Therapy horses
April 29, 2020
First there were therapy dogs, and there are therapy horses.
Two of the On Eagles’ Wings Therapeutic Horsemanship in Fairmont brought two of their horses to visit the Morgantown Health and Rehabilitation Center Tuesday afternoon.
xecutive Director at On Eagles Wings, Carol Petitt explained that she was happy to see everyone on their feet and smiling, even if it was through a window.
“We let some time pass when the pandemic started, and I think we just started feeling more comfortable with that and you know, not concern a lot of people, including the ones who work at the nursing home,” Petitto explained.
Stormy and Toby are brother and sisters who typically visit nursing homes and school during stressful times, but took a break at the start of the pandemic. The sun came out, there was a break in the rain and employees at On Eagles’ Wings thought it was the perfect opportunity to make others smile, and where better during a pandemic than at a nursing home.
“I think it brought a smile to our faces, that we got out in the public and got to do something,” Petitto said. “It feels like there is a lot of loom and gloom right now, and we just want to try to being some sort of happiness to people, as much as we can right now.”
Stormy and Toby took two laps around the nursing home and everyone was up on their feet with smiles ear to ear. They even caught the attention of a few children stuck at home in the apartment right next to the nursing home.
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 […]