Dervish is doing well following his neuter in February. He has always been pretty laid back, but he is more affectionate now too. As always, he is eager to learn and picks up new commands quickly. We are having more indoor time now with the COVID-19 and have been working on solidifying his skills.
Cindy has been heading up the COVID-19 Outbreak Response Team at Vancouver Coastal Health with Dervish providing stress relief for staff with his calming presence. To prevent Dervish from also becoming stressed with high tension and anxiety in the office, Cindy has limited the number of outbreak meetings Dervish attends, and she has had designated “Dervish Time” in her office with a limited number of staff (and the time they can spend with him) who can come in and sit with Dervish. They often ask questions about PADS and his training. Although not trained as an accredited facility dog, Dervish has responded very well and seems to enjoy the staff visits while he holds his sit or down position before receiving attention. In general, everyone loves having him in the office and considers him an essential part of the COVID-19 Outbreak Response Team.
Once the dust settles we will send a picture of Dervish with the Outbreak Response Team, but in the meantime one of the attached pictures is with Dr. Patricia Daly, Chief Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, who loves having Dervish in the office. She gave a shout out to PADS during one of her CBC interviews.
Submitted By: Dennis Hartman
