If they're given the nod, the owner brings his dog to the patient's bed or wheelchair and the interaction begins. Patients often talk about the pet at home they miss or how appreciative they are for the visit. I've seen tears of joy,' she recounts. Dogs don't see what people see. They don't see a broken arm or a missing leg or a scar, which may make a patient embarrassed.
Dogs make no judgments.
They don't want anything from you and they don't have to say the right thing. They don't expect anything except perhaps a pat. The observation that pets are good for people is anything but new. In the 1790s, the Quakers at a retreat for the mentally ill in England had patients commune with farm animals, which they felt would be more helpful than the harsh treatment often used on those with psychiatric problems. What's new is the reception pet therapy is receiving.