Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
A visit from a therapy animal may do more than lift spirits. A new study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings highlights how animal-assisted treatment can support inpatient stroke rehabilitation. Patients who interacted with therapy animals showed greater engagement in their treatment, increased physical activity and longer mobility compared with those who did not.
The findings suggest a promising approach to addressing common barriers patients face with stroke recovery, including limited motivation, reduced energy, lack of companionship and decreased interest in therapy activities. By incorporating trained therapy dog-handler teams into rehabilitation care, patients can do a variety of activities including walking, playing fetch, and petting or brushing the dog.
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A visit from a therapy animal may do more than lift spirits. A new study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings highlights how animal-assisted treatment can support inpatient stroke rehabilitation. Patients who interacted with therapy animals showed greater engagement in their treatment, increased physical activity and longer mobility compared with those who did not.
The findings suggest a promising approach to addressing common barriers patients face with stroke recovery, including limited motivation, reduced energy, lack of companionship and decreased interest in therapy activities. By incorporating trained therapy dog-handler teams into rehabilitation care, patients can do a variety of activities including walking, playing fetch, and petting or brushing the dog.
____________________________________________
FOR THE PUBLIC: More health and medical news on the Mayo Clinic News Network. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org
FOR THE MEDIA ONLY: To access clean and NAT sound versions of this video on the Mayo Clinic News Network, register at newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/request-account
Mayo Clinic: mayocl.in/3tNMAdF
Like Mayo Clinic on Facebook: facebook.com/MayoClinic
Follow Mayo Clinic on Instagram instagram.com/mayoclinic
Follow Mayo Clinic on X, formerly Twitter: https://x.com/MayoClinic
Follow Mayo Clinic on Threads: threads.net/@mayoclinic
