Visiting Pets

Kim Thomas had a very bad car accident. She was in the hospital. She was depressed and lonely, and she felt terrible. Life was difficult for her. Then one day Bonnie came to her room. She sat quietly on Kim’s bed. She stayed with Kim when she slept, too, Kim, felt better when Bonnie came to see her. Who is Bonnie? She’s a dog.

People take good care of their pets. But some pets, like Bonnie, take care of people now. This is

called pet therapy. The pets visit children and adults in hospitals. Some doctors believe it is very helpful. At Edward Hospital near Chicago, Illinois, in the U.S., doctors think that the pets help patients, or sick peo- ple, feel better. The doctors bring animals to visit the patients. The patients feel calm when the pets visit them. They smile more, too. Some pets also go to nursing homes to visit elderly people. The pets are happy to see the people. The elderly people are happy to see the pets, too.

Kim Thomas get better fast. She left the hospital after a few weeks. The doctors believe that Bonnie helped Kim. Kim agrees. Today, only a few doctors use pet therapy. In the future, more doctors will use pets to help their patients. And they will use many dif- ferent animals such as cats, dogs, and birds.