Many of the children I visit have been hospitalized for weeks. They are depressed, missing their normal life at home, missing their friends, and if they have one, missing their pet. When the children see the dogs, with their wagging tails, they brighten right up. You can see the life literally coming back into these children. Laughter fills their eyes, huge smiles appear on their tiny faces, and positive energy fills the room. Hospital life can be very scary for children. I watch the dogs cuddling their furry bodies into the children, licking them and comforting them. Some of the children will even share their fears with the dogs. They talk out loud to the dogs, saying things they don\u2019t tell others. Every child says the dogs visit has helped them feel better. I know that it also helps the parents cope.<\/p>\n
Willy has a very special gift. He has a comical snore. He will curl up beside a child, and while they are petting him, he becomes relaxed. The more relaxed he is, the louder and deeper the snore becomes. Even the sickest child will laugh at this. This comical snore helps the children take their focus off their pain.<\/p>\n
When a nurse, or parent, is having a difficult time convincing a child to take their medicine, Molly comes to the rescue. With her big brown eyes, she stares at the child. Molly will reach out her paw to them and wag her tail. If they take the medicine, Molly will do a trick for them, and they are allowed to give her a treat. For every sip of medicine they have to take, Molly reaches out her paw and will do a different trick. This encourages the children to quickly finish the medicine, so that they can give Molly more treats, and see all her tricks. Molly has been successful with every child.<\/p>\n
I paid a visit to one very sick child, in her hospital room. She had gone through three surgeries in one week. She was weak and very pale, and had been focusing on how terrible her pain was. I read her my book, \u201cRocky\u2019s Trip To The Hospital\u201d.<\/strong> Because the dog was in the lounge area, and could not come to her room, I gave her an autographed photo of us. As she was gazing at the photo, I observed a sparkle appear in her eyes, and the colour came back to her cheeks. She asked me if I would help her into a wheelchair, so she could go down to the lounge and pet the dog. With the nurse\u2019s approval we headed out. The nurse agreed with me, that a visit to the dog would be great medicine for this child. Just seeing the wagging tail waiting to greet her, gave her strength and a more positive attitude. Only half an hour earlier, she had been in her bed, too weak to move, and now she was asking to take the dog for a walk down the hall herself. She said she felt strong enough to use her arms to wheel the chair, while hanging on to the leash. She was glowing as she accomplished this task. We all watched with joy in our hearts and tears in our eyes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Pet therapy can occur anywhere. Recently at a school, where I was giving a presentation about pet therapy, a little boy slowly walked up to the front of the room with his head hanging. He had such sadness written all over his young face. When he finally got up beside me, he began to cry, and he shared his story with me. He said that he wished my dog had been with his grandfather the night before. His grandfather had died alone, and this terribly upset the little boy. Before I could say anything, Willy who was lying quietly on the floor beside us, sat up and reached out to the little boy. It was clear that Willy sensed his pain. The boy held Willy tightly in his arms. With Willy licking the tears away, we all watched as a smile appeared on the boy\u2019s tiny face. One hundred and twenty children, at that presentation, witnessed the power of pet therapy. Willy showed unconditional love for a child in pain.<\/p>\n Pets are magical. They sense our needs and comfort us. They truly give unconditional love. I would encourage you to make a difference for your child, by bringing an animal into their life! It can be a wonderful learning experience, and also be very healing! -Sue London<\/p>\n Copyright Sue London 2009.\u00a0 All rights reserved.\u00a0 Sue is the Author of \u201cSoar Above It All\u201d, \u201cRocky\u2019s Trip To The Hospital\u201d and \u201cRocky\u2019s Positive Thoughts Coloring Book\u201d.\u00a0 Sue London can be reached at sue@asksuelondon.com<\/a> or 1-888-812-1181.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/a>To learn more about Sue London and purchase a copy of\u00a0her\u00a0 healing books please\u00a0visit www.asksuelondon.com.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0To\u00a0learn more about the work Sue does along with\u00a0touching stories on the making of\u00a0her books please visit www.youtube.com\/AskSueLondon<\/a><\/p>\n To get more inspired about the healing power of pets tune into today’s interview\u00a0now archived\u00a0on The Talk Show on\u00a0CKNX-AM920 Radio www.am920.ca<\/a><\/p>\n
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