The Power of Puppy Love

Cyndy may be one of the most requested visitors at Hackensack Meridian Health’s Jersey Shore and Ocean University Medical Centers — but when she walks down the hallways, she’s not greeted by name.

Team members and patients alike call out, “Hi, Pippin! Hi, Pippin’s mom!”

For Cyndy, it’s high praise: proof that her goal has come to life.

A Vision of Care

It all started when a dear friend moved to a nursing home. Hearing that her best friend was finding the transition lonely, Cyndy came up with a plan. She decided she would get a dog, and train her new pet to visit the center.

When Pippin first came home, she was not on board, but soon she came around.

“She turned out to be a really cool little dog, with a tremendous instinct for helping people,” Cyndy says.

Now, the dynamic duo are familiar faces at Jersey Shore and Ocean, where they make a difference wherever they go.

Meaningful Moments

Asked about the most remarkable memories she and Pippin have made, Cyndy maintains that every single volunteer visit leads to at least one.

There was a three-year-old girl in Jersey Shore’s outpatient oncology department, who had to sit for what felt like ages as she received her treatment.

“You could tell it was hard on her,” Cyndy says.

Pippin’s entrance transformed the day. As the dog performed one of her tricks — pushing around a shopping cart — Cyndy asked the little girl if she’d like Pippin to walk her doll.

The nurses did one better: They set up her equipment on wheels so the patient and Pippin could push their carts together.

“It made such a big difference,” she says. “Her mother was in tears. It made it so much easier for her to get her treatment.”

It was the same for a man who had recently had a stroke. He was nonresponsive, but his wife asked if Pippin could come and visit because he loved dogs.

“I noticed his eyes were following Pippin,” Cyndy says. “It was the first time he was responding to something. Everyone cried.”

It seems that no matter who the patient is or where they are, Pippin knows just what they need. She draws smiles and greetings everywhere she goes. “Even if you’re in a grumpy mood, you start to feel good.”

Inspiring Example

Cyndy encourages anyone who’s considering it to train their pets in pet therapy. She maintains that Pippin makes a difference not only for patients and team members, but for her as well.

“The joy and the gratification of doing it is extremely rewarding,” she says. “I do encourage people to do it because it makes a huge difference in the lives of the people you see. I don’t understand it, to tell you the truth. She’s just a little dog. I don’t understand how she can have such an impact, but she just does.”