One Rottweiler’s Mission to Lift Human Spirits By Mara Bovsun
Loki Dogtor the Rottweiler. Courtesy Caroline Benzel
F or Dogtor Loki, comforting people comes naturally. Whenever she sees someone who needs emotional TLC, she goes into “parking mode.” “She’ll walk up and then kind of back herself, like a truck, and sit on your feet and give her back to you,” says Caroline Benzel, 32, a student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore. Loki started her therapy career in November 2019. When the virus shut down in-person therapy visits, the team went virtual. Benzel videoed her dog in a pleasant outdoor setting and then chatted with patients confined to the hospital, such as those awaiting organ transplants. Virtual visits with Loki helped them cope with the isolation and despair. As the pandemic spread, Benzel looked for other ways to help. Her pet’s web presence, which was rapidly growing, offered a perfect way to reach people. It now includes more than 20,000 followers for her Dogtor Loki Therapy Rottie (@dogtor.loki) Instagram account and her Loki the Therapy Rottweiler Facebook page.
Benzel wondered if she could do something to combat the fatigue and depression among her nurse friends. She came up with “Hero Healing Kits” as a shot in the arm for frontline workers. The kits had lip balm, skin lotion, chewing gum, and other items to ease the discomfort of the ever- present masks. They were distributed to everyone, from custodians to residents, anyone who was potentially exposed to the virus.
followed. One brought in $5,000 to buy magazines and books for the hospital’s psychiatric unit. There were also donations of hundreds of cards and gifts to distribute to patients and staff during the holidays. It’s all thanks to Loki. Something about the 110-pound Rottie encourages people to open their purses. “She just really is the epitome of a therapy dog,” says Benzel. A significant part of her charm, Benzel believes, is her breed. Courtesy Caroline Benzel
White Coats and Watermelon Caps This comes as a surprise to many people. They can’t reconcile the public perception of the
breed with the gentle, sensitive soul sitting at their feet and gazing into their faces. When people first meet Loki, some ask if she is the same kind of dog as the hellhounds in The Omen. Others say they thought there were breed restrictions for therapy work, and
Of course, there was a picture of Loki on each kit to boost spirits. The idea grew into a nationwide campaign that raised more than $100,000 and distributed more than 7,500 kits nationally. More fundraising efforts
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 21
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