Visiting Pet Program

This procedure provides information on handlers responsibilities and the visiting pet program requirements. WGH goal is to provide comfort and support to patients by allowing pets to visit when appropriate.

We welcome family dogs to Whidbey General Hospital to visit a hospitalized patient when they have been here for greater than 5 days or have palliative care orders.

Several areas are not open to family dogs; including the Whidbey Family Birthplace, Operating Room, Emergency Room, immunocompromised or neutropenic patient rooms, isolation rooms, and rooms of patients with allergies to dogs.

Our goal is to provide comfort and support to patients by allowing dogs to visit when appropriate. Dog visits can lessen stress and fear, promote normalcy, and encourage coping with difficulties during a patient's stay at the hospital.

Handler Tips For Pet Visits:
Talk to your loved one to be sure he / she wants the dog to visit.

Please call the nurse's station or ask to speak to the Charge Nurse or Nursing Supervisor to discuss if a visit is appropriate prior to each planned visit.

You, the handler, will be liable and responsible for your dog's health, safety and behavior. You must agree to meet the following requirements of the Visiting Dog Program at Whidbey General Hospital.

WGH Visiting Dog Program Requirements:

1. Your dog must not pose a threat or nuisance to the patients, staff or visitors because of odor, size, sound, disposition, or behavioral characteristics. Aggressive or threatening behavior is unacceptable and will require the dog's immediate removal.

2. Dogs may visit. Cats, rodents, & reptiles will not be permitted due to the risk of infectious disease and zoonotic disease transmission.

3. Dogs should be in good health and current with rabies vaccines.

4. Handlers must supervise and maintain control of their dogs at all times. When moving through the hospital, dogs must be on a leash or in a carrier. Smaller dogs may be held. Your dog should never be allowed to run loose, or be left alone with staff, patients or visitors. Dogs are not to be controlled by anyone but you, the Handler.

5. No one is to feed the dog without your permission.

6. Toileting is the responsibility of the handler. You are responsible for the clean up of any elimination the dog while on hospital property. Please notify the nurse, who can contact Environmental Services for further clean up if necessary.

7. Private rooms are preferred. Roommates must give verbal permission prior to visit. Dog owners with roommates who object to a dog visitor must make arrangements to meet the dog in a waiting room.

8. Nurses will use their discretion in canceling a visit due to events that may negatively affect the patient or other people in the hospital.

9. Visitation will not be permitted if the patient is in contact precautions.

10. Your dog must be clean, well groomed and free of parasites. The dog should be shampooed within 24 hours of the visit; hair brushed, nails trimmed and ears cleaned.

11. Flea dips and powders shouldn't be used within three days of the visit to decrease any sensitivity reactions from these pesticides. No flea collars are to be worn.

12. Dogs are not permitted to lie on clean empty beds. If dogs are placed on a patient's bed, a clean sheet must be used under the pet.

13. Dogs should not visit at meal times or while the patient is receiving medications, or treatments. Dogs should not enter the food, medication preparation, and linen or supplies storage areas.

14. Everyone who touches a dog must wash his/her hands afterwards.

15. You must sign the Visiting Pet Program Waiver

16. Physicians and staff may not bring dogs other than when visiting a specific patient or family as above.

17. An estimated length of stay will be documented on the Waiver Sheet. If the length of stay exceeds 5 days, negotiation with the supervisor is required.

Animal Categories / Definitions:

Certified Service Animals: Service animals are legally defined (Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have a disability. Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animal in public places. Service animals are not considered "pets".

Certified Therapy Animals: Federal law does not legally define Therapy animals. Therapy animals provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working with people who have disabilities. They are usually the personal pets of their handlers, and work with their handlers to provide services to others. Therapy animals are not service animals. Delta Society's Pet Partners Program trains volunteers and screens volunteers and their pets for visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and other facilities.

Family Pet Animals / Companion Animals: A family pet with no certifications.

Delta Society’s Pet Partners: Delta Society’s Pet Partners trains volunteers and screens volunteers and their pets for visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers, schools. and other facilities. The Pet Partners Program was established in 1990 to ensure that “both ends of the leash,” people as well as animals, were well prepared to participate in animal-assisted activity and animal-assisted therapy programs. Pet Partners is the only national registry that requires volunteer training and screening of animal/handler teams. Pet visits can lessen stress and fear, promote normalcy, and encourage coping with difficulties during hospitalization.