The Impact of Therapy Dogs on Mental Well-being

I recently visited The Palace Gardens Senior Living Community on April 17th, and attended a dog show featuring the loving pets of residents, staff, and volunteers. The room there was decorated with dog-themed balloons and streamers, and a table was aligned with doggy winner's medals and goodie bags for their handlers.

There were over 75 residents in attendance at the event, and a low hum of excitement for the event to begin. The resident’s chairs circumvented the main show floor, which featured a roped-off red carpet. Once the show began, everyone was riveted by the show. Some dogs just walked the red carpet, while others wowed the judges with tricks or costumes. There were three prominent seats at the judges' tables awaiting their arrival. The judges, three Palace residents, included Marisal Higgins, Mary Lou Ardrey, and Barbara Gee, and while each were first-time judges, Ardrey admitted that judging the show "was a pleasure."

The most popular of the four-legged friends, gaining applause and hoots, was Houdini, who I later found out was the pet of resident Edna Buchanan. Another crowd favorite was Tinker Bell, a tiny chihuahua in a pretty pink and white dress. The next showstopper was Roo, who had wheels of his own. Handler Barbara St. Aubin noted that it was beautiful to watch the residents interact with Roo, and she believes that Roo using wheels, like many of the residents, uniquely connects with them.

After the runway show was completed and the award medals were given to the dogs, residents were able to interact with the animals. Each handler walked around the room, allowing residents to pet, talk to, and interact with the canine contestants. This was the event's main purpose: to provide denizens interaction with the therapeutic animals in a special and meaningful way. Many of the handlers were volunteers from Heel 2 Heal (H2H) Therapy Dogs. H2H and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs partner with The Palace Gardens to provide volunteers and coordinate dog therapy sessions with the residents at least once a week. Both organizations provide therapy dog services to various venues, including assisted living facilities, schools, hospitals, mental health institutions, hospices, and college campuses.

"It is so important to bring awareness of the benefits of dog therapy," said Barbara St. Aubin, a volunteer for H2H. Olga Gonzalez, the Director of Activities for The Palace Gardens, explained that the residents receive some form of dog therapy weekly, sometimes in a group setting like the dog show or with individual visits. The residents get to interact with the animals. In short, "it's therapy," Gonzalez said.

The Garden's staff so strongly believe in the benefits of animal therapy that they've adopted a therapeutic cat named Amber Chancy. Amber is brought around the facility to interact with the residents. Unfortunately, because there were so many dogs attending the event, I was not able to formally meet Amber, but I was promised I would receive a picture of her. All in all, the residents, their care aids, and anyone who attended the show enjoyed themselves. For information on how your pet can become a therapy dog, please visit the Alliance of Therapy Dogs website www.therapydogs.com.