Joel Bueno shed tears of joy as his four-legged guests entered the intensive care unit where he had been admitted due to a blood clot.
Bueno, 34, said being showered with affection by therapy dogs Vida and Lu reminded him of his own dog at home.
“It’s great to have someone who loves you more than anything in the world,” he told Reuters with a broad smile.
“They give everything for you, no matter how you are with them.”
The visit was part of a trial launched by Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar and the Affinity Foundation, which specializes in pet therapy, to improve the emotional well-being of patients in intensive care units (ICU).
Patients in the program receive two visits each week for 15 to 20 minutes each.
“For now it’s just a perception, but it seems to us that there is a benefit for patients,” said Lucia Picazo, an intensive care doctor.
The project will analyze saliva samples taken from patients before and after a therapy session to check whether stress indicators like cortisol decrease while those related to well-being like oxytocin and serotonin increase, he said. she explains.
It’s not just patients who benefit from the project: Many emergency department staff also enjoy the dogs’ presence and bond with them, said Maribel Vida, who leads Affinity’s animal therapy projects.
Bueno has no doubt about the benefits of the trial.
Just the fact that some dogs might come visit immediately lifted our spirits, he said.
New York Post
