Providence Hospital has a few members of its staff celebrating National Take Your Dog To Work Day - the only difference is that these dogs are at work.
The Providence Pet Therapy Program is comprised of 16 pet-partner teams that offer comfort and healing to patients.
“We provide pet therapy at Providence as an extra layer of healing,” said Jean Ann Jones, a Providence Pet Therapy volunteer.
Jones has been working with the pets for the past six years. The program has been active at the hospital for ten years.
To ensure the safety of patients, Providence requires that all dogs and their owners that want to participate must be registered and receive proper training before interacting with patients. Every two years, each team is re-evaluated.
According to the organization, studies have proven that interaction with the animals have many physical, health, mental, and emotional benefits.
“They are normal dogs that do extraordinary things,” said Jones.
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