Pet Therapy at SMH-Sarasota Campus
At Sarasota Memorial, we believe in the power of pet therapy.
Studies have long shown the invaluable role of animals in supporting healing. Research has shown that pet therapy can produce physiological and psychological benefits, including reduced blood pressure and stress, as well as help promote a positive outlook on life, better outcomes in the healing and rehabilitation process and improved socialization skills.
Our pet therapy program has helped patients for more than 20 years. Pet therapists first began visiting patients in the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit in 1997 to help those recovering from complex conditions who might be in the hospital for several weeks. Since then, the program has continued to expand.
Pet therapy is currently available at the Sarasota Memorial Hospital-Sarasota Campus (Rehab, Pediatrics and Cancer Institute units), as well as the Sarasota Memorial Nursing and Rehabilitation Center off Clark Road.