Kobe City: “Doggie Outing Therapy” – Going to Elderly People’s Facilities, Doggie

Press Release (October 20, 2023)
Environmental Health Division, Health Department

For the elderly and people with disabilities, it is said that interacting with animals not only brings peace of mind, but also provides opportunities for physical exercise and improves their motivation for activities in daily life.

The Kobe Animal Symbiosis Center (located in Shiawase-no-mura, Kita-ku, Kobe), the city’s animal welfare center, has been conducting animal therapy programs for children, and is scheduled to visit the Children’s Book Forest Kobe on November ^12*1.

We have now expanded the scope of our animal therapy program to include the elderly and the handicapped, and will newly implement “Doggy Outing Therapy,” in which we will visit elderly care facilities in Shiawase no Mura to have them interact with our dogs. This project will continue to be implemented while expanding the target facilities.

Outline of Implementation

(1) Date

Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

(2) Visiting facilities

Shinkoen Shiawase no Ie (Special Nursing Home for the Elderly)
(1-10 Shiawase no Mura, Kita-ku, Kobe City)

(3) Target

Elderly residents of the visiting facility

(4) Contents

On the day of the event, four dogs trained in accordance with the activity participation standards of the Japan Animal Hospital ^{Association*2} and volunteers will visit the facility. They are scheduled to conduct activities such as allowing the elderly people to interact with the dogs and demonstrating their special skills such as having the dogs fetch balls thrown by the elderly people.

(5) Application for coverage

If you would like to cover the event, please contact the following at least one day in advance.

Environmental Health Division, Health Department
Tel: 078-322-5264

1 Animal Therapy Project at Children’s Book Forest Kobe “Business Trip! Doggie Reading Session”
https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/a84140/kenko/health/hygiene/animal/read_dog.html

2 The Japan Animal Hospital Association is an organization that promotes the contribution to local communities by veterinary hospitals. To date, it has visited senior citizen facilities, hospitals, schools, etc. more than 20,000 times throughout Japan to provide volunteer activities to let people experience the warmth and kindness of animals.