Holiday Tails: Therapy Dogs Make Christmas Eve Visits to Area Nursing Homes

Austin, TX, December 22, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​For the residents of the Walnut Hills Nursing Center, Christmas Eve is not only a time for greeting family, singing carols and indulging in holiday treats, it’s also time to receive some very special furry guests. This Wednesday, December 24, Austin Dog Alliance volunteers and trained therapy dogs “Jesse James,” “Buddy,” “Poppy” and others will arrive with tails wagging to give welcome snuggles to residents, many of whom miss having their own pets with them for the holidays.

Christmas Eve day, 12 therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers will visit five assisted living and nursing facilities, including Aria Memory Care, the Clairmont Retirement Community, Walnut Hills, Horizon Bay Round Rock and Brookdale Spicewood Springs. Volunteers will also deliver gifts to residents sponsored by Frost Bank.

"I can't tell you how much our residents look forward to Jessie James and his handler Aaron coming. That dog has been sung to, hugged, kissed and the residents start talking about dogs they've had -- it's just amazing what animals can do.

Tara, Frey

“I can't tell you how much our residents look forward to Jessie James and his handler Aaron coming,” says Tara Frey, activities director at Walnut Hills. “That dog has been sung to, hugged, kissed and the residents start talking about dogs they've had -- it's just amazing what animals can do. Especially Jessie James!”

“We've even had a few residents want to kidnap him!” says Frey. “He's had just that huge an impact on them.”

While the smiles on residents’ faces testify that therapy dog visits are welcome, studies also show they can make a major difference in the patient’s comfort, progress and recovery. It’s shown that petting a dog can lower blood pressure, release pain-suppressing endorphins and improve survival rates for heart attack victims. Petting animals also helps patients develop fine motor skills.

The Christmas Eve visits are a special time for residents, but Austin Dog Alliance pet therapy teams visit hospitals, nursing homes and hospice locations year round. In 2015 alone, 130 Austin Dog Alliance pet therapy dog handlers and their dog partners visited more than 180 hospitals, nursing homes, schools and other partner sites in the Austin area, providing more than 13,520 hours of volunteer service.

The Christmas Eve visits, however, are something special, says Erika Simono, owner of therapy dog, “Buddy.”

"This is the fourth year Buddy and I will be making Christmas Eve visits,” says Simono. “We love volunteering on this day because the residents are so excited to meet the therapy dogs. Many do not get to visit their families, which makes them extremely appreciative of our holiday visit. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas Eve."

For more information, visit http://austindogalliance.org.

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About Austin Dog Alliance

Located in Cedar Park, Texas, Austin Dog Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, therapy dog teams to local hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes; offers assistance to at-risk readers at schools and libraries through its Bow Wow Reading Dog program; and provides vocational training, coaching and placement in dog-related careers for adults with learning challenges.  In 2014, Austin Dog Alliance began providing PTSD Service Dogs for veterans and will open a Kennel and Education Center to expand the program in 2016. The Austin Dog Alliance also provides human-dog training classes for beginners and advanced dog owners. The organization depends on donations to sustain and grow its community outreach programs.