The Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School, Inc. (S.T.A.R.S.) has introduced a new K-9 program!   

   STARS has long-believed in the value in animals as a mode of therapy and is excited to announce a new program that extends our mission and values!  The STARS Board has approved a canine program, K-9 STARS, and things are moving quickly!

    Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is using an animal as an actual modality within a therapy session for occupational, physical, speech or psychological therapy.  Many patients often forget their fears, limitations and pain when completing therapy on an animal.  K-9 STARS easily fits into this niche and extends what STARS has believed in for 23 years; that animals can be excellent modes of therapy, stress relief, sources of motivation and self-confidence!

   K-9 STARS currently has ten human volunteers and 13 certified therapy dogs.  These volunteers have been working hard at getting their dogs ready for their first therapy visits.  St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center will be the site of the first official visit for the group with small group of volunteers going to visit with patients on the rehabilitation unit in early May.  Since this is the first time the hospital has had an AAT group available to them, the dogs will begin with simple visitation with the patients.  Pet visitation is limited to patients petting the dogs, talking with the owners about the dogs and the patients talking to the dogs.  The simple act of petting a dog has been proven to lower blood pressure and reduce heart rates while also elevating moods, so pet visitation is a valuable tool. 

   As the hospital staff gets used to having dogs on site and learning how the dogs can be used, the group will incorporate therapy techniques into the visits.  These techniques will include:  using the dogs to increase upper extremity range of motion by grooming the dogs or petting the dogs in certain ways, increasing grip strength by using various sized tools for grooming, increase activity tolerance by having the patient stand to complete various tasks on the dogs, improve walking balance and endurance by walking one of the dogs and also the patients can work on memory, sequencing and problem solving.  The list of possible uses for a dog in a therapy setting is virtually unlimited!

   We look forward to helping the patients of St. Luke’s and to offering our services in other areas and helping even more people.  For more information on the K-9 STARS, please call the STARS Barn at 712-239-5042.

MEET THE DOGS  

BROCHURE