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NZ's first dog therapy for stroke patients shows 'powerful' results

October 24, 2018

The star of Hutt Hospital’s new therapy pilot programme is getting some powerful results.

An occupational therapist running a pilot pet therapy programme for stroke patients at Hutt Hospital is determined to help other therapists and patients access such canine rehab.

Seven Sharp reported fur mum and occupational therapist Kerry McKiernan had always been interested in animal-assisted therapy, but after trialling working with chocolate-coloured labrador Ollie in Hawke's Bay, that interest sparked a passion.

She tossed in her job so the pair could spend a year training properly.

"I'd obviously done a lot of reading about it and seen clips on YouTube and talked to some people. But actually seeing it with my patients, I just thought this is amazing, and why are more people not doing this?" Ms McKiernan said.

Now stroke patients in the Hutt Valley are lapping up the chance to work with the eight-year-old dog.

"He's just amazing with getting them to do movement and to stand longer," Ms McKiernan said.

"A lot of the feedback from the people we've been working with is that they feel relaxed, they feel motivated, they don't realise they've been doing a long session. They are the kind of things that we experienced that we weren't expecting to be so powerful."

Hapeti Pringle has been in hospital since her stroke nearly four months ago.

"You're in a very dark place when you first come. Your emotions are all over the place," Ms Pringle said.

But with Ollie and Ms McKiernan's help, she's making great progress.

"When I started my therapy I couldn't even stand up. Now I'm standing up, I'm walking with a walking stick, my body's a lot stronger. 

"It's hard work. You have to keep at it, you have to be very committed. You have to make the effort to get better. And he's the motivator behind it - both him and Kerry."

The therapy pilot programme at Hutt Hospital is the first of its kind in the country.

But Ms McKiernan is determined to develop resources that'll help other therapists and patients access dog therapy.

"I get goosebumps all the time when I work with people and can see what they can actually do, and what Ollie kind of pushes them to do," she said.

"I don't want this to stop when Ollie stops. It wasn't just really what Ollie and I could do for our individual patients, it's what Ollie and I can do for this in stroke rehab." 

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