TAHLEQUAH, Okla. –– Cherokee Nation’s Indian Child Welfare office is getting a new employee, Unali, an 11-week-old certified therapy puppy who will serve as emotional support animal for children in the foster care program.

Volunteers and employees got the idea for a therapy dog after seeing children deal with the stress that can accompany children during tough stages in their lives.

“We had a 4-year-old child who was to meet her dad for the first time and she was breaking out in hives each time before the visit,” said Nikki Baker-Limore, executive director for ICW. “We all felt sorry for her, because we could see that her stress level was high. So we began to think about a therapy dog.”

Limore said the program received a grant through the Victims of Crime Act Fund to pay for the pup. They chose the name Unali, a Cherokee word for “friend.”

“The purpose is to ease the trauma of children when we bring them into care or any visit or testimony they have to give,” Limore said. “The dog is there just to keep them calm.”

Research has shown that therapy animals, most often dogs, can have positive effects on a variety of conditions. They have been widely used in schools, hospitals, churches and nursing homes. Not only do the dogs provide comfort in stressful situations, they also have been shown to encourage their companions to complete tasks that are difficult for them, like reading, walking or overcoming addiction.

Unali will likely see children daily at her new home in the welfare office play room, as the program often schedules visits with foster children and their parents.

“They’re excited to see their parents and maybe the visit has to end, so it’s stressful, because [they’re thinking], ‘I was with mom and now I’m going back with foster parents,'” Limore said. “We just hope this dog helps them transition from visits, back to their foster parents.”

While Unali has already had her first day on the job, the retriever will have to go through training before she can become a certified therapy dog.

Unali will have plenty of time to adjust to her new home, as staffers will keep her unless she displays behavior not conducive to a foster care environment.

“I don’t think that will happen, because what dog doesn’t want to be loved on and pet?” Limore said. 

Crawford writes for the Tahlequah, Oklahoma Daily Press.