The hair. The smile. The voice . They’re all there, same as you remember. But instead of the news desk at KPNX 12, where she served as an anchor for 31 years, Lin Sue Cooney sits behind a table at Hospice of the Valley, warmly talking about her dog. “I’ve noticed he does this thing where he walks in and smells the breath of the person. I think he can smell sickness,” she said. Cooney and Max, a standard poodle, are one of 75 therapy teams in Hospice of the Valley’s pet therapy program, which brings furry friends to patients in their homes, in palliative care units and in other care facilities. “Pets are such a gift — a burst of sunshine,” Cooney said. Studies show that therapy pets bring comfort and reduce feelings of depression and isolation. They can ease anxiety, take a patient’s mind off of pain, and spur communication, including sharing memories of their own pets. Last year, Hospice of the Valley pet therapy teams provided 3,250 hours of service. With each stroke of their coats, these dogs, cats, bunnies — even a miniature horse — helped hospice patients and their families momentarily forget about illness, or at least make it a little easier. “The miniature horse is Lily. She has a tutu and little tennis shoes that she wears if she needs to go where floors might be delicate or she might slip. She’s a big favorite,” Cooney said. Cooney’s association with Hospice of the Valley goes back years. A family member had been cared for by the organization in 2003 and she was blown away. Cooney emceed a couple of events and did stories about the organization being a nonprofit that turns no one away. She always had a soft spot for them, she says. APRIL 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 21 COVER STORY {by karen werner} HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY KNOWS THAT PETS ARE GOOD MEDICINE