Pets Make a Difference:
Caregivers

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, June 24 and August 12, 2007
Show 413

Is getting a pet a good idea for the person you care for? Pet therapy is very popular in nursing homes and it's just as therapeutic at home. Cindy, a caregiver for her 91-year-old mother adopted Goldie, a Yorkshire terrier, and watched her mom's face light up. "The look on her face was just-- oh, it just touched my heart," says Cindy. Since then, Cindy has seen the happiness Goldie brings to her mother. "She's a very calming dog and someone must have been looking out for me because her personality just suits my mom to a T. When Goldie just kind of disappears for a little while, she'll say, 'Where's my little dog?' So you see, that means everything to me. That's worth it. That's what it's all about," says Dr. Jamie Huysman. "There's nothing that connects with a person better than a pet."