The Westminster Dog Show, the “pinnacle of canine contests,” happened this week. As you can imagine, this is where elite dogs and their owners from around the world come to preen and compete.
I know, it’s "awards season," so what about this one caught my eye? Despite wanting to believe that show dogs are just like us, I discovered that unlike human celebrities, many of these fur babies have day jobs!
According to the NY Times, a few help with rescue work or serve as support dogs at elementary schools. The one whose part-time job is nearest to my heart is the Tibetan Spaniel that works in memory care, “Nick.”
Nick is employed by a Brookdale senior community in Vancouver. This pup gives a whole new meaning to the name St. Nick.
According to his owner, Kitty Lewis, Nick makes great use of his time there, landing on the laps of residents and licking their faces. And he seems to love it. So do the people who live there. Not only for his good looks, but for the calming effect he has on them.
Some of Nick’s fans are content to run their hands through his fur, but others are inspired to share stories about their own pets. The reporter couldn’t help noticing, “his presence had a striking effect.”
This is not actually the first I’d heard about using dogs as therapy for dementia. But it was the first time they were real animals. The company Tombot, which manufactures lifelike animatronic dogs, has been around since 2017. I’ve heard the CEO Tom Stevens speak about the impact of “Jenny” at conferences, noting that people facing Alzheimer’s often don’t know the difference and yet the calming impact on their spirits is notable. In fact, I remember hearing about one case where the woman was so attached to her battery-operated pet that the family asked that she be buried with him. Her? Them? It? A rose by any other pronoun…
What matters here are three things:
1) Certain real dogs and their robot counterparts are proven to calm anxiety and provide noticeable comfort to people facing dementia
2) We must continue to explore creative approaches for the care of the people we love facing Alzheimer’s
3) I want a Tibetan Spaniel STAT.
Lastly, what are your thoughts? Animatronic dog for a loved one?
