European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 23, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine bringing smiles to Young Hospital patients by Guffey associated press twice a Marlow and Chuck Snyder show up for Volunteer work at childrens Hospital in they walk in through the wide Glass doors at the front of the change to their uniforms and climb the stairs to the fourth then they go to padding jauntily Down the Hall and collecting hugs and kisses from nearly everyone they Marlowe a miniature chucks a German Chuck and 19 other canines and their owners Are participants in the pet prescription the hospitals latest idea for cheering up its Young this is better than Medicine for a lot of says Tim Snyder during a 90minute tour with Marlow and she licked my face to headed Zach squeals after an encounter with Marlow in the oncology wards toy around the Chuck meets up with 7yearold Justin Karrer of his Mother says Chuck and Marlow provided a breakthrough for her son on his first Day at three weeks therapists had been trying for Days to get the Young car wreck victim to but Only a dog chasing a Ball across the Hall got Justin Down on the carpet using his hands and Karrer Chuck Chuck Justin holding a tiny rubber figure Chuck positions ready to retrieve the extraterrestrial he just remembered Karrer Points smiling at her sons was something he pulled out of his memory just Chuck spends a few minutes with then decides to find Snyder and Marlow has hopped up on a bed beside 10yearold Kelly who returns the favor by admiring Marlowe tiny Pink t the dogs like the attention As much As the Snyder Chuck is wearing a Green Snyder has pinned the dogs name tags on their tiny Pink bows Bounce on Marlowe Baths and brushing precede each pets visit to the All Wear either a shirt or Hospital gown while there Snyder recalls chucks first when the huge dog wore a Hospital it kind of dragged in the the program started about six months ago after years of planning by Fern childrens Hospital director of Volunteer and two veterinarians who were among the hospitals Volunteer Bechtel had noticed How her own paralysed son responded first to the family dog after months of hospitalization following a car she had noticed the programs that take dogs and cats to visit the elderly in nursing she had noticed that children seemed ready to respond to dogs when they  respond to much ten other vets now Volunteer time to screen candidates for the the animals must have a thorough but the psychological and behavioural exams Are the canine candidates get their ears their tails the vets Check to see if sudden movement startles the we feel we cant take any chances on a dog that cant handle a child making some Quick Bechtel and As Tough As the ear tugging it was nothing compared to the lobbying Bechtel had to do in order to sell the idea to Hospital the hospitals infection control committee said it want Bechtel they Felt it want appropriate to bring dogs into the Hospital when All the patients  see the there was a lot of controversy about animals coming into the Hospital in it was just such a new idea that people we rent used to even thinking about a dog in a after a year of Bechtel Hopes that the pet prescription program will be cleared for use throughout the about 20 dogs have been screened and Are ready to report for parents with children on the wards where the program operates now must sign a form allowing the visits and the Childs attending physician must make a notation on the patients Bechtel Hopes the program will be expanded so Volunteer dogs can do their time at Denver childrens she also wants a study to see if a dogs visits can make a difference in the length of a Childs Hospital this Marlow and Chuck have one last Stop to they turn into a room where Brian Golden of san Diego is talking quietly with his 3yearold a Golden admires the who Are observing the Small Blond boy on his elevated after a few Brad reaches out to Pat off duty a few minutes Snyder and his pals Trail Back Down the stairs the elevators still of limits and Back to the its time to take the shirts but not before some other visitors Greet the Snyder brings his charges by once every two an easy he you dont have to do the kids just really want to see the a photo a photo Marlow a hug at Denver Tim Snyder and hit two visit children in their Hospital August 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13