Pet Therapy Provides Lift to Hamilton Care Home Residents

Elderly residents at a Hamilton care home have had a surprise visit from mobile petting zoo Bunny & Co, which had previously visited the home to the delight of residents.

Staff at the Avonbridge Care Home arranged for a menagerie of pets, with rabbits, mice, rats, guinea pigs, ducks and chickens to spend the afternoon at the home being petted, fed treats and generally doted upon.

Pet therapy is a broad term that includes animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities. Interacting with a friendly pet has been proven to help improve physical and mental wellbeing and even reduce blood pressure. Spending time relaxing with animals causes people to release endorphins, a hormone which produce a calming effect. This can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and improve overall psychological state.

Emma Duffy, home manager at Avonbridge, said: “It was so nice to see the smiles on our residents faces when they found out that Bunny & Co was visiting. There is nothing better than enjoying a cuddle with a fluffy animal, especially when some of our residents have not been able to enjoy as much physical contact with their own family pets as they would have liked due to the Covid restrictions.

“I’ve seen first-hand the lift that pets give to residents. Even those who aren’t able to hold the animals enjoy just being in the same room and watching them interact with other residents.”