Therapy dogs help relieve stress around Kern County
March 27, 2020
Hugo, a maltipoo, is afraid of just about everything except for humans. When someone visits Dr. Reza Moghbel’s office, Hugo is the first to greet them. When patients are getting a cleaning, a root canal or before surgery, Hugo is there to be pet and to relax them.
Nobody is excited to visit the dentist’s office.
The very thought of going to the dentist’s office can send just about anyone into a panic attack. There is an individual who has made it his mission to relieve some of the fear of a routine checkup.
“He’s the most popular in the office and I’m the least popular,” Moghbel said.
Hugo originally was an emotional support dog for Parisa Reyhanian, the business manager for Moghbel’s office, but gradually became a therapy dog for the office. His friendly demeanor is what makes him the ideal dog to help out during stressful scenarios.
“With the patient’s permission, Hugo will jump on their lap and so long as he is pet, he’ll stay for hours,” Reyhanian said. “Patients start to focus on him instead of the procedure.”
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]