MONTREAL -- Divine Nsabimana was nervous about getting her second COVID-19 vaccine shot.

She heard the second dose would bring side effects more intense than the first. Still, facing her fears, she headed to a clinic in Lasalle Thursday.

Among regular clinic personnel, this clinic employs Bidule, a staff member whose main job is to help those like Nsabimana get the shot.

While Bidule was trained for the job, his natural talents are undeniable: he’s a cross between a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle, blessed with a shiny coat of caramel-coloured fur.

When Nsabimana arrived at the clinic, Bidule was on her lap as the nurse prepared the needle.

The zootherapist, Sylvain Gonthier, asked if she was ready to receive her shot.

She nodded.

“Well, it’s already done,” he said, revealing a smooth choreography between himself, Bidule, and nurse Lucie Chabot, who had discreetly administered the shot without Nsabimana noticing.

“Congratulations!” repeated Gonthier. “Well done!”

Nsabimana burst out laughing. Bidule was still on her lap.

“I was more occupied with the dog,” said Nsabimana. “I was no longer focused on the vaccine. It really helped.”

The CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal decided to bring pet therapy into the clinic to help those with fears of needles and side effects get through the procedure.

To do it, the health board partnered with the Corporation des zoothérapeutes du Québec.

The CIUSSS began offering pet therapy last June, when high school students were newly-eligible to get the shot. It succeeded in making people more comfortable, and the service was opened to everyone in late August.

“It made a big difference for all ages,” said Halinka Sanson, nurse and head of the Dollard-St-Laurent Sports Center vaccination clinic.

Two dogs and their handlers are employed at the Lasalle Dollard-St-Laurent Sports Center, and another is stationed at the Gerry-Robertson Community Center in Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

One of Bidule’s other clients was 15-year-old Elizabeth Barker, who arrived at the clinic Thursday evening. She hadn’t much enjoyed her first shot, administered at her school, and was dreading the second.

“He's a baby, you know. He's not even a year old,” said Sylvain Gonthier as he placed the living stuffed animal on Barker’s lap, who melted upon receiving him.

“It's perfectly normal to have fears.”

Gonthier asked Barker to help him feed Bidule. As she offered the snack, she got the shot.

Barker says she felt the needle, but never took her eyes off the dog.

“You made my evening,” she told the zootherapist, rating her experience a perfect “10 out of 10.”

Pet therapy is not just putting an animal on a person's lap, explained Gonthier, who offers his services through the veterinary clinic “À quatre pattes.”

Rather, zootherapists work to establish a connection between themselves, the animal, and the patient. The objective, explained Gonthier, is to “decenter [the patient], to bring her elsewhere.”

“I try to turn this vaccination into a positive, almost playful experience,” he said.

-- This report was first published by The Canadian Press in French on Aug. 28, 2021.