Dogsey

Heart patients at Harefield Hospital, Middlesex are being prescribed dog walking to help with their recuperation. The 'Hounds help Hearts' collaboration between the Cardiac Rehabilitation Team and Dogs Trust is the first of its kind in the country. Part of a wider initiative, 'The Dog Prescription', it will involve patients in their final phase of recovery from heart surgery being taken to the local Dogs Trust to walk the dogs.

A senior nurse at Harefield, Linda Evans, explained:

“Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for patients recovering from a cardiac event and what better way to do it than alongside a grateful canine companion.”

The Dog Prescription highlights the mental and physical benefits of dog ownership and interaction for a “healthy and happier lifestyle”. With these benefits in mind, The CEO of Dogs Trust, Clarissa Baldwin, hopes that the medical profession will encourage patients to engage with dogs.