Therapy Animals and Their Healing Benefits

Alice Ayers - Rutland, VT

Iwork at Rutland Regional Medical Center but I do not work directly with patients. My desire to help people feel better is strong however, and years ago I found a perfect way to help others heal by offering pet therapy to patients.

I have always believed that being around pets can help us feel better and lift our spirits. Coming home to my dogs and receiving enthusiastic greetings or quiet cuddles, on tough days especially, always makes me feel better.

Any doubts I may have had of the healing power of pets was erased years ago when I spent the day visiting my mom at the hospital. Although she and I were close, I was not able to draw her out and she did not speak one word the entire day that I spent with her. Shortly after I arrived home that evening, the phone rang.

Alice & Cabot

I answered to hear my mom gush with excitement. “Guess who is in my room?” Before I could even formulate a response, she went on to say “Two labs! I told them all about you and the therapy work that you do.” And the conversation flowed. To have my mom smiling and excited meant the world to me, and it helped her tremendously. It was wonderful that the two therapy dogs were able to comfort my mom when I had not been able to.

I enjoy being a Therapy Dog volunteer and being able to share with others the unconditional love and comfort that my dogs so willingly offer.

One day my dog and I were walking by a patient’s room, I leaned in and asked if the patient would like the dog to visit. The response was a clear “no.” It was unusually difficult to get my dog to move on from that room, but I said goodbye and wished the person a wonderful day. As we moved down the hall a staff member called out to us and said that this same patient would like to see the dog after all. I explained that we had just asked the patient, but the visit had been declined. Well, it turned out that the patient thought that the dog did not belong in the building and was trying to help to get it out even though she desperately wanted to pet him. My dog had known better than I that the patient wanted to see him. He listened to her heart, and not her words. We spent the next 10 minutes sitting quietly by the patient’s bed side as she calmly petted him and talked about her own childhood pets.

Another time we were walking onto a nursing unit to visit with patients when members of the staff sheepishly asked if they could have a few minutes with my dog. They explained that this day had been unusually difficult and that they could use a little dog therapy. I watched with joy as my dog gently moved into the group and was immediately smothered with love and affection. His tail wagged enthusiastically, signaling his own joy and approval. The staff thanked me as they turned back to work, a few while wiping away tears, and all with smiles on their faces. My dog had no idea why they had been sad, but he was able to give them some comfort and a kind of emotional release that a person couldn’t have. We continued on, even happier than when we arrived.

Whether a pet is a dog, cat, bird, rabbit or most any other animal, they can help to calm us and to help us heal. Your pet does not need to pass the health and training tests required of a volunteer therapy team in order to offer comfort and healing to you and your family. Taking your pet for a walk, playing fetch, or simply cuddling while watching TV are just some of the ways our pets help to share their love with us every day.

Alice Ayers is Financial Analyst at Rutland Regional Medical Center and a Certified Therapy Dog Volunteer.