Where do therapy dogs visit?

Not just nursing homes…  When asked once to be the speaker for the monthly meeting of a civic organization, the person calling me said, We’d like to hear about what it is that you do with your dogs in the nursing homes.  I responded by saying that we visit in lots of other places besides nursing homes.  The caller was so surprised.  The slideshow I presented at their meeting with 44 photos of our volunteers visiting in a variety of settings and with all age groups, was quite an eye-opener.  This caller is not the only one who didn’t realize how widespread the use of therapy dogs is today.  People inquiring about doing this work themselves with their dogs have had the same impression.  Do I have to visit in a nursing home? is not an uncommon question.  The value of therapy dogs interacting with people has become far more widely appreciated and accepted since I started visiting in the early 90’s.  Studies bear out the mental, as well as physical benefits of using therapy dogs in both healthcare facilities and educational programs.  You’ll see therapy dogs in school classrooms, children’s reading programs in libraries, hospice, rehab centers, hospitals, senior centers, and mental health facilities, as well as nursing homes and any other place therapy dogs can be of help.