Robotic pets replacing therapy dogs at VA Butler Healthcare
“He's my buddy.”
That's what 84-year-old veteran Mike Bernat said about Skip, one of five robotic dogs and five robotic cats that are replacing live therapy dogs at the Sergeant Joseph George Kusick VA Community Living Center in Butler Township during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Before all of this, we had an extensive therapy pet program. When COVID-19 came, we couldn't do it any more,” said Alyssa Schmolly, a recreational therapist with VA Butler Healthcare at the facility.
She said certified therapy dogs used to visit veterans nearly everyday, including weekends and holidays, and veterans' family members used to visit before coronavirus restrictions prohibiting both kinds of visits were put in place in March.
“These dogs are trained to provide assistance for our population. They have to take extensive tests. They're amazing dogs,” Schmolly said.
After the restrictions were established, staff learned about the robotic pets, which are made by Joy for All. The $130 cost of each robotic pet is covered by donations that American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and other veteran organizations make to the VA.
This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.
