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Golden retrievers are notoriously sweet, affectionate, eager to please, and great with children. Due to their desire to please, intelligence, and capacity for love and learning, Golden Retrievers make great guide dogs for the blind, service dogs for the disabled, therapy dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs. Many of our rescued goldens have gone on to become service dogs of some kind, and give back to our community in amazing ways each and every day.
What is a pet therapy dog?
First and foremost, a therapy dog’s job is to provide comfort, companionship, and emotional therapy while visiting patients in hospitals, nursing homes and other institutions, or wherever else a Therapy Dog is needed. It’s proven that a visit from a Therapy Dog gives anyone struggling with their health or wellbeing emotional support, promotes healing, and improves quality of life. A therapy dog brings a sparkle to a sterile day, provides a lively subject for conversation, and rekindles old memories of previously owned pets. With each visit, a Therapy Dog provides a smile and a greeting to the patients and their family members, and a break in the action for the dedicated hospital staff.
The Pet Therapy Difference
Dogs who visit with those in hospitals and care facilities do make a difference in the quality of life. People are able to bond with animals in a very special way. By recognizing the special connection between dogs and humans, hospitals and care facilities have found first hand that Therapy Dogs and their handler bring comfort to thousands.
The first time a Therapy Dog prances into a hospital or care facility, most people do a double take before a huge smile stretches across their face. It only takes a few moments for the patients/residents to find themselves completely enjoying their Pet Visitors and forgetting their current circumstances.
It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching and talking with the animals, patients’ blood pressure is lowered, stress is relieved and depression is eased. Our Therapy Dogs really do give back.