through Roswell Park, offering a little respite from a stressful time. As a nurse in Critical Care, she knows the heightened emotions patients can feel and how much a therapy dog can help alleviate anxiety.
“When patients come in for their appointments, they’re waiting and they usually have multiple appointments in one day, and they need something to get them through that waiting period. I think the dogs can bring a positive environment for them, a warm, welcoming environment that we’re here and we care.”
Zoar has enjoyed his therapy dog visits so far, but Webster admits they do take a toll on all of them. “He’s exhausted by the end of it but he loves laying and getting all the pets from everyone,” she says. “He comes here and he makes people happy.”
Support services at Roswell Park
In addition to our therapy dogs, we have a large array of services and resources to address any need — physical, emotional, practical, spiritual, social — during your cancer journey.
