Pet therapy takes on old age homes

YOUR dog might be your best friend but if an organisation called, Pets as Therapy (PAT) have their way your dog can enrich the lives of others.

PAT is non profit organisation that organises therapeutic visits by pet owners who volunteer to take their pets (mainly dogs) to visit people in hospitals, hospices, retirement homes, frail care facilities, special needs schools residential centres, and a variety of other venues.

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And although the KwaZulu-Natal branch of PAT has been running for two years, the existing volunteers are barking mad about recruiting more volunteers to help out.

Its Durban area co-ordinator and dog behaviourist, Pam Naude said: “In most retirement homes, frail care facilities, special needs schools, residential centres pets are not allowed. This can be depressing, especially to a person who loves pets. In efforts to make the lives of people living in these centres slightly better, we organise for volunteering pet owners to visit the centres with their pets.”

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According to PAT there is a fortune of scientific evidence showing that the interaction between people and pets is therapeutic – physically, emotionally, psychologically and socially.

Naude added: “Visiting these centres with animals can help people feel less lonely, and less depressed. People become more active and responsive both during and after visiting with animals.”

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PAT assesses all it’s volunteers and their pets before they are assigned to any visits.

To be part of PAT contact Pam by emailing her: durban@pat.org.za or cell 083 638 8804.

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