Therapy Dogs in Hospice Care

In the 1800s, Florence Nightengale noticed that psychiatric patients appeared to experience less stress and anxiety when they interacted with small companion animals. A century later, Sigmund Freud observed that his dog, Jofi, seemed to indicate which of his patients experienced the most stress and also helped to encourage open communication. Fast forward to the 1960s, and psychotherapist Boris Levinson initiated the first formal investigations into what we now recognize as Animal Assisted Therapy.

Studies have confirmed that positive animal interactions such as petting a dog or a cat can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and even reduce sensations of pain. In hospice patients nearing the end of life, these benefits can play an important role in alleviating feelings of depression and loneliness while increasing comfort and helping in maintaining more a positive outlook.

In our travels to hospices around the country, MedCure’s Education Directors have had the privilege of meeting several of the hard-working hospice dogs who perform their important jobs at these facilities. MedCure’s own Luke Zabel has been nice enough to share some of their stories!

Jasmine works at Wuesthoff Dr. Jey Pillai Center for Hospice in Rockledge, FL. She’s one of the sweetest girl’s you’ll ever meet, bringing joy to the world one patient at a time!

Murphy works with ProCare Hospice. Luke has met him at multiple conferences and can attest to the fact that he’s a very good boy.

Fuzzy Rogers works at Chapters Health in Temple Terrace, FL (just outside of Tampa, FL). He’s is one of the most calm and obedient dogs Luke has ever seen. Fuzzy is a good boy and is loved by all his patients.

Buddy is an office dog at Compass Hospice in North Dallas/Addison, TX. When hospice staff have had a hard and emotional day working with their patients and families, this happy boy cheers them up by greeting them as soon as they walk through the door. As you can see, he’s a VERY happy boy!

If you are interested in learning more about whole body donation and the role that it plays in advancing medical science, you can visit us online at medcure.org. Or, you can call our 24/7 toll free number 866-560-2525 to speak with one of our knowledgeable Donation Coordinators.