Hospital Where Their Animals Visit Sick People

Juravinski Hospital in Ontario, Canada, is one of the few places where patients can spend time with more than family and friends. The hospital also allows sick patients to contact their pets.

For many of us it is obvious that animals are also close creatures to us and we treat them as friends. It is not surprising that when the owner of a donated pet is hospitalized, he begins to miss his pet. Sometimes in such a situation it doesn’t take much more than to hug your beloved pet.

Perhaps you will immediately think that animals have different bacteria!

Of course, each animal that goes to visit its master must undergo a strict cleaning and disinfection procedure set by the hospital.

The whole process is strictly controlled precisely so that dogs and cats can play a special role in the recovery of their owners, giving them the joy they need.

Juravinsky Hospital allows the dog to visit its master

The Companion Pet visitation Program began in a sad and very emotional situation. Donna Jenkins was the director of Juravinski Hospital when she faced the untimely death of her nephew, who died at the age of 25 of lymphoma.

The boy had an unusual request: he not only wanted to see his pet before he died, but also asked that each patient who received treatment at the hospital had the opportunity to contact his favorite animal.

As a result, you could see how much fun the boy had a meeting with his beloved animal. He was very happy when he could hug his pet and spend time with him in a place such as a hospital.

What about other patients? Will they also be able to host their pets in the hospital?

After this incident, a special service was established, thanks to which the families of patients can contact the appropriate staff in order to arrange such a visit in detail.

The program works beautifully

The entire project and program is funded by the charity “Zachary’s paws for healing”, which is named after the hospital director’s deceased nephew.

• It is thanks to the aforementioned organization that the families of patients can obtain all the necessary information and necessary assistance in organizing such visits.
• When patients spend many days in hospital, they become discouraged and noticeably extend the duration of treatment. It’s incredible, but visits to pets bring back joy to patients, improve endorphin production, regulate breathing and speed up recovery.
• You also have to take into account how much fun visiting pets brings to the oncology ward. Patients receiving chemotherapy are much better able to cope with difficult times when their beloved animals rest at their feet.

Preparing the animals for the visit

One of the main reasons why animals are not allowed in places such as hospitals or health clinics is because they carry many types of bacteria.

People responsible for preparing animals for visits to Juravinski Hospital must take into account many factors:

• Pets visiting sick patients pose a similar threat to those of the sick’s family who come to visit.
• So in order to reduce this threat, it is enough to organize thorough washing and disinfection of animals before entering the hospital.
• A harness is mandatory to control unexpected movements of animals, especially in a place such as a hospital.
• Pets may only visit their owner. Contact with other patients is not allowed.
• The animals enter the hospital with the patient’s family and an assistant. They have to keep an eye on the situation and any unexpected movements of the animals. A hospital is a place where patients are connected to various devices such as machines, drips, etc.

Therapeutic help that animals carry

Emotional support resulting from contact with your favorite animal is invaluable, especially in the more difficult moments of life. However, in the long run, this help is not limited to the emotional sphere. Animals also have a positive effect on our physical and mental condition.

• Many children with autism manage their anxiety episodes precisely through the presence of a specially trained dog.
• Patients with diabetes and epilepsy can benefit from the help of dogs that can predict jumps or sugar deficiencies in advance. They are also invaluable help for their owners suffering from epileptic seizures.

Never forget about the warmth, devotion and affection that a beloved friend, your pet, can give you.