Dogs therapeutic for recovering soldiers

Hank, a long-haired shepard, tilts his head back in delight as Spc. DeWitt Osborne reaches out and pets the dog at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 9. Osborne was in the physical therapy room, working on his flexibilty after shoulder surgery, when Hank spotted his hand dangling within petting reach. Hank made Osborne's therapy a little less painful and a lot more interesting. "Otherwise, I'd just be staring at the ceiling, thinking about the pain," said the soldier.


Dogs therapeutic for recovering soldiers
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 26, 2007 5:47:57 EST

For a moment, the lobby of Walter Reed Army Medical Center looked like a veterinary clinic.

About 20 curious canines and their handlers gathered near the hospital’s main entrance on a recent weekday to visit recovering combat veterans.

The tail-wagging and wet noses drew instant smiles from family members sitting nearby. Strangers and owners rubbed the heads, jowls and backs of mostly light-haired breeds, from golden retriever to Shetland sheepdog. Wisps of blond fur wafted above the ground.

“The joke in our house is dog hair is a condiment,” one of the handlers quipped.

Noticeable among the pack was Marlee, a dark-haired 3-year-old Australian shepherd mix who — like many of the soldiers upstairs — was missing a limb.

Karen Lanz adopted Marlee more than a year ago. She said Marlee’s leg had been badly injured, probably in a car accident, and doctors had amputated it.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/army_therapydogs_071125/

My sister used to donate her time to nursing homes and bring her chihuahuas. They would perform tricks for the residents and then the residents would more or less pass around the dogs. Some people would otherwise be silent and still in their wheelchairs but would begin to pet and talk to the dogs. Pet therapy is an underutilized method of rehabilitation and I'm glad to see the military has picked up on it.