Pet Therapy

This popular Animal Assisted Therapy is providing a “dog-gone” good service at Mercy Hospital.

Every patient appreciates receiving a visitor during a hospital stay. It appears that’s especially true when the visitor has four legs, fur and a wagging tail.

Pet therapy, as an alternative form of treatment, has been utilized across hospitals and healthcare setting for more than 40 years. Although hard research is limited on the clinical affects of utilizing pets as a way to reduce blood pressure, heart rate and stress; anecdotal accounts are bountiful. And, it appears that animals have a comforting, reassuring affect on people that decreases anxiety and depression, lessons feelings of loneliness and isolation, and aids socialization and acceptance between people.

Mercy Hospital’s Animal Assisted Therapy program has been approved by a local infectious disease specialist and is available to patients twice each month. Only dogs are included in Animal Assisted Therapy at Mercy Hospital.

Therapy pets at Mercy Hospital have undergone specialized training before being introduced in the hospital setting. They are certified by Therapy Dogs International, Inc. (TDI). The dog’s health records are complete and signed by a licensed veterinarian, and they have passed the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen Test.

Therapy pets are accompanied by a trained handler, and only visit patients when invited to do so.

Contact Us
Pet-loving patients at Mercy Hospital can anticipate visits every other Tuesday afternoon. If you or a loved one would like a visit, please speak with your floor nurse who has undertaken your care.