Join UK HealthCare in Celebrating National Pet Therapy Day

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 29, 2019) – UK HealthCare is celebrating the health benefits of interacting with our four-legged friends by hosting a special event in honor of National Pet Therapy Day.

Sponsored by UK HealthCare’s Integrative Medicine and Health Clinic and Volunteer Services, the event will take place 3-5 p.m. tomorrow on the ground floor of UK Chandler Hospital Pavilion A. Representatives from five local pet therapy groups are participating and will offer educational materials about therapy dogs, Wildcat Service Dogs, and associated local organizations.

Attendees are encouraged to stop by to receive free cuddles from participating therapy dogs, take a picture in the pet therapy photo booth, and sign up for free giveaways.

Pet therapy has become a vital and popular complementary treatment for patients across UK HealthCare. Scientific evidence shows that therapy dogs have a positive effect on patients’ pain control, sleep, and anxiety levels, along with improved overall satisfaction with hospital stays.

“Our experience with pet therapy at UK HealthCare has clearly demonstrated the healing power of animals, and recognizing this bond is another way that we are dedicated to delivering the power of advanced medicine,” said Dr. Connie Jennings, director of the UK Integrative Medicine & Health program. “On this day of recognition, we’d like to extend a genuine thank you to our team of handlers, who prepare their animals properly for this work and spend hours in the hospital as volunteers.”