Meet Oco, the spiritual care dog at 2Life Communities

On International Dog Day, we’re celebrating the hardest-working dog at 2Life Communities. Meet Oco, 2Life’s best (and only) spiritual care dog. 

Here’s a bit about Oco and his role at 2Life. 

Oco’s background, resume, and love for his job 

Oco comes to work every day with Rabbi Giulia Fleishman, Director of Spiritual Care. Impressed by his work ethic, residents have given Oco the unofficial title of Assistant Director of Spiritual Care. 

Oco is a six-year-old rescue dog. He was found as a stray in Texas and adopted by a family in New Hampshire that was not able to keep him. Rabbi Giulia adopted him in January 2022, just after her ordination. He’s 58% husky, 12% golden retriever, 9% chow chow, and a mix of many other breeds. 

This is not Oco’s first job as a spiritual care dog. He started his career with Rabbi Giulia as an intern at Hebrew SeniorLife. When Rabbi Giulia accepted a job at 2Life and founded the Spiritual Care program, Oco came with her. 

Oco loves his job. He gets excited when he recognizes that it’s time to head out to work. His favorite part of the job — by far — is getting treats. His favorite day is Tuesday, because on Tuesdays he goes to Golda Meir House and Kristina, the head of the dining team, makes him a gourmet breakfast of roast chicken and hard boiled eggs. 

Kristina is not the only one to roll out the red carpet for Oco. One resident carries six Milk Bones wrapped in a paper towel with a rubber band on the days when Oco is at Brighton Campus. Another printed a picture of a golden retriever, wrote Oco’s name on it, and taped it to a water bowl she puts out for him when he comes to visit. (Note: Everyone is allowed to feed Oco. Rabbi Giulia balances out his diet based on his daily snacking habits.) 

His second favorite part of the job is getting to know the people and the hallways across 2Life. He especially enjoys flyering for events. 

The hardest part: It was very hard for Oco to come to Shabbat services and not eat the challah. He does not come to Shabbat services anymore. 

The role Oco (and other animals) play in spiritual care 

Oco may be the only spiritual care dog at 2Life, but he is one of many beloved animals that are part of spiritual care work. As studies show that connection with animals can improve mental and physical health, more and more animals are being integrated into this type of work. 

“At the heart of spiritual care is supporting people to tap into their own internal spiritual resources and empowering them to use them so they can support themselves through times of challenge and suffering,” says Rabbi Giulia. “One thing we struggle with is loneliness, especially older adults, so being able to feel a deep sense of connection can be really healing.” 

Connection is a key component of spiritual care. For Oco, creating connections with many people is easy and natural. 

“There’s a sense of immediate trust that can be established between people and dogs that takes time with humans,” says Rabbi Giulia. “Oco helps provide that right away.” 

Oco helps Rabbi Giulia meet residents who might otherwise be slow to seek spiritual care. But he does more than simply connecting Rabbi Giulia with residents. The connection he creates with residents is healing on its own. 

Rabbi Giulia remembers a time when a resident who loves Oco had to spend some time in the hospital and asked if Oco could come for a visit. Due to hospital regulations, Rabbi Giulia came alone. But she printed out a picture of Oco to bring with her, and that picture meant a lot to the resident. He hung it up in a place he could see it and asked Rabbi Giulia for another photo when he changed hospital rooms. 

There’s really no typical day in the life of a spiritual care dog, but often it starts out with a walk around the campus of whichever community he is visiting that day. He naps in Rabbi Giulia’s office while she meets with a resident. He follows her to a resident’s apartment, gets fed Cheerios, and drinks from his special water bowl. He naps through a meditation group and is pet by coworkers during another meeting. Through another meeting and another resident dropping by for spiritual care, he naps again. After some scheduling for the week ahead, it’s time to go home. 

Not everyone is comfortable around dogs, and a crucial part of Oco’s job is giving them space. Oco doesn’t mind if people don’t want to pet him or feel more comfortable without a spiritual care dog around. Oco loves his job and takes it very seriously. 

“I honestly feel like going to work really gives him a sense of purpose,” says Rabbi Giulia. “He’s very loved.”