To say that Hula the therapy dog and her owner Courtney Eckhoff are a dream team would be an understatement. Eckhoff, a hospice liaison for AseraCare Hospice, volunteers with Hula, a 7 1/2 year old golden retriever, all over the Region. Hula was licensed by Therapy Dogs International when she was 1 year and 6 months old and offers her therapy services to a wide array of individuals. Hula loves meeting new people and enjoys showing off her tricks, one of which involves her pretending to whisper a secret in someone’s ear.
Over the years, Hula has worked with attendees at Gary SouthShore RailCats baseball games, residents at inpatient psychiatric hospitals, and even chemotherapy patients. These days, she primarily works with AseraCare Hospice patients, local hospital patients, residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and patients at doctor’s offices.
Eckhoff has been working with therapy dogs since 2009. She remains just as passionate about her work as the day she started.
“Hula doesn't judge,” Eckhoff said. “She loves with an open heart and open intuition, just like many other animals do. Animals meet people where they are. They don't set expectations for people or harbor preconceived notions about them. If you treat Hula with kindness and respect, she will treat you with kindness and respect. I find that level of compassion to be inspirational. Therapy dogs like Hula can bring joy to people when they are sad, tired, frustrated, or even just not feeling 100%. That’s what I find so inspirational about the work that she does.”
As a 2005 alumna of Purdue University, Eckhoff likes to keep up with the goings-on at her alma mater. Several months ago, she came across an email advertising a study entitled “Investigating Possible Mechanism of Human-Animal Bond in Companion Dogs.” This is a collaborative project led by Dr. Niwako Ogata, professor at Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Yunjie Tong, professor at Purdue’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
The study, which is being conducted at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus, analyzes the behavioral patterns and physiological responses of 50 dog-and-human teams. Intrigued by the study’s premise, Eckhoff decided to sign herself and Hula up as participants.
During an observation session, each human subject undergoes a stress test for about 12 minutes. The researchers use a brain cap to monitor the participant’s physiological responses as their stress levels rise. During their owner’s stress test, the canine participant is outfitted with a heart monitor and taken to another room to interact with strangers. The owner and dog are then brought into the same room and their physiological responses to the reunion are monitored. Each team returns to the campus after a three to six month period to repeat the test for a second and final time.
In Eckhoff’s view, this study reflects the common saying that “all dogs are therapy dogs, the majority of them are just freelancing.” She appreciates the opportunity to support a Purdue-based research project such as this and cites a number of reasons for why she finds the study to be important.
“It’s really cool to give back to my alma mater by participating in this fascinating study,” Eckhoff said. “Since Hula is so comfortable being touched by many people, I thought we might as well sign up and see if we can help the researchers. The research that this team is doing is important because it helps us understand how our bodies and our brains interact with the environment around us. I believe that this will help individuals learn how to better manage their lives and emotions, which ultimately helps set them up for success. There are many benefits to investigating the science behind the way our brains work. I also feel that this study validates the fact that we all have the right to feel joyous in our day-to-day lives.”
Eckhoff holds the McAfee Animal Hospital staff in high esteem and has trusted them with the care of her animals since she first brought her pet rabbits to the clinic as a 5-year-old. Hula has been getting checkups at the clinic since she was 8 weeks old. When Eckhoff’s last therapy dog, Grace, was diagnosed with mitral valve endocardiosis, the veterinarian Eckhoff took her to said Grace would only live another six months. However, with the help of Dr. Steve Violanti, Dr. Brooke McAfee, and the rest of the McAfee Animal Hospital staff, Grace lived for another four-and-a-half years.
“The McAfee Animal Hospital staff are the nicest, most accommodating, and most cost-effective vet team I’ve ever worked with,” Eckhoff said. “They are great about making follow-up calls after appointments and they always have a plan. I remember that Hula fell asleep in Dr. Brooke’s arms during her first visit to the clinic. Whenever we run into Dr. Brooke in public, Hula just loves all over her. Dr. Brooke is a fellow Purdue alumna and is excited that Hula and I are participating in the study. She has been very supportive and offered us so much encouragement during the process.”
Eckhoff and Hula both look forward to participating in their last observation session. For now, they continue to travel throughout Northwest Indiana, spreading love, positivity, and snuggles – courtesy of Hula – wherever they go.
For more information on the pet care services that McAfee Animal Hospital offers, please visit mcafeeah.com.