We first decided to get Pip because we were often paying for a pet therapist to come into the home and saw the positivity of having a pet in the care home.

We were then offered the opportunity and the chance to get Pip on a permanent basis – she was a retired gun dog needing a forever home and we were more than happy to take the opportunity.

Benefits of having a pet in a care home: 

Pets in a care home often bring back happy memories of previous pets or times with family and friends and this is a positive way of unlocking memories for residents who are suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer’s too.

Having a pet is known to be one of the best ways to enrich your quality of life. Not only do they give you a sense of purpose, but they can improve your physical health, make you more sociable and decrease negative feelings such as anxiety.

When someone moves into a care home although they have lots of other residents around them as well as care staff it is often a lonely experience. Moving away from a home you have lived in for years and sometimes away from your family can be isolating and people often feel like their independence and identity have been taken away - a therapy pet living in a care home gives the residents something to look forward to each day and encourages them to get involved not only with the pet but with the other residents, & staff. This can be the most difficult part of moving into a care home, reaching out to others, and getting involved with the dog is a good way of promoting social interaction between the residents too.

Animal therapy in care homes helps to introduce physical exercise for those that don’t otherwise have the incentive to move around, or for others, it will increase the exercise that they do. They may take the dog for a stroll around the gardens or even bending down and stroking the dog is positive movement and engagement for the resident.

Pet therapy in care homes has proven to bring happiness and laughter to many residents, giving them something to look forward to as well as an animal to connect with and love with no strings attached. It also brings emotional wellbeing.