Ellen Gilmer, The Oregonian

CEDAR MILL — Samantha sits in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm, nurses and therapists bustling in and out, and a smiling dog at her feet. Four-year-old Samantha is undergoing growth hormone testing, and Bonnie the border collie is there to calm her nerves.

Hormone testing can take up to five hours, so Samantha’s parents are thankful Bonnie is there.

“It’s a good distraction from the monotony of the day,” said her mother, Colette Verbanic of Tigard. “At 4 years old, it’s hard to sit still for five hours.”

Five days a week, a dog can be found trotting in and out of patient rooms at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. The hospital has used animal-assisted therapy, a volunteer program that brings in animals to relax patients, for at least 10 years.

Samantha, who doesn’t have a dog at home, got to meet Bonnie and owner Susan Moore of Beaverton. Samantha laughed and swatted at Bonnie. She hasn’t learned how to pet gently yet, but Bonnie didn’t seem to mind.

Bonnie visits children to try to distract them from blood draws, IV starts and other procedures. Therapy dogs not only cheer up and distract patients, but also actually lower pulse rates and offer warmth in cold hospital rooms, said child life specialist Barbara Blair.

“Nobody’s focused on the procedure. They’re just focused on the dog,” Moore said.

According to research from the Delta Society, a national human services organization that connects people to animals, animal-assisted therapy has been shown to improve physical, social, emotional and cognitive functioning in patients. By offering companionship and a warm touch, animals help alleviate loneliness, lower blood pressure and reduce stress.

The practice is common at many area hospitals, including Legacy Emanuel and OHSU Hospital.

Eleven-year-old Bonnie always smiles, and she makes eye contact with everyone she visits. And Frank, a 3-year-old Bernese mountain dog, visits every Wednesday with his owner, Carly Morrish of Portland. They’ve been coming since February. Kids love Frank, who weighs about 120 pounds. Sometimes he even hops into bed with toddlers.

Bonnie and Frank have more than just sunny personalities. They also have training and certification under their collars. Both completed basic obedience classes as puppies, then took animal-assisted therapy classes with their owners at DoveLewis, a Portland animal hospital. The hospital uses a training program from the Delta Society.

Training the owner is half the challenge. Owners must know how to present their animals in different social settings, said Heather Toland, director of the therapy program at DoveLewis. They must also be able to tell when their animals are tired or stressed.

Moore said she knows Bonnie, who has been working as a therapy dog five years, well enough to read her mood from the set of her ears or the way her tail moves. If Bonnie seems overwhelmed, Moore knows to take her away from patients.

“It really takes a special dog to do this,” Moore said. “Therapy dogs are born. Some dogs just have that connection with people.”