8 Tips for Planning Successful Dog Visits for Seniors

I'm hosting a Yappy Hour brunch and I'm inviting family members and our team members to bring in their dogs. I would really love to have pet shelters and or breeders to bring in adoptable puppies or just have a pet therapy going on for the visit, any advice?

Last year we had a bring your dog to work day! it was amazing our residents loved it and they were all so well behaved - the dogs i mean lol. We are having them in again on the 26th of this month as it is international dog day. Can't wait.

Hi Everyone,

Just want to say what an excellent site we have here, and it gives us more idea every month and thank you to all those involved. I would like to reach out and see if anyone knows of a Dog Therapy that visits age care residents, we are on the Northside of Brisbane, but they have to be reputable company. Kind Regards Louise Dunn

Hand in Paw is a great organization to assist in facilities Pet Therapy.

Canine friends in NZ offer a Pet therapy service by matching up Pets to Resthome residents. We have a dog that comes into our memory care unit once a fortnight and our residents love it. 2 have taken on the responsibility of helping walk the dog around the unit to other residents. It is a very worthwhile activity and enjoyed by many.

Allow me to introduce myself, I am offering a Pet Visiting service to Age Care facilities, Day Centres, and Retirement communities. The Service I am offering is called The Joy of Pet Therapy, it is the positive impact of the human-animal bond is real and is backed by scientific data, case studies, and research that validate the therapeutic effects of human-animal relationships. These benefits can be emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual and are created when an animal's antics cause us to laugh or an animal aids us in therapy. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) This service will be offed to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne Victoria Australia

How do you manage cats in pet therapy? Out of a pet carrier they are liable to be unfamiliar with their surroundinga and may resist being held by elders. I would be concerned with cats scratching people. Any suggestions are welcome as i know there are cat lovers here and they would love to have a cat visit. I would bring my own pet cat if someone can say how they manage visiting cats.

does anyone have a pet policy that they are allowed to share please.

i have adopted a 10 yr old Westie who comes to work with me, but i need to develop a policy.

Bake homemade Dog Treats with Residents prior to animal visit, then the Residents can share the nutritious treats with animal when they arrive- with Pet therapist permission and guidance..

We have Delta dogs come visit us for our pet therapy programe at present we have 4 dogs per week come in and spend time with our residents. It is very successful and the local prison sponsors the programme. We also have a huge fish tower that is bright an active with fish and great for residents visual sensory stimulation this also is sponsored by the local prison.

we have both a dog and a cat at our nursing home the dog Otto sleeps in one of our residents room and she is responsible for feeding him also he attends our daily walking group were one resident holds his lead they all love the fact that he belongs to them they love to even see him get a haircut wash etc

We have 2 birds in a cage and 3 fish to start with I take my Labrador to work Monday and Tuesdays our residents love to watch the fish and the chatter from the birds staff and visitors have commented on the home like feeling of our facility the residents love to feed and clean our pets .will look at expanding our family as we can.

Hi Everyone

I have a King Charles Cavalier called Harry he works with me at Scalabrini Village in Griffith. He sits on the residents walkers and they push him around to take him for a walk. He walks beside the wheel chairs and the residents hold the lead while I push the wheel chair. He attends church with the residents he also is involved in the pallitive care which seems to be calming for both resident and family members. He sits on a chair at the table and watches the bingo games. Some even say he brings them luck. Harry has been working at Scalabrini for the last 5 years and now his sister also goes and helps out. Working with Pet Therapy and training the dogs is very rewarding. I have worked with challenging behaviours and the dogs are wonderful. Harry is my dog and I trained him. He was with me through cancer treatment and I relised that he had a gift. He also works with people with disabilities. He is very much loved at Scalabrini and has attended the Aged Care Expo. I travel with Harry 160km one way once a week to Scalabrini. Some may ask.. why? its simple, the smiles and the reactions we get when we walk through the doors from family members staff and residents is wonderful and I am very proud the be part of the Pet Therapy program.

Hi all

We (my work place) adopted a stray foxy off the streets,she was 10 months old,filty dirty & having puppies.Our local vet traced the owners who no longer wanted her, terminated the puppies & desexed her, gave her all her shots & put her on his books as a no fee attached dog. That was six years ago & Dolly has won so many hearts and brought meaning and given comfort to so many in that time it is truly remarkable. The place lights up when she enters the building now. For five years she lived day and night at the sixty bed high care nursing home but for the last years she has come to live with me an goes in five days a week for six hour shifts. We also have a french poodle Gigi that visits every second Monday afternoon and we encourage residents family to bring in their pets for visits. Pets just seem to create a buzz of energy throughout the building. I highly recommend Pets as Therapy.

Lynn

Hi Mandy,

check with your local

RSPCA. I'm a RAO in Canberra and we have 2 beautiful dogs visit once a month courtesy of RSPCA dog therapy. We get a great response from the residents and the dogs enjoy it as well. Christine

This sounds like a fantastic idea, would anyone know of any Pets as Therapy organisations that visit day centres etc based in WA, i used these in the UK for clients and they where so theraputic, and stimulating for clients.

Thanks Mandy Holmshaw

thank you Solange for providing this information, I will use it for our first day of pet therapy :)