Spreading Canine Cheer Through Horsham Rehab Center

HORSHAM, PA -- Therapy dogs are proving to be a big hit at Luther Woods Nursing & Rehab Center in Horsham.

Pixie, a 10-year-old Shetland sheepdog, is among the joys of residence life at Luther Woods, according to a report in The Intelligencer.

Pixie comes with her owner, Ann Cavanaugh, 66, whose late mother used to live at Luther Woods.

The dog reportedly visits craft sessions, music programs, and comes into the rooms of residents that are bedridden or less mobile, the report states.

“We always had dogs growing up,” said resident Helen Barnes, 94, according to The Intelligencer. “After my son was born, he started to toddle around the house, and that’s when my dad told me, ‘Every boy needs a dog.’ If it were up to me, Pixie could come here every day.”

The key to pet therapy is the simplicty of the unconditional, judgement-free love offered by animals.

While animals were highly valued in the rehab and nursing home for providing a respite from loneliness and depression, they are also used in hospitals, schools, and businesses around the world, as there are few people who do not benefit from the canine brand of therapy, handlers said.

Image of a black labrador and blue heeler mix. Not the same dog which frequents Horsham’s Luther Woods.