Dogs bring smiles to nursing home residents

Residents of Orange Valley Nursing Home got a chance to hang out with some furry friends.

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), which owns the nursing home in Clementi, had organised a dog therapy session for 20 residents on Thursday afternoon.

During the hour-long session, the residents played with the dogs under the supervision of 10 staff volunteers from SPH Staff Volunteers Club.

They patted the eight dogs and played the game of fetch, where they threw objects for the canines to retrieve.

The session was conducted with the support of Therapy Dogs Singapore (TDS), a non-profit body that has 118 volunteers and 120 therapy dogs.

TDS president Jun Sochi said the organisation, which was started by a group of dog owners in 2004, has been visiting nursing homes and other institutions over the past 14 years, bringing cheer and companionship to the residents.

"Pet-assisted activities and therapy are being recognised more and more around the world for the positive impact they bring to the lives of many people, from children and the elderly to those with disabilities," said Mr Sochi.

SPH's head of corporate communications and corporate social responsibility Chin Soo Fang said the therapy session was inspired by a cat therapy session that the club organised in 2015 for patients at Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital.