NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – The holidays can bring lots of joy. However, not everyone is lucky enough to spend the season in the comfort of their own home.
That’s why one therapy dog at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern is bringing comfort and festive spirit to them.
Patients and staff’s faces lit up when a Pomeranian named Cole visited patients in their medical rooms.
Nancy Zachewics says therapy dogs help take your mind off the situation.
“It just makes a break in the day and people can just relax and just pet them, they’re so soft and sweet,” says Zachewics.
Zachewics has been at CarolinaEast for almost two weeks after a fall at home. She has been spending her holidays in a medical room since then and has met other therapy dogs.
“Yesterday [Christmas Day] we had Mike come,” says Zachewics. “He’s a big standard poodle and was so fun to have around…He had jingle bells on…This is the first time I’ve experienced therapy dogs and I’ve been in the hospital a lot of times. This has been nice, it’s been fun.”
Cole and Mike are two of the 17 dogs a part of CarolinaEast’s “Thera-Paws Furapy” program which began in 2014.
Since then, patients and staff have fallen in love with each member due to how they provide comfort and lift everyone’s spirits.
Volunteer Services Manager Shaellen Thompson says besides being adorable, they have health benefits too.
“Animals are really good with reducing anxiety and stress and that’s why they wanted to start this program. We only have dogs in our program,” says Thompson.
Thompson says dogs have always been a great way to help patients during the bad times while at the hospital, including one occasion that she says she’ll never forget.
“One of our dogs-Daisy was visiting a small child that was just really freaked out from a car accident,” says Thompson. “Daisy jumped on the bed and the little boy started laughing and forgot he was at the hospital. So it was wonderful and made me cry.”
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