Chile ‘therapy’ dogs offer tummy rubs to soothe patients, medics

Pepe and Chimu, therapy dogs from the Tregua Foundation, participate in a recreational activity to comfort frontline medical staff at the Dr. Exequiel Gonzalez Cortes Hospital, in Santiago, Chile. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza)

Chile was particularly hard hit early during the coronavirus pandemic, as a soaring caseload pushed hospitals to the point of collapse. But cases have plummeted in recent weeks, thanks to a fast-paced vaccine drive, giving health workers in the South American nation much-needed respite.

Teresa Nilo, a hospital technician who suffered from COVID, said the dogs helped to change her attitude.

“Having the dogs by our side gives us peace of mind,” she said. “You feel you are in a more welcoming place than in a hospital between four walls.”

Francisca Salazar, a doctor at the Dr. Exequiel Gonzalez Cortes Hospital, rests her head on Pepe, a therapy dog of the Tregua Foundation. (REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza)

Animal-assisted therapy can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue in people with a range of health problems, according to the U.S.-based Mayo Clinic.

Children at the hospital in particular love the dogs, said their parents and the staff.

Rodrigo Alvarez, an auto mechanic whose son recently had eye surgery at the hospital, said his boy had benefited from the therapy.

“With children that are very sick, this helps them escape the stress of the hospital, of what they are living,” he said.

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