When you think of a therapy dog, you might not envision a 100-pound Rottweiler. But “Dogtor” Loki’s muscular frame belies her tender spirit. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the therapy Rottweiler and her dog mom have brought respite to frontline workers and patients alike.
A Natural Nurturer
A natural nurturer, Loki can sense when someone needs emotional support. She then promptly goes into “parking mode” to provide it. “She’ll walk up and then kind of back herself, like a truck, and sit on your feet and give her back to you,” her dog mom, Caroline Benzel, told The American Kennel Club (AKC).
Loki’s therapy career started in November 2019 but really took off during the pandemic. Benzel is a student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. She noticed the stress and discomfort her fellow nurses were subject to as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and realized she and Loki could help.
Hero Healing Kits for Frontline Workers
Benzel dressed Loki, three at the time, in a lab coat and had her deliver “hero healing kits” to the University of Maryland Medical Center staff. These kits contained items such as granola bars, lip balm, and moisturizers. In addition to lifting spirits, the goodies helped ease some of the irritation caused by wearing personal protective equipment for prolonged periods. Benzel and Loki distributed them to everyone working on the front lines, from janitorial staff to nurses and doctors.
“[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel told People.
Meanwhile, Loki continued providing therapy to patients, even when the pandemic barred in-person visits. At that time, Benzel and Loki used video calls to chat with patients confined to their hospital rooms.
Benzel also made Loki an Instagram account, which now has over 15,000 followers, and a Loki the Therapy Rottweiler Facebook page. They’ve used their social media reach to raise over $100,000 and distribute over 7,500 kits nationwide. They also raised more than $5,000 to purchase magazines and books for the hospital’s psychiatric unit and received hundreds of donations of cards and gifts for patients during the holidays.
“She just really is the epitome of a therapy dog,” Benzel told the AKC.
Besides plenty of love and treats, Loki has received awards for her work, including American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Dog of the Year, American Rottweiler Club (ARC) Heroism Award, and the AKC Paw of Courage award.
