Pet Tips

Have you visited a hospital lately and seen someone walking a dog? Odds are, that dog was a therapist. Really! Though the field of pet therapy is still relatively young, researchers have long known that pets can have a therapeutic effect on people. Today, teams of handlers and their pets visit hospitals, retirement homes and other health-care facilities, allowing pets to do what they do best. In non-scientific terms, they cheer people up. They make them smile and forget their own troubles for a while. Recognizing the need for more of this special work, PHS/PSCA established a Pet Assisted Therapy program and recruits teams of handlers and pets to visit area facilities. If you think your pet might be good at this, come to PHS/SPCA for an orientation (people only, no pets), on Sunday, Aug. 27, 9 a.m. Applications due Aug. 15. Please call 650/340-7022, ext. 344. You’ll learn if this work is good for you and your pet. Then, at a later date, experts will evaluate your pet to see if he or she has the right stuff. To learn more about this exciting field, visit www.deltasociety.org.