“Dog” is “God” Spelled Backward

“Poppy Jingles,” the Staff Well-being Spaniel

Authors

  • Donna Carlyle Northumbria University
  • Katie Watson Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.41120

Keywords:

chaplaincy, hospital staff welfare, dog–human relationships, animal-assisted therapy, eudaimonic flourishing, spirituality, creative media

Abstract

This brief report describes the unique and innovative work of a hospital chaplaincy “Good Samaritan” staff welfare dog named “Poppy Jingles.” As the importance of stress prevention and burnout among National Health Service staff (UK) has been highlighted in current policy, the initiative of animal-assisted therapy is both timely and significant. The relevance of inter-species well-being is detailed in this article, describing what can be considered as Poppy’s “nonhuman charisma.” This includes eliciting specific aspects of well-being which can be thought to correspond to eudaimonic states of human flourishing.

Author Biographies

  • Donna Carlyle, Northumbria University

    Donna Carlyle, BSc (Hons), MSc, RHV, MBACP, is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. ORCHID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4600-3349.

  • Katie Watson, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

    Rev. Captain Katie Watson, Hospital Chaplain, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.

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Published

2021-03-01

How to Cite

Carlyle, D., & Watson, K. (2021). “Dog” is “God” Spelled Backward: “Poppy Jingles,” the Staff Well-being Spaniel. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 9(2), 315–324. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.41120