SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Rillie, a nine-year-old whippet, has a smooth short coat, a lean and muscular body and a penchant for snuggling.

He and his owner, Kathy Beaupre, are new volunteers with the St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.

Kathy Beaupre and her nine-year-old whippet, Rillie, volunteer with the St. John's Ambulance Therapy Dog Program. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

The organization puts dogs and their owners in touch with residents of the Abe Miller Centre, Aven Mannor and the Mary Murphy Home. Rillie and Beaupre will make their first dog therapy visit in Yellowknife to residents of the Mary Murphy Home later this month.

"When I put Rillie's bandana and collar on, he knows it's time to go to work," Beaupre said. "He thinks he's pretty special."

Rillie began volunteering as a therapy dog in Ottawa in 2002, where he visited with extended care patients in Ottawa General Hospital and with people with traumatic brain injuries. He specializes in bed visits.

"It's been proven that (dog therapy) reduces stress and lowers blood pressure," Beaupre said. "Rillie has a very calming effect."

For those who wish to give Rillie a hug, Beaupre will lay a blanket on the bed and Rillie will hop up to be petted and stroked.

"It's the touch, touch, touch that he loves," she said. "And the undivided attention. He loves it as much as anybody else."

Some people Rillie visits will begin to open up a bit while sharing affection with the dog, she said. Some people reminisce about dogs or cats they used to have as they visit.

Sometimes their presence just inspires happy conversation.

"Rillie tends to bring some people out of their shell," she said. "Some of these people have no one else visiting. For some people in long-term-care a visit from Rillie is just a break in the day. The days are so routine. When you go in with a dog it's just something different."

The dog therapy program in Yellowknife began in 2006 with six volunteers and has grown to include 15 volunteers and their dogs. Visits expanded to include students from N.J. MacPherson School through the Therapy Animals Increasing Literacy (TAILS) program in association with the Yellowknife Public Library.

The dogs are tested for their ability to heel, sit and obey other commands. The dogs also must be capable of maintaining good behaviour amid distractions such as noise, sudden movement, crowds of strangers, other dogs and unfamiliar surroundings. This includes exposure to wheelchairs, crutches and the sudden sound of a bedpan crashing to the floor.

"Rillie aced everything," Beaupre said. "He doesn't bark. He doesn't lick. He doesn't jump in your face."

Any obedient dog with the proper temperament that passes a regimen of tests may be accepted, as long as their owners also pass the screening process, which includes a police records check.

Organizers don't discriminate on the basis of a dog's size or breed. The list of participating dogs includes a cocker spaniel, a corgi, a Boston terrier, a malamute cross and several other mixed breeds.

"Every dog offers something different," Beaupre said. "Some dogs do tricks and are really entertaining. Rillie's not quite so entertaining. He loves to be petted and he loves to cuddle. That's his role."