This is such a great story to read, personally i’ve always believed in the power of pets and how they can have such positive effects on people. There have been many studies that confirm pets can help owners with depression and anxiety. Anyone who has a pet will understand their unconditional love which is one of the many reasons why pets make the best option for cheering people up.
Take a guide dog for example, they are a positive life change for the person in need, they help with daily chores such as washing and even assist with getting their owner safely across the road.
Royal Trinity Hospice, South London has introduced a new programme of bringing in volunteer dogs to help give patients some comfort and joy and so far the results are great.
Meet Claire and her loving dog Chilli
Chilli is one of three specially trained dogs who visits the hospice, on visit days patients are more than happy to pet the dogs and also feed them their treats. It's amazing how much joy an animal can bring to someone who is facing a rough time.
Volunteer Manager stated: “You just can’t underestimate the sheer amount of joy which pets can bring to people. You could see that Chilli visibly cheered the patients up as soon as she walked into the room. Lots of our patients may have cared for pet dogs in the past, so the visits will hopefully bring back many happy memories for them.”
The dogs that have been fully vetted and all assessed by Pets As Therapy which is a charity that believes in the power of pets to further support the wellbeing of people who are in hospital.
If you feel like you and your dog or cat could benefit from becoming part of the Pets As Therapy team then check out their Volunteer Page and sign up. It's the most rewarding thing you can do.
If you know of any other pet therapy organizations where you live then comment below and lets bring the community together .