BOISE, Idaho — It can be said that dogs are a man's best friend. Those who may oppose that statement haven't seen Idaho's Red Cross therapy dogs, trained to spend time with those who have served in the United States military.
On Tuesday, volunteers with the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces brought therapy dogs to the Boise Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center to spend time with veterans and "share their puppy love and bring smiles to the faces of patients and staff."
However, the visit wasn't a one-time event. Red Cross officials said in an email the dogs visit the veterans every two weeks.
Service dogs that assist individuals with disabilities are usually dressed in vests with patches that say, "do not pet," but these dogs were trained specifically to provide therapy services and emotional support. Therefore, their patches read "please pet."
Josh Callihan, the public affairs officer with Boise's VA, told KTVB that the dogs poke into rooms to provide comfort for veterans being treated at the facility.
"It's a nice surprise because you don't usually expect when you are in the hospital to have someone bring a dog for them to pet them and love on them," Callihan said. "They are great dogs and are very well trained by their handlers, so it's a safe way to bring an animal into the hospital for a visit."
Callihan said that when the dogs visit, there are usually three to six of them, and they stay for a few hours.
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