PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — For hospital patients who may be spending this holiday away from home, this furry friend is there to lend a paw.<\/p>\n
His name is “Verney,” a facility dog at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.<\/p>\n
With his handler, they assist patients with their physical exercises, and their emotional needs.<\/p>\n
And this time of year, his presence is one of the best gifts anyone could receive.
“I love seeing the smiles on people’s faces when I bring Verney in. People automatically get excited when we enter a room and it makes their day,” said Marissa Fischer, Recreational Therapist at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital.<\/p>\n
Verney delivered out hand-made cards and treats to the patients who were working on their rehabilitation.<\/p>\n
It was a subtle way to get patients to try something challenging, such as reaching for a candy cane, or walking up to the dogs.<\/p>\n
He was accompanied by Nigel, an older facility dog who is accompanied by their Senior Occupational Therapist, Peter Delong.<\/p>\n
Nigel is nearing retirement age, leaving Delong hopeful for the next chapter of the dog’s life.<\/p>\n
“He’s worked so hard and he’s done so much here over the years… I think it’ll just be really nice for him to be able to relax. We’re at the point where we’ve probably had over 6,000 treatment sessions with all the different patients throughout the hospital. It’s been really awesome,” said Delong.<\/p>\n
For more information, check out the video above.<\/p>\n