Meet the rescued therapy horse who visits local hospital patients
LANSDALE, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Meet the newest member of the animal-assisted therapy team at Abington-Lansdale Hospital: Dale, the miniature horse!
Dale is a very special horse. He lived on a farm with other horses, but he was just too shy and timid to be purchased at an auction. Unfortunately, he was to be put out to pasture. On his way to be slaughtered, he and three other horses were rescued by a good Samaritan.
Later, Dale found a new home with Amy Coughlin, who trained him thoroughly to be a therapy animal! Since then, he has come out of his shell to bring joy to others. Before each visit to the hospital, he must take a special bath and wear shoes on his hooves to prevent the spreading of germs. The goal is to have Dale visit a few times per month.
He joins the team of PAWS, Abington-Lansdale Hospital's animal assisted therapy program, which is a part of Jefferson Health. There are 12 other dogs on the team that visit patients on a weekly basis. These dogs are the partners and house pets of volunteers.
To learn more about the program or how to get involved, visit their website.
RELATED: A day in the life of a therapy dog at CHOP
