Pet Therapy: Some Hospitals Allow Patients' Own Dogs to Visit

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

3. I used to have a hospital therapy dog

She was a Great Pyrennes named Abigail. Think of a Newfoundland, only white. Extremely intelligent, good looking, patient, gentle dog who really liked people. She obviously enjoyed going to the hospital to visit patients, and she truly loved visiting children.

I noticed that when visiting patients who were hooked up to monitors, when Abbie would come to the bed and put her head on it, almost always the heartrate would slow and the blood pressure would drop. She was calming influence.

Unfortunately, my current Pyr, Madison, who is a rescue dog, had been abused by her previous owners and simply does not trust people she does not know. She would be completely unsuited for hospital work.