A Breed Above the Rest

By Elizabeth Meggs
Staff Writer

Jett and Hannah bound joyfully wherever owner Myke Schwartz goes. They are Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs, a rare and old breed, with only about 3,000 in existence in the world. Also known as "Swissies," just over 100 puppies are born each year! This breed of dog was originally used for laborious work in the mountains of Europe, and was called "cattle dog." Today, Myke Schwartz and Hannah and Jett work very hard as volunteers in Santa Clarita.

How could a dog do volunteer work? With a dedicated owner such as Schwartz, it is possible. Schwartz has lovingly devoted himself to training Jett and Hannah to be two of the most well behaved and intelligent dogs in the world, thus enabling them to do volunteer work at the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital (HMNMH), the Veterans Hospital, adult day health care center, nursing homes, the Ronald McDonald House, the SCV Battered Women's Shelter and others, as members of the Create-A-Smile Pet Therapy Program.

On a recent trip to HMNMH, Myke let Jett take free time to frolic in the grass and flowers in front of the hospital. Then, the bright red, embroidered "Pet Therapy" harness went on, and Jett's whole demeanor transformed from playful to serious and ready to work. He trotted by Schwartz' side through the front doors of the hospital, attracting much attention from surrounding people.

First, Myke Schwartz and Jett entered the Emergency Room, where they were greeted by familiar faces. Doctors, nurses, and emergency workers' faces lit up instantly at the sight of the big friendly dog. Many rushed up to pet Jett, and Myke made casual and very upbeat conversation to the hospital employees. Jett not only tolerated the hugs, pats, and kisses, but also seemed to relish the attention. The stress of emergency work was temporarily forgotten when Jett arrived, and morale and mood was boosted for the rest of the day. Even though Pet Therapy is for patients, the hospital employees appeared to receive equally positive benefits from the program.

Then, Jett went on to visit some patients, which is the main purpose of the Pet Therapy Program. The dogs do not visit patients who are on contact precautions. Pet Therapy Dogs must be bathed within a certain time before they visit. The dogs are also trained specifically to behave in a manner appropriate for hospital visits, such as avoiding IV lines, sitting politely up high in chairs next to patients in hospital beds, never licking, slobbering, jumping, or barking (except upon command). The Pet Therapy dogs must be certified and insured, before they are allowed to work. The dogs do that which medicine cannot do. They break down the barrier of fear and hopelessness that a lot of people in the hospital experience when they are sick from trauma or disease, or have undergone surgery.

Amazingly, patients who were in pain and very ill smiled when Jett lumbered into the room. Devastated, worried families could not help but pet the big dog and smile at him while sitting in the waiting room. Schwartz is always with the dogs, to offer words of support and encouragement to the patients and families, answer questions about the dogs, or just smile and be a positive face in the stark environment of a hospital room. The difference Hannah and Jett make to patients is something that would be difficult for a human to accomplish. The friendly, cute, happy personalities of the dogs is infectious. The feel of petting a cuddly animal, and seeing his sunny disposition, provides a sensory experience for patients which is very calming. Heart rates slow and stress is relieved when the dogs visit.

After the Emergency Room, Jett and Schwartz moved on to visit the Intensive Care Unit. Here, seriously ill patients, their families, and their doctors and nurses face overwhelming health situations. Myke Schwartz is very careful to find out which patients he and the dogs are allowed to visit. Nurses from the wards, emergency room, or intensive care unit call and tell Schwartz that a particular patient could benefit from a visit. After greeting the ICU doctors and making them smile, Jett and Myke entered a hospital room. A patient and her family, surrounded by medical equipment, IV lines, vital sign monitors, seemed to breathe more easily when Jett and Myke came in. Everyone relaxed a bit, and Jett sat in a chair next to the patient so she could pet him. The family asked questions about Jett, the Pet Therapy Program, and the breed of Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs. Then, they started talking about their own dogs, and were laughing. The visit allowed a break, mentally, from hospitals, and illness and treatments. Patients are reminded of good things in the world outside the hospital, and given added incentive to fight to get well. The dogs give unconditional, nondiscriminatory love to patients. Myke Schwartz does this, too.

Nurses report that patients who have hardly moved or spoken in days light up and smile when Hannah or Jett come in the room. Myke Schwartz said, "I've realized that my Therapy Dogs have so much more to offer than I can ever absorb, why not share them with other people?"

Schwartz continued: "By volunteering, I get to see immediate results in what I do. I get to meet thousands of people that have a story to tell: whether its a veteran who fought in one of the wars that made this country a great place to live, or listen to a child in the emergency room tell me how he fell while playing and has stopped crying because he has a big Swissy on his gurney with him, or see a patient in physical therapy make that extra effort to walk a few extra steps to pet Jett. It's like living National Geographic or Life Magazine."

Since 1999, Schwartz and Jett have accumulated more than 500 hours of volunteer service at HMNMH alone. Hannah, who is younger than Jett, has also started to do a lot of volunteer work. The three enjoy their community immensely, especially the great paseos, nice people, safe and quiet atmosphere, lakes, and good street and dirt bike riding. Schwartz had to fill out 13 page applications for each dog in order to become a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog owner, and the wait to become an owner can be up to two years long. He flew to the East Coast to get Jett, and the cross country flight inspired Jett's name.

Myke Schwartz has been one of the people instrumental in bringing Pet Therapy to HMNMH, and he also donates magazines to the hospital. He feels inspired every day by the different people he meets as a volunteer, and in his career as a stunt man. His biography as a stunt man and stunt coordinator includes an impressive array of work on top movies and television shows, such as the newly released "Spider-Man," "Inspector Gadget," "The General's Daughter," "Face/Off," "Die Hard 3," "Jurassic Park," "Suddenly Susan," "Ally McBeal," "V.I.P.," and many more. He loves skydiving, riding dirt and street bikes, water skiing, snowboarding, playing ice hockey and numerous other exciting activities. He claims he is an "adrenaline junkie" who balances his life by volunteering.

He dreams of someday retiring, having a huge motor home, packing his dogs and toys and hitting the road. He recognizes the great need at organizations such as the hospital, for volunteers to even just say hi or play checkers with patients. His advice to other people is, "Take a little time out of your lives to make a difference in the world you live in. Learn what's going on not only in your community, but also in the world, and learn what you can do to make it better."

After the intense work in the hospital, Schwartz and Jett walked out of the front doors, and the red harness was removed. Jett's ebullient spirit seemed unfazed by the serious illnesses he had seen. He jumped and played in the grass, with Myke. In just one hour, the two accomplished more than most people and animals usually do. They were able to create a moment of happiness in a place where fear and illness are the prevailing normality. For their great efforts, Myke Schwartz and his dogs Hannah and Jett, are three of the community's most outstanding volunteer workers. Hannah and Jett are a rare breed of dogs, and also they and Myke Schwartz belong to a rare breed of compassionate citizens.