How dogs really do heal kids

HELENA BONHAM CARTER (left) has spoken about how her beloved dogs helped heal her family after her split from Hollywood director Tim Burton. She credits getting dogs with helping to remake the family unit for her two children. I agree that dogs are brilliant. They distract, love unconditionally and provide new structure — just what a child needs when faced with the psychological turmoil of a divorce. Dogs are also just fun to be around. In fact, I saw the impact a dog can have on a child’s life when I was a junior doctor. Christian was nine, had cerebral palsy and had had several painful operations to help his walking. But he fell while at school and, for months since, had been confined to his wheelchair. The surgeons were baffled and were considering another op. But before this could happen, his mother reported that her son had suddenly started walking again. ‘Our neighbours got a new dog and it keeps getting into our garden. One minute Christian was sitting down — the next he was outside playing with it.’ The consultant smiled: ‘Well, it looks like that dog has done what none of us could do.’