Earth science

All in a dog day’s work
Earth science’s Colin Zelt takes time out to volunteer

BY LINDSEY FIELDER
Rice News staff

On any given Thursday afternoon, Colin Zelt’s officemate can be found lying under the desk dozing, standing at the door to greet visitors or sniffing the carpet. Rocky doesn’t cause any trouble — the two rarely squabble — and Rocky pretty much keeps to himself, except when he’s hungry.

Photo by Jeff Fitlow

Associate Professor of Earth Science Colin Zelt and his dog, Rocky, visit hospital patients for weekly animal-assisted therapy sessions.

Zelt, associate professor of Earth science, brings his dog, Rocky, a Shiba Inu, to Rice every Thursday, and after work they head over to the Texas Medical Center to visit patients at The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR).

Zelt heard about animal-assisted therapy about five years ago. “I’d only had Rocky for a couple of months when I decided to get involved with an organization in the Houston area,” he said. “I thought his laid-back personality and unique look made him well-suited to visit patients.”

After a temperament test for Rocky and an informational workshop for Zelt, the pair set out to find a facility. “New members try out different facilities to find a time and setting that works for them,” he said. “We soon found out that Rocky is too small for senior facilities because they can’t bend down to pet him. But he’s perfect for hospital visits because he can sit in the bed with the patient.”

Zelt and Rocky have been visiting TIRR patients for the past three-and-a-half years. They join about six other owner-dog duos every Thursday night for social therapy visits. “When Rocky sees the hospital doors, he starts pulling on the leash with excitement,” he said. “He likes visiting patients and seeing the other dogs.”

On their first visit, Zelt said, he felt a little nervous about Rocky’s behavior, but animal-assisted therapy seemed to be a perfect hobby for the dog. “I was afraid he’d get nervous or misbehave, but Rocky turned out to be great with patients,” he said. “It’s not difficult for us to do visits because he’s so laid back.”

Over the years, Zelt said, the visits that really stand out are the ones when “someone really goes out of their way to show their appreciation. You sometimes find out that someone isn’t doing well — but after the visit, [the staff at the facility] tells you that Rocky really made their day. I consider those to be the best visits.”

Zelt said at first visits were emotionally difficult. “But now, I try to focus on the positive effects and take away good things from each visit,” he said. “It makes me thankful for what I have and thankful that I can help other people. It really puts my life in perspective.

“I would encourage anyone with a pet to look into this type of volunteer work through a local animal-assisted therapy organization. Rocky’s not trained to do anything in particular, so anyone with a good-tempered animal could [visit facilities]. It’s a great way to get involved in the community.”