Sign In

Blind Therapy Dog Brings Joy

May 15, 2020

As nursing homes and assisted living facilities are not allowing visitors to protect a vulnerable population from the coronavirus, those that offer pet therapy are getting creative to allow special four-legged friends to keep visiting.

Therapy dog Baby has visited Island City Assisted Living in Eaton Rapids for more than 6 years and has been through her fair share of storms.

“She has been through a lot with the loss of her eyes and she has hearing loss as well. She’s a cancer survivor and she’s had some other issues,” said Baby’s mom Pat Ward.

Over the years she’s built up a relationship with the residents.

“She’s our elf at Christmas time, our fireworks on the forth of July. She’s our St. Valentine on Valentine’s Day, so she’s always here,” said Human Resources Director Stephanie Hall.

So when the senior care facilities closed to all visitors because of coronavirus, Ward knew they had to find a way for Baby to still make her visits.

“We created a way where we can just go to the windows and keep everyone safe,” said Ward.

Once a week they visit the seniors like Ellen, outside of their windows.

“Everybody loves her, yeah they do, she’s a sweetheart,” said Ellen.

Hall says the visits are also therapeutic.

“Lowering blood pressure when they’re around, the release of oxytocin for our physical healthy, mental health, it reduces boredom, depression, anxiety,” said Hall.

Register Your Dog

  • 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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more

    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 […]

    Read more