Photo By Claudia LaMantia | Karina Wise-Estrada, community relations specialist, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and...... read more read more
For Karina Wise-Estrada guiding distinguished visitors throughout Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is only part of her life.
Away from the shipyard, the community relations specialist teams up with Sir Newton, her three-and-a-half-year-old Labradoodle dog as part of the Hawaiian Humane Society Pet Visitation Program which, according to Wise, aims to provide comfort to people that want and need it while visiting different organizations and facilities around the island.
Once or twice weekly, the duo visits Kaiser Permanente Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System where they spend time with patients, family members, and staff.
But they also make their way to other locations.
A recent visit took Wise and Newton, along with three other dog and handler teams, aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
The idea for the trip took root when Nicole Freeze, JBPHH Navy Military and Family Life Counselor, told Shiloh’s chaplain, Lt. jg. Kelsey Fauser, that dog visits have proven to do wonders for morale.
And that is what happened.
Wearing green vests with the Humane Society logo and the words Ambassador of Joy embroidered in white, Newton and the other dogs; Lani, Coco, and Fabiola arrived pier side and were greeted by Sailors pointing and waving from the ship decks.
Once aboard the ship, Wise held the leash, but Newton led the way via ladders, narrow passageways and through watertight doors. They came to a short halt once they entered an open area were dozens of wide-eyed Sailors waited with anticipation.
Newton roamed eagerly yet slowly through the crowd, his fluffy and rhythmic tail moving from side to side continuously. He waited patiently as hand after hand approached for belly rubs, ear scratches and handshakes.
During a two-hour window a steady stream of approximately 300 Sailors flowed through the area.
The whole time, Wise remained close by Newton and as he made his way to different groups of Sailors, Wise would introduce him.
“This is Sir Newton he is a Joy Ambassador,” she would say
The conversations blended into his training, the Pet Visitation Program, his age, and how Newton’s temperament makes him an ideal dog for the program. In turn, Sailors shared their own stories of pets still at home.
When they finished visiting, wide eyes, full smiles and last-minute selfies followed the group as they walked off the ship’s brow.
A few days later, Wise and Newton were at Kaiser again.
“Everyone knows Newton,” said Jacqueline Fernando, operations manager, volunteer services, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Market. “The visits are a huge morale booster.”
For years, the hospital has partnered with the Hawaii Humane Society assisting volunteers that bring their dogs and spend time with patients.
However, things shifted after COVID. They began including staff visits with the dogs, it turned into an instant improvement.
“Now when Newton or any of the dogs arrive, it’s an immediate happy look in their eyes,” and they have the opportunity for a break from the stressors of working in a hospital, said Jacqueline. “It is all part of our care experience.”
The proven benefits from these visits include reduced anxiety, relief from loneliness and enhanced well-being, according to the Hawaii Humane Society.
It is something Wise has known for a while.
She first encountered the benefits of pet therapy during finals week in grad school. “They would bring therapy dogs for all the students and that always stayed with me, because I love it so much,” she said. “I always thought, when I have my dog, I would like to do that.”
Now several years into volunteering, she is able to live her aspirations, even at work where she manages volunteers participating in the Navy’s Laulima Acts of Service.
The initiative is a year-long event, active until Oct. 13, 2025, which marks the Navy’s 250th birthday. The aim is for naval commands on Oahu and Kauai to reach 250 acts of community service by that date to emphasize the Navy’s steadfast commitment to the community.
Wise achieved the optimal blend of using her passion of volunteering during her time away from work and while at work
By pairing up with Newton, Wise is able to achieve the optimal blend of using her passion for volunteer both away from and at work.
As the community relations specialist for the shipyard, she regularly manages presentations and tours for elected officials and military members from a variety of countries. Her aptitude in showcasing the shipyard abilities is a key component of the mission. PHNSY & IMF is a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command and a one-stop regional maintenance center for the Navy’s surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii.
PHNSY & IMF’s mission is to repair, maintain, and modernize Navy fast-attack submarines and surface ships, in order to keep the Navy’s fleet “Fit to Fight.”
| Date Taken: | 02.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2025 15:51 |
| Story ID: | 490572 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, All Paws on Deck, by Claudia LaMantia, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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