Is your hospice going to the dogs? Therapy dogs, that is? Perhaps it should!

Abstract

In this conference session, the authors review the benefits of companion animals on human health and wellness, distinguish between “therapy dogs (TDs),” “service dogs,” and “emotional support animals,” and focus on the benefits of therapy dogs in hospice and palliative care settings. They describe the history and development of the in-residence and community therapy dog programs run by Hospice Wellington (HW) Guelph, Canada, and situate these TD programs within in HW’s Integrated Wellness (complementary therapies) program. Conference delegates will learn how HW handled critical considerations such as risk management (e.g. human precautions, animal welfare), capacity issues (strategic partnerships with two therapy dog organizations, volunteers), and costs (budget, staff and volunteer time). The authors hope to inspire others to develop and run sustainable hospice therapy dog programs that are based on guidelines and protocols that are informed by current research and best practices.