Pet therapy offered at Tunnell Cancer Center and Beebe Outpatient Surgery Center

Beebe Healthcare announced that pet therapy is now being offered to patients at Tunnell Cancer Center and Beebe Outpatient Surgery Center on Route 24 near Rehoboth Beach.

Pet therapy is available for Beebe Healthcare patients, visitors and team members. This alternative therapy has been shown to decrease blood pressure and improve even short hospital visits for patients and visitors. In addition, having a dog visit team members has been shown to greatly reduce stress.

Beebe is working with PAWS for People, a Wilmington-based nonprofit 501c3 pet therapy organization that recruits, trains, certifies and places therapy teams in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The PAWS organization helps coordinate teams at more than 130 locations.

All of the dogs and handlers have gone through specific training courses for healthcare visitations.

For more information on pet therapy at Beebe, contact Lee Halloran at 302-645-3531. For more information on PAWS for People, go to www.pawsforpeople.org.