“The lobby of Abington-Lansdale Hospital was abuzz with anticipation of a visitor that has shot to celebrity status among patients and staff in his brief volunteering tenure.”
“Dale, a 220-pound, 36-inch-tall miniature horse, is the newest addition to Abington-Lansdale’s therapy animal program. To date, the seven-year-old program has exclusively featured dogs, brought in by volunteers. But when a longtime therapy-dog volunteer proposed bringing in her latest trainee, a horse, administrators jumped at the idea.”
“Therapy animals — dogs, in particular — have become increasingly common at hospitals as a way to boost moods, reduce depression and anxiety, and offer patients some distraction from their pain. Research on the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy is mixed, but as more institutions embrace the trend and the novelty of working dogs wears off, hospitals are opening their doors to more species.”
View the whole story here: https://www.inquirer.com/health/therapy-animal-abington-lansdale-mini-horse-20191209.html