The therapeutic presence of dogs in Spanish hospitals is an increasingly important fact. Makes sense, society has undergone a major shift in recent years, showing its sensitivity to these issues.
However, and despite the above, the reality is that animal visits to such centers continue to encounter great resistance from their rulers.
To make some history, it was in the eighties when the University Hospital of Leicester in England decided to allow a dog visit to people who were admitted for the first time under the name “Pat Dog Cheme”. to hospital. same. It was a Labrador retriever and the results were so positive that the mood of not only the patients but also the entire staff of the center improved. It was also confirmed how their presence sweetened the work environment, and even greater optimism breathed in the centre.
The Ibiza hospital, the San Joan de Déu maternity hospital in Barcelona or the Rey Juan Carlos Hospital in Móstoles are some of the latest hospitals in Spain to allow dogs access to their facilities as a precautionary treatment, despite all health and hygiene checks. In fact, the presence of animals is often part of some programs aimed at improving the quality of life of long-term hospitalized children, and in some cases even so that certain patients can visit their pets.
No one today doubts that being with animals is a source of health for their owners and that their presence improves their vital signs. Medical research confirms this.
Therefore, it is time for law and health to create the necessary regulations and protocols in order to adapt to this reality and not cause any problems.