Canine Companions in Cancer Care: Reflections on Cork University Hospital's Radiation Therapy Study Day

Picture 1 Left to right: CUH Study Day - Nicole Duggan - events and content manager MCC, Katie Fox, CBS Primary Tralee, Dr. Kate Fitzgerald, CUH radiotherapy dept, Professor Mark McEntee, CUH Radiotherapy, Cliona O Rourke, My Canine Companion co- founder and operations manager, Dr. Irene Hartigan, School of Nursing, UCC and MCC Therapy dogs Mescal and Anna and School Therapy Dog Zorro.
*Picture 2 - Kate Fitzgerald speaking during her presentation at CUH Study Day*

On a glorious Saturday during a long weekend in May, Cork University Hospital Study Day pulled off an epic event filled with talks on radiation diagnostics, holistic patient care, and the cutest animal radiation therapy you'll ever see. Dr. Richard Elders, a Veterinary Specialist in Small Animal Oncology, wowed the crowd with his presentation on radiotherapy in small animal hospitals. MCC canines joined in, stealing the show and everyone's hearts.

Elaine Kay, a Radiation Therapist from Glasgow vet school, followed with a presentation that showed the similarities between animal and human radiotherapy. It was a bit of a shock to realize that animals and humans share so many things in common - like getting nervous in front of large crowds or wagging our tails when happy!

But the real star of the show was MCC Anna and Dr. Kate Fitzgerald, a MCC handler and radiation therapist, who presented the results of a six-week quality improvement initiative aimed at introducing dog therapy to support patient and staff well-being. That's right, you heard it, dog therapy! Before MCC Anna was brought to the waiting area, patients completed a survey, stating their preference for the introduction of a therapy dog. And boy, were they in for a treat!

MCC Anna attended the waiting area for two mornings a week for six weeks, bringing joy and comfort to everyone she met. Patients and staff alike couldn't resist the charms of this furry little angel. And who can blame them? With her wagging tail and cute little tricks, she quickly became everyone's favorite part of the day. Since 2019, MCC Kim is popular in the paediatric radiology dept, fracture clinic and the children’s wards. The Glandore Centre is the first radiation centre in Ireland to introduce a therapy dog in the waiting area for radiation therapy.

Picture Left to right - Derry McCarthy, Claire Harman, Kate Fitzgerald, Richard Elders, Elaine Kay

Overall, the study day was a huge success, with over 80 members in attendance and two hundred euro in donations. But the real show-stealers were the special guests: MCC handlers Katie Fox, Noirin Moynihan, Letitia Hassett, and Nicole Duggan, and of course, MCC superstars Zorro, Sandy, Alfie, Jackie, and Mescal. They stole the show, along with their cute little noses and wagging tails.

Overall, the day was a resounding success. And who knew that dog therapy could be so much fun? We look forward to developing this initiative further with the members of the team at CUH Radiotherapy, especially Eoin McGrath, Claire Keating, Claire Harman, Kate Fitzgerald, Derry McCarthy, and MCC Anna. And let's not forget to thank Maeve Barrett, a UCC student who volunteered her time weekly to be with MCC Anna in the waiting room and ensure that she had some well-deserved playtime after her morning work.