Raisin the dog retires from VA, to move to Norman
May 15—OKLAHOMA CITY — A familiar furry face is set to retire and move to Norman after having served at the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System for the last nine years.
Raisin, the facility dog, welcomed both canine and human visitors to her retirement party Wednesday afternoon where she greeted anyone who approached her with affection.
Kristy Doyle, one of Raisin's co-handlers, said she will take her to her Norman home where Raisin will spend her retirement basking in the sun and chasing shadows.
"Raisin will go home with me and become a beloved member of the family — unless she gets too bored, and then we'll find another small job for her," Doyle said.
Raisin was born in San Diego, California 10 years ago in the care of Canine Companions, an organization that provides service dogs to adults and facilities.
"She started this journey as a puppy," said Sarah Sands, one of Raisin's co-handlers. "As she was young, she had minimal training — simple commands — and then at 18 months, she got turned into the Canine Connections program, and that's where she learned all her skills to become a service dog."
Sands said that Canine Connections had observed that Raisin was a particularly social dog, which made her a perfect match for a large facility, like the VA hospital.
"At that time, they figured out that Raisin was best suited to work with a lot of people, so they knew that she would be a good facility dog, so that's when they started looking for those applicants like us who are waiting for a facility dog, and that's where we got paired up," Sands said.
Doyle said Raisin's service has been invaluable, as many of the hospital's clients experience post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges.
She said one particular client had felt particularly anxious before Raisin sat down with her.
"The young lady said that Raisin helped to calm her down and reminded her to be in the moment, and in that moment, she knew everything was going to be OK," Doyle said. "Raisin has spent time with hundreds of veterans, and she's impacted many in a small way. She has changed their experience being in the hospital. She's changed the environment even when we walk down the hallway."
Doyle said Raisin has particularly helped patients who require physical and cognitive rehabilitation.
"Raisin has touched so many lives, both veterans and staff, just her walking into the doors every day, they get excited," Sands said. "Everybody gets excited to see her, their mood changes, she just brightens up the lives of each person that she comes in contact with."
Even while approaching retirement, Raisin is known for her energy.
"Her name back then and still is Crazy Raisin. She still loves to run and play," Doyle said. "When Raisin first came when she was young, she was energetic. We asked for a dog that couldn't get enough love, and that was Raisin."
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.
