Animal therapy coming for Bustamante patients
NGO hosts successful sterilisation clinic in St Andrew
Published:Tuesday | February 1, 2022 | 12:09 AMChristopher Serju/Senior Gleaner Writer
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Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has indicated that his ministry will be resurrecting a pilot project to introduce animal therapy at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in St Andrew to help patients cope with physical and mental...
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has indicated that his ministry will be resurrecting a pilot project to introduce animal therapy at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in St Andrew to help patients cope with physical and mental health conditions.
Speaking with The Gleaner on Saturday, Tufton said that COVID-19 has opened his eyes more to the deep and lasting therapeutic impact that animals can have on human beings, leading him to want to revive the initiative, which, ironically, was about to be rolled out in 2020 but was shelved because of the pandemic.
“I have heard many stories of persons who were lonely, stressed, affected by anxiety – mental health issues – and having a pet as a companion in these lonely situations has done a lot. I have also visited hospitals abroad – Miami, for example – where I have witnessed animal therapy, where you actually bring the animals into the hospital to help with the healing process,” said Tufton, who was attending a Montego Bay Animal Haven-planned spaying and neutering campaign in Standpipe, St Andrew, during which pet lovers were invited to have their dogs and cats undergo surgery free of cost.
“I am intending to bring that back, and I am talking to Miss [Tammy] Browne to determine whether or not we can incorporate some of what she does, in terms of that therapy, starting with our children in hospital,” he said, referring to the director of the Montego Bay Animal Haven.
If successful, the pilot could be expanded into a programme incorporating adults, Tufton said, although he could not definitively say when it would get off the ground.
The pop-up clinic for the sterilisation of the animals was hosted at the Old Hope Road-based SuperValu Home Centre, which also provided animal feed and water throughout the day.
To the left of the premises was a tent under which the animals were first sedated before being operated on by three veterinarians, and to the right, a recovery area overseen by Animal Angels – as the volunteers from the Montego Bay Animal Haven are known – dutifully watched over the patients.
As word of the clinic spread, there was brisk movement of people in and out, taking in their pets and enquiring about the services.
Fourth-year medical student Lisa Ashley admitted to having long considered sterilising her animals for quite some time, but between studying and everything else, she had not found the time to get it done.
“When they are in heat, it’s pretty crazy for me because I have a small shih tzu and a royal Caribbean terrier, and they try to mate, though it is not physiologically possible,” she explained. “So this definitely is a big help because it does reduce the number of heat cycles they go through. I don’t know if you have ever had such a big dog trying to break down your grille to get to your little dog.”
She encouraged dog owners to consider spaying their animals to reduce overpopulation.
“It is such a good thing to do, especially if you have dogs living in a big yard. As food costs go up, maintenance cost go up. You really want to make sure that you can provide the best possible care for the dogs that you have instead of spreading yourself too thin,” she said.