Pet therapy making a paws-itive impact on health care workers
A pop-up pet therapy session for health care workers provided a much needed break for staff at an Edmonton hospital Wednesday.
Ron Middleton and his rough collie named Candy spent 90 minutes at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for a pop-up pet therapy session.
“She’s excellent in, you know, getting people to relax, to calm down, to remember the dogs in their lives… those things a good therapy dog does,” said Middleton.
Middleton got Candy when she was six, after she retired from being a show dog. He credits that training for her calm demeanor.
“Working in the medical profession is stressful in the best of times, and now it’s super stressful for them,” he said. “The few minutes we spend actually compounds in many ways with the staff and patients here.”
There are many dog therapy programs meant to assist AHS patients, but this outdoor visit was specifically meant for health care workers.
“Amongst the three of us, our mental health has felt better today, just being excited to come and meet the dog and pet her,” said health care worker Tracey MacPhee.
“I think her calmness really kind of transfers onto us as we’re hanging out with her and petting her,” said RN Jenifer Bennett.
“Being able to take the time to do something like this has been very nice.”
A Statistics Canada survey from earlier this year found seven in 10 health care workers reported worsening mental health during the pandemic. Studies have shown interactions with pets can have a positive impact on mental health in challenging times.
“Last time we were here a young ICU nurse came here on his day off just to spend some time with the dog,” said Middleton.
Candy and her pup Cayley have been volunteering for the last three years. Middleton believes it’s in the past year and a half they’ve made the most impact.
“When we run these kinds of events, we go to the University during exam time and whatever, we call them stress busters and you can just see people come and because a dog lives in the moment, is totally accepting of everything, it just takes people right out of the stress space they’re in.”
Middleton and his dogs also visit the staff and patients at the Alberta Hospital.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Dan Grummett.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.