Lulu

Lulu is our office’s dental therapy dog. Lulu is a 3 year old 4lbs Yorkshire Terrier. Lulu’s job is to make people comfortable reducing their anxiety and stress. According to the ADA Center for Professional Success, a National Institutes for Health study has found that being in the presence of a companion animal is associated with improvements in mental, social and physiologic health status.

Because of their ability to reduce anxiety and stress, along with comforting people, therapy dogs are used in various health care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and dental practices. According to the American Kennel Club, significant advances in the field of animal assisted therapy and the use of therapy dogs have been made since the 1980s. Organized therapy dog groups provide educational material to volunteers, they screen both volunteers and dogs, and they provide liability insurance for when the dog and handler are volunteering in a therapy setting.