DailyGood

For the last 27 years, DailyGood newsletters have offered a daily email that inspires you to respond to life with creativity and kindness. To join a community of 152,443 subscribers, subscribe here.

Sep 7, 2011

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." --Helen Keller

Dogs with Custom Wheelchairs Inspire Rehab Patients

Cruising in their custom wheelchairs, Chili and Arlo are the center of attention wherever they go. But for patients at the Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation in Dallas, these two canine caregivers are also an inspiration. "Many of the patients are new to wheelchairs," Linda Marler, the program's director told TODAY.com. "When they see Chili and Arlo, they say, 'If those dogs can do it, so can I.'" Chili and Arlo are the only dogs with disabilities among the 90 specially trained therapy dogs that participate in Baylor's Animal Assisted Therapy program. The canine volunteers make weekly visits to lift the spirits of patients who have suffered traumatic injuries or a stroke. "We use the dogs to create more of a home atmosphere and also to get a response," Marler said. She's found that animals will often elicit a reaction when every other method has failed.