Saturday, June 5, 2010

Pets Get To Visit Vets Again

Now this is some good news:
The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) announced today that dogs and cats are once again welcome at the Wisconsin Veterans Homes at King and Union Grove, provided their owners comply with new policy guidelines. A temporary moratorium on animal visits had been put in place less than two weeks ago, while policies were drafted and approved.

“Without some commonsense guidelines in place, we had concerns about member safety and liability,” says Sara Stinski, a spokesperson for WDVA. “We recognize the important role these animals play in enhancing the quality of life for many members.”

Two new policies have been instituted. One policy, approved last week, applies to so-called “therapy animals,” which are typically dogs brought in by volunteers to interact with members and provide opportunities for motivation, education or recreation. A separate policy, approved today, applies to “pets,” or non-therapeutic animals.
I'm a strong believer in the healing and calming affect that animals have on people. And since these men and women so bravely served our country, they deserve to have this much, at the very least.

2 comments:

  1. Damn government health care. It should not have been canceled in the firest place.

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  2. Thank State Rep. Bob Turner (D-Racine) for this. He skipped Madison wrangling and went to them directly to plead the case for animals. At least that was what I was told and he is a huge advocate for Veterans so it makes sense to me.
    BTW, I have a new dog (since Decemeber) and he's far from calming.....but, I think the healing is working ;)

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