By Christy Peters, Regional Communications Manager

“I love dogs and I love people.” Knowing this about American Red Cross volunteer Mike Falatach, it’s no wonder he’s the volunteer leader for the Red Cross Animal Visitation Program (AVP) in Northern Ohio. Part of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces, animal visitation teams support military members and their families across the United States and overseas. In Northern Ohio, Mike works with nearly 40 volunteers and their animals, coordinating visits to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland and National Guard bases across the region.

Mike currently has two Great Pyrenees therapy dogs, Macee, who will be 9 in June and Rosie who is 5. In addition to his role at the Red Cross, Mike is certified to evaluate dogs through Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog Inc. guidelines which is an approved Therapy Dog program by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Mike is also an AKC Temperament Jude and Canine Good Citizen evaluator.

According to the AKC, “therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of others.” Training to become a therapy dog is no simple task. Dogs must learn to ignore food that’s nearby, how to stay calm amid beeping medical equipment and be with lots of other dogs without turning the event into a playdate.

“We look for dogs with personality. They wag their tail or cock their head,” Mike said. “A dog that loves to visit with people and gets excited to do so is important because many of our events have lots of people.”

For many military members, seeing a Red Cross therapy dog is an important reminder of home when they are away training. Mike recalls being at Camp Perry in Port Clinton, Ohio for a leadership academy. He said officers came in and sat on the floor with the dogs, crying. “They told us about their dogs, how they missed them,” said Mike. “In the midst of that intense training, the dogs gave them much-needed comfort.”

Mike is always amazed at how a visit from a Red Cross therapy dog can break down barriers with patients. “The dogs take their mind off their pain and what they are going through,” he said. He’s visited individuals who are unable to speak but as soon as they see the dog they smile. Some patients are in the middle of painful medical procedures during a visit, but they perk up and immediately want to pet the dogs when they arrive.

“Macee and I visited a rehabilitation hospital, and a patient was struggling to finish their walk,” said Mike. “The nurse said, ‘If Macee walks with you, can you walk more?’ and the person did. They don’t want to disappoint the dog.”

Mike said being part of an animal visitation program with a national organization like the Red Cross means a lot to his volunteers. There’s a limited number of years for a dog to do therapy work, so any chance volunteers have is exciting for them. “They are eager to participate, they want to share their animals with people,” he said. “The people we meet enjoy it and are so appreciative and that means so much to us.”

The Red Cross is grateful to Mike and his entire team for the important work they are doing to serve military members and their families. You can learn more about Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces here.

Posted by Ryan Lang, Red Cross board member and volunteer