Full-time therapy dog joins Rainier III Centre

Sépia is 3 years old. © Communication department / Stéphane Danna

Therapy dogs bring many benefits to patients.

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The Rainier III Centre at the Princess Grace Hospital has welcomed a new member to its team: Sépia. She is a therapy dog, donated by Les Chiens Guides d’Aveugles de Provence Côte d’Azur Corse, the region’s Guide Dog charity, which spent eight months training her.

The young female labrador is now part of the geriatrics department and has a work schedule, just like any other member of staff. The sessions, prepared up front by the medical and nursing staff, can take place individually or in small groups. Sépia will be working with the elderly, but also on the psychiatric wards and in physical rehabilitation medicine.

As well as bringing comfort and affection to patients, her mission is to help them express their emotions more easily, open up conversation and reduce their stress. Sépia also has a beneficial effect on patients’ well-being, creating a welcoming and reassuring environment for them.