Pets As Therapy is a national charity providing therapeutic animal visits to care homes

Britain is considered a nation of animal lovers, so why should this be any different if we have to move into a care home? A dog’s silly antics and wagging tail or a cat purring on one’s lap can raise a smile, or relax anyone, regardless of age. So some UK care homes now offer residents the opportunity to interact with far more unusual animals than household pets!

Lulu the donkey is one of the more unusual visitors to Sunnymeade Residential Home

Pets As Therapy is a national charity providing therapeutic animal visits to care homes, as well as hospitals and hospices. Volunteers bring in their friendly, temperament tested, vaccinated dogs and cats and visit over 6 million beds a year, showing how much joy the pets bring and how much they are needed and valued in the care home industry.

Pets As Therapy has conducted a number of research studies into the benefits that pets bring to residents in a care home environment. Sarah Dyke’s study, Every Man’s Best Friend: Impact of pet therapy and previous dog ownership on enhancing well-being in elderly residents, followed on from previous research that demonstrated that Pets As Therapy (PAT) dogs can have a positive effect on mood in elderly residents in care homes and day centres.

Sarah wanted to find out if previous dog ownership predicted an increase in wellbeing following PAT dog visits. Her findings suggest that the benefits to the resident from the PAT dog visit are irrespective of previous dog ownership. Sarah believes: “That would explain why Pets As Therapy continues to grow in terms of numbers of volunteers, dogs and establishments involved in this type of therapy and the residents they visit.”