Our volunteer program welcomes Pet Therapy to Peabody weekly and you are going to love this…
Meet Bailey, an 8 years old Shiatzu/Yorkie…
His owner is Volunteer, Ken Allaby. He has been volunteering w/ Bailey for about 1 year. Bailey is part of the “Alliance of Therapy Dog” (Therapy Dog, Inc.). Bailey you will see is a bit of a star, a cover model of sorts. He was featured on the cover of FCS The Magazine in the Spring of 2017. The volunteer program at the Villages Cancer Center in Florida highlighted the benefit of pet therapy and is quoted here by author, Kim Harris Thacker stating, “It’s no secret that dogs and humans are suited for companionship. Study after scientific study demonstrates the many benefits of human-dog interaction, one of which is an increase in oxytocin, a powerful human hormone.” Read more about Bailey here in his big debut…Puppy Love. Beyond Bailey, we have had the privilege of witnessing this at Peabody Home for quite some time, as we have been prideful and engaged in pet therapy for more years than we can count. Did you have the privilege of meeting Gideon, the mini-goat that frequently visited our residents for years…among others like the Mini Horse named Stella as well as our own resident house cats, Lola & Pacy.
Gideon has a story of his own, at birth, he was born with a congenital heart problem, not expected to live beyond 2 months. Needing to remain bottle fed, loved and cared for due to his limited endurance, the “grandmother” population at Peabody Home took him right in. Our residents enjoyed sharing his feedings at 10am and 2pm while he was here with his human Mom.
Gideon lived 9 months, as you can see the Pet Therapy in this case had a dual affect to quality of life outliving his diagnosis. He responded well when residents would pet him, his eyes would glaze over with relaxation and contentment. Gideon, with his human like demeanor would look into their eyes, nearly smile, and respond unconditionally to any attention he received. In return, he delighted the residents with his antics which made people smile. He helped residents develop moments of joy with a sense of purpose, compassion and love.
Peabody is so happy to have volunteers like Bailey and Gideon, and encourage and welcome others to reach out to us if you wish to join in our Pet Therapy and volunteer program.
