Residents at an Okotoks seniors home got a reminder that they aren’t being forgotten by man’s best friend during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representatives of the Community Therapy Dogs Society (CTDS) donated 20 plush stuffed dogs to Tudor Manor on March. Residents had received visits from four-legged friends prior to the pandemic.
“The dogs would come in and they visit on a one-to-one basis with the residents in their room,” said Lynn Giesler, the society’s seniors home co-ordinator. “Because of the COVID restrictions we have not been allowed to have the dogs visit the residents.
“We know how important it is to have the dogs visit the residents for the connection… We thought the Stuffies for Seniors program would be a nice reminder of how often they are thought of and the dogs are chomping at the bit to come back in... A lot of our handlers have said as soon as the dogs see the (society's) bandannas they know exactly what they are doing and they get very excited about it."
When the real dogs come to visit, they wear a bandanna to indicate they have been through the proper training before visiting any residents.
"We have been going to nursing and seniors homes since 2015," said Marilyn King, the society's founder. "We started off going to libraries and schools where children would read to the dogs."
The program started in 2013 with two dogs, there are now have more than 100 volunteers and dogs, she said.
"All of the therapy dogs are family pets," King said. "An assessment is done on the dogs and they go to the vet for a health check.
"About a third of the dog actually get through the program, so we're pretty strict."
Maritza Mayora, a recreational therapy aide at Tudor Manor, said the residents light up when their canine friends come to visit.
"I can see the happiness in their eyes," Mayora said. "And they reminisce about the animals they have had in their lives. When they see this beautiful dogs they just light up.
"They really appreciate the time (the volunteers and dogs) they put in... It's joyful moments."
Tudor Manor residents are not allowed to have pets.
However, family members, at present, are allowed to bring a pet when visiting relatives in the manor.
The therapy dogs and their handlers visit schools, libraries, senior residences from Airdrie to Okotoks and from Strathmore to Bragg Creek/Cochrane.
