Pet Appreciation Week & Pet Therapy
Spending time with a pet can come with some pretty incredible health benefits. Animals, especially cats and dogs, bring us so much joy, whether it’s a good day or a bad day and help us stay fit and active. This is especially true when it comes to individuals living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and it’s why we incorporate pet therapy into our programming at Pleasantries Adult Day Services.
A visit from a pet therapy dog does more than just brighten the day for those with memory loss, it also helps reduce daily stress and anxiety, improves social skills and triggers cherished memories of family pets. For the past several months we’ve had bi-weekly visits with pet therapy dog, Tally Ho, an adorable, local cairn terrier and her owner, Paula. We have so many animal lovers at Pleasantries, and our guests’ faces light up the second Tally Ho walks through our door — we visit with her, play games, sing and even read!
Earlier this month, we decided to celebrate Pet Appreciation Week with a variety of fun activities that included visits from Ashland Girl Scout Troop 76017, a field trip to Baypath Humane Society of Hopkinton, ‘Yappy Hour,’ and of course, Tally Ho. We had two days of fun with the girl scouts, who joined our guests to create catnip toys and bake dog biscuits, which the animals at Baypath Humane Society happened to love! We also played animal-related games, shared stories of pets and watched funny pet videos for our ‘Yappy Hour’ to round out the week.
Similar to the joys that pet therapy brings, having younger generations visit with our guests quickly lifts the spirits of everyone, both for our guests and the children visiting. Intergenerational programming is an important element at Pleasantries and having Ashland Girl Scout Troop 76017 join us for Pet Appreciation Week was fun for all. Through these activities, everyone is engaged in shared experiences and a strong sense of purpose, and seeing their hard work and fun turned to joy by delivering the treats and toys to the shelter pets was an incredible way for our guests to see their hard work pay off.
Interested in learning more about the programming at Pleasantries? Find details here, or give us a call at (508) 481-0809 to see how Pleasantries can help your loved one dealing with memory loss, between our compassionate staff, unique features and of course, pet therapy!
