Pets as Therapy

Pets as Therapy (PAT) is an organisations that delights patients and their carers by bringing dogs and other animals into hospitals and care homes.

The scheme operates throughout the UK with volunteers taking their 'approved' pets to anyone in the community who may benefit from the tender loving care the animal can offer.

For example......

In September, a greyhound started visiting the wards at Walsall Manor Hospital. His gentle personality enchanted many of the patients and their relatives.

Many of the men were particularly delighted by his visit as they enjoyed greyhound racing. Seeing the dog clearly triggered many happy memories and several of the men started sharing their considerable knowledge of the breed. The dog's owner was keen to join in and soon several patients and relatives were chatting together about the dog and the sport.

ON several occasions the owner took her dog to the bedside of patients who were very confused and disorientated. It was very moving to see how the presence of the dog by the bedside seemed to calm those patients. One gentleman simply stared into the eyes of the dog for many minutes and it seemed ,to those of us who observed the scene, that there was a definite bond between the two of them.

Several nurses and doctors took a serious interest in the visit as they could see how much it was helping the patients in many different ways.

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