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Dogs lift spirits at Washington personal care home

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Molly visits with Joey Burns. Burns, a quadriplegic, has been in nursing care since he was injured playing football at age 16. Nurses say Burns is more responsive when Molly comes to see him.

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Larry Bowman’s dogs, Molly and Jasper, have been visiting at Transitions Healthcare in Washington so often that they know their way around.

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Richard Strawn and Carol Parascenzo share a visit with Jasper.

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Jasper is generous with kisses, as Ethel “Tiny” Davis can attest.

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Mary Jane Boardley and Jasper are happy to see each other. Jasper greets residents with great enthusiasm, and the residents respond in kind.

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Molly stands by as Larry Bowman holds Jasper for a visit with Dorothy Kordella in the community room of Transitions Healthcare in Washington.

When Jasper visits Transitions Healthcare, he is generous with kisses.

The 3-year-old Boston terrier greets every face that gets close enough to him with a lick.

“He loves you so much; he wants to give you kisses,” said Transitions resident Carol Parascenzo as Jasper cuddled up to a resident sitting on a couch.

“You’re such a good boy!” she told the dog before calling him over to her.

Larry Bowman, a retired electrician from Washington, takes Jasper and Molly, a 10-year-old German shorthaired pointer mix, to the Washington personal care home at least once a week to visit the residents.

“I was visiting my mom and happened to bring Molly with me,” said Bowman “People loved it so much, I kept coming back.”

Though Bowman’s mother, Ellen, has since died, he has continued to visit for the past six years.

I enjoy this, and I’d like to get other people to do it,” he said.

According to a report by the International Federation on Aging that tested the effects of elderly people spending time with pets, the bond can lead to increased self-esteem, life satisfaction, positive moods and lower levels of loneliness.

Activities director Maria Guarascio said the benefits are evident on the residents’ faces.

“There are lots of smiles when they see the dogs,” she said.

Jasper and Molly led the way through the two-story structure on a June 7 visit. They greeted residents in a large dining room, then waited outside the elevator doors to be taken downstairs. Once there, they entered the rooms of residents who have a particular fondness for them, their nails clicking on the hard floor as they crisscrossed the hall.

After a quick stop at a nurses’ station, where they sometimes get a treat, Jasper and Molly entertained a group that was gathered in a sitting room.

Parascenzo, a widow whose children live elsewhere, said she looks forward to their visits.

“I love it,” she said.

Before heading home, the dogs interrupted a bowling match and a game of cards, much to the delight of the participants.

Ethel “Tiny” Davis said she’s always been a dog lover.

“I love everything about them,” she said. “Even when they bark.”

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