Nursing home fosters sibling puppies

Puppies have invaded the Kirtland Rehabilitation and Care Center.

The Kirtland facility has been fostering two sibling puppies until they can find their forever homes in three to four weeks.

Jenny Calkins, the activity director for the facility, came acrosssomeinformationfrom theAnimalProtectionLeague asking for help finding fosteringhomesforanimals.Thatis when the light bulb went off for her, and she knew a great place that could help.

Immediately, Calkins thought of how this could be asignificantbenefittotheresidents at Kirtland.

“I think it has bought a ton of joy to them,” she said. “We have people lined up in the morning to see the puppies; it’s so nice to see.”

Victoria Plotner, executive director of the facility, spoke to the rise in morale among theresidentssincethepuppies have come around.

“The residents don’t get to see a lot of new faces, or pets for that matter, so bringing in the fosters and knowing that we get to keep them, even just if it was one day, it made such a big impact on the residents and staff,” she said

Calkins and Plotner stated their main goal was to continue the program as long as they can for their residents.

“Depression rates can be very high when you are in long-term care, so anything we can do to perk them up and make them feel like every day can be different, is what we strive to do,” Plotner said.

The facility’s latest Facebook post about the pups has over400likesand500shares. Calkins and Plotner hope this can start a new trend and encourage other facilities to use therapy dogs.

SUBMITTED Nursing staff pictured cuddling up with a one of the two fostered puppies.