The Gift of a Wagging Tail: Gilchrist’s Pet Love Program

Some visits begin with a knock, a gentle hello, and a familiar question: “Do you like dogs?” Then a tail starts wagging.

At Gilchrist, patients and families can request a visit from a certified therapy dog and their trained volunteer handler through our Pet Love Program. These visits can happen wherever a patient is receiving hospice care, including our care centers and senior living communities. It’s a simple offering, but the impact can be immediate: a smile that wasn’t there a minute ago, shoulders that soften, a moment of calm that feels like a small exhale for everyone in the room.

Positive interactions with animals have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce physical pain, and foster relaxation that can ease anxiety, depression, and stress. They can also help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. At the end of a hard day, that steady presence and unconditional affection can mean more than words.

A Program Built on Safety and Training

Every Pet Love volunteer team completes specialized requirements designed to promote safe, successful visits. Gilchrist accepts pet therapy certification through:

• Off Leash K9 Training
• Pets on Wheels
• National Capital Therapy Dogs
• Pet Partners

Volunteers and dogs are carefully screened and supported, with procedures in place to help ensure visits are comfortable for patients, families, staff, and the animals themselves.

As Emily Carver, Volunteer Services Admin Coordinator, shares, the program is growing and currently includes about 20 active volunteers and their trained dogs. Dogs visit the Towson, Howard, and Baltimore care center units weekly, and the need continues to grow. “We would love to recruit more dogs,” Emily says.

Meet Milo and Pippa

When Laura Coleman retired in May 2025, she found herself thinking about how she could use her extra time in a meaningful way. She had already connected with Gilchrist as a volunteer sewist for memory pillows. While she was helping, she asked a question that changed her routine in the best possible way: Does Gilchrist do anything with dogs?

Laura’s golden retrievers, Milo and Pippa, are the kind of dogs who seem to believe every person is their person. When Laura pursued Pet Love certification, she originally planned to bring only Milo because he’s the more mellow of the two. But because certification required a drive, she decided to bring Pippa “just in case.” To her surprise, Pippa passed beautifully—wheelchairs, walkers, dropped items, all of it. “They both passed,” Laura shares, “And I’m like, okay, both of you are going to be therapy dogs.”

Laura completed Gilchrist’s volunteer training modules, submitted vaccination records, and got a flu shot to be ready to visit patients safely. Now, when she pulls out their Gilchrist vests, Milo and Pippa know exactly where they’re going. “They get so excited,” she says.

Laura often visits senior living communities, including memory care. An hour can include one scheduled visit, but it rarely stays that contained, because the dogs draw people in. In one building, Laura says walking in feels like stepping into a shared living space—residents gathered together, staff moving through, a TV on in the background.

And then the dogs arrive. “It makes me laugh,” Laura reflects, “because I don’t know if you ever watched Cheers… we walk in and they’re like, ‘Milo!’” This is especially meaningful because many of the patients Laura visits have memory issues, yet are still able to remember the names of the dogs they’ve met before.

Both Milo and Pippa naturally draw residents and staff to them. Laura and the dogs typically arrive to visit one patient but end up visiting with anyone who shows interest—through a smile, eye contact, or a gentle reach of the hand. Milo, the more outgoing of the pair, has a signature move: he backs into a person and sits on their foot, as if he’s choosing them. Pippa, meanwhile, walks over to patients and rests her head in their lap, quietly asking for ear rubs. Patients relax and enjoy the attention the dogs give them.

Meet Mateo: Tiny Dog, Huge Presence

If you’ve spent time around Gilchrist’s pet therapy community, you may have heard about Mateo—and if you’ve been on TikTok, you may have even seen him. Mateo has built a following of more than 90,000 people who quietly follow along as he does what he does best: showing up, offering comfort, and brightening hard days through his volunteer work.

Mateo’s owner, Heather Sacks, is a longtime volunteer and leader with Pets on Wheels who has been doing therapy visits for years, beginning with her Pomeranian, Skyler. Heather has nearly 1,000 volunteer hours at Gilchrist and also serves as the Vice President of Pets on Wheels and a regional coordinator supporting hundreds of volunteers. Through her social media posts, Heather shares glimpses of Mateo’s “day in the life” as a therapy dog, always mindful of privacy, giving viewers a rare look at how pet therapy supports patients, families, and staff.

When Skyler passed away in 2020, Heather took time before welcoming another dog. Eventually, she found Mateo and intentionally prepared him for therapy work, bringing him into public spaces, helping him get comfortable with being handled, and slowly building his confidence.

Mateo is a Pom-Chi and weighs just 6.5 pounds, which makes a meaningful difference in a hospice setting. He can lie gently with patients, rest on someone’s chest, and curl into the quiet spaces where comfort is needed most. Heather often sees the change right away. “They just smile,” she says. “Their eyes light up.” And sometimes, the comfort isn’t only for the patient. It’s for the family member sitting at the bedside, holding their breath through a day they never imagined.

Heather also shares a perspective that many hospice staff recognize: near the end of life, patients sometimes speak as if they’re seeing loved ones who have passed and, at other times, beloved animals. “People are visiting you at the end,” she says. “And your animals are coming back to see you, too.” Mateo seems to meet people exactly where they are. Sometimes patients even call him by the name of a pet they once loved, as if something familiar has gently resurfaced.

Mateo brings joy to staff as well as patients and families. Heather makes a point to greet teams throughout the units, recognizing that hospice care is built on relationships and that everyone carries something.

And yes—Mateo has style. Heather often dresses him in outfits paired with his Gilchrist gear, because even a small smile can matter more than we realize.

Could Your Dog Be a Therapy Dog?

If your dog is mellow, steady, and people-loving, they may be a great fit. Gilchrist’s Pet Love Program is still growing, and we would love to welcome more certified therapy dog teams—especially as requests increase across our service areas. The Lifecare Institute is also in particular need of volunteers in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, where additional support can help reach patients earlier in their journey. If you and your pet have time to give and would like to share the gift of unconditional love and joy, consider joining Pet Love.

Interested in volunteering? Reach out to Gilchrist Volunteer Services to learn more about how to get started, certification requirements, and where help is most needed. Become a Gilchrist Volunteer | Gilchrist