Dying patients are now asking for their therapy dogs to be with them on their death beds

The request for therapy dogs has grown ‘exponentially’ with even dying patients requesting to see them in their final hours.

Therapy Dogs Nationwide has received 487 requests since the start of January to visit stressed out university students, dementia patients and childhood cancer wards.

They are even asked to visit people who are ‘rallying’ just before their death.

Trustee Leisl de Lafontaine told Metro at Crufts this year: ‘I once made a 160-mile trip to see a terminally ill patient who asked to see my dog Fido.

‘It must remind them of dogs they would have once had in their life. I walked into the room with Fido, and the patient said, “There he is, Jasper has come to see me”.

‘By the time I drove back home I received a text saying she had passed away.’

Although they are often asked to visit students and attend corporate events, the dogs make most of a difference in care homes and hospitals.

This includes children’s wards, which can help demonstrate to the children how their treatment works.

‘They listen to the dog’s heartbeat, then they listen to the child’s. They check the dog’s ears, then they check the child’s,’ Leisl explained.

‘Because my dog is so fluffy, doctors are even able to pretend to give him an injection before giving one to the child.’

Visiting care homes which cares for elderly people with dementia can also be upsetting, but it can help nurses piece together their patients past.

‘A lot of them can’t remember what they had for breakfast, but they may remember their childhood pets and think my dog is one of them,’ Leisl said.

‘This means those looking after them can keep talking about it and help reignite that side of them.’

But the number of those offering their dogs is not going up as fast, with the company even having to turn down hounds who simply don’t have the right temperament.

The dogs need have an incredibly calm demeanor, and will never react negatively to humans or other animals.

Liesl said: ‘We have a really high standard, but we have no choice – we can’t risk sending a dog which we can’t fully trust to an event.

‘But we are always in need of more human and dog volunteers as we keep trying to meet the demand.’

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