Animals Helping People: SNF and Hospice Visitation

It’s been a long time since I’ve done an Animals Helping People post, and I felt it was time to once again highlight the ways in which animals improve our lives.

Smokey would have been an excellent therapy dog. The current two, not so much.

A year ago, my MIL was in a skilled nursing facility after having knee replacement surgery. We found out early on that we could bring the dogs in to visit her as long as we could show they were current on their vaccines.

Because Larry is crazy, and June will get into anything, we often didn’t bring them into the building, but we would sit out on the front porch area with them and my MIL. Just about every resident who passed had a smile for the dogs, and many wanted to pet them, and those in wheelchairs were often thrilled that June would hop right into their laps.

Our dogs did not have to be certified therapy dogs for this because we were visiting a family member in the facility. But there are people who, out of the goodness of their hearts, bring their therapy dogs to visit patients in hospitals and nursing facilities. (In fact, when admitting the MIL to new care, we often had to fill something out that asked if she would like visits from animals.)

I am specifically highlighting the Pets to People program at Olympic Mountain Pet Pals because they are local to my state, and they take fully trained therapy dogs into residential healthcare facilities.

For the most part, it is best if the dogs are trained therapy dogs because people in care don’t always understand their own strength or could have reactions that might startle or frighten dogs who don’t have the right temperament. (I will mention that the lovely Bunny over at Tales and Tails does have the right temperament, and can even be convinced to go into therapy dog mode while at the dog park.) So having a dog that has been conditioned to respond to those things calmly is hugely important.

Often times, the people the dogs visit are those that had to give up their own pets when they became ill or went into care. Seeing a dog or having a chance to pet one will do wonders for their spirits. Sometimes, simply having a reason to smile can make all the difference in the world.