Studies show it’s a proven fact: being around pets makes us feel and function better. It’s called “Pet Therapy,” and it’s been shown to be especially effective for those whose lives are otherwise restricted.
Each year Shelter volunteers visit thousands of individuals in retirement centers, nursing homes and residential care facilities. Those who work with them sometimes tell dramatic stories of the improvements pets have made in the lives of these people. Mostly the victories are small, like the smile of satisfaction on a face or a patient responding to activity around them for the very first time!
In several of the facilities where we formerly brought visiting pets, the residents now have a live-in dog or cat to call their own, provided by another of the Siouxland Humane Society’s programs.
