Patient Animal Wellness Service
The Medical University of South Carolina has a robust Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) and Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program. With an abundance of certified therapy dogs, MUSC’s Therapy Animal Program services all four hospitals on campus and more than 12 ambulatory clinics throughout the Lowcountry. Therapy dogs provide AAA and AAT care to patients in cardiac, neurology, addiction, geriatrics, physical/occupational therapy, dentistry, pediatrics, and more.
Several studies have reported significant benefits for patients who participate in Patient Animal Wellness Service (PAWS). PAWS Teams provide comfort during their bedside visits, can reduce anxiety in hospitalized patients, and act as a catalyst in their healing process. Therapy dogs are defined as pets that volunteer with their handler in hospitals or with other organizations with a need for this service. Every dog must be tested and evaluated by a nationally accredited therapy animal organization.
PAWS Teams roam through all entities of the MUSC Health Campus, but can also be requested by patients, family members, administrators, and medical staff for therapy dog visits.
How Therapy Animals Help
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention most recently published that therapy animals “provide invaluable health benefits to their human companions.”
