Should Funeral Directors Consider Having Therapy Dogs Around?

When you go to plan a funeral at a funeral home, a funeral director will usually do whatever is necessary to help you get a hold on your emotions. Most funeral directors are able to provide clients with grief counseling and allow people to begin the mourning process during the planning stages of a funeral. However, there are some funeral homes that are taking things to the next level while catering to clients; they’re also bringing in therapy dogs to tend to grieving families.

The Use of Therapy Dogs at Funeral Homes

While the National Funeral Directors Association isn’t keeping tabs on just how many funeral homes are taking this approach to grief counseling, about 50 percent of people who participated in a recent survey said they’d love to be comforted by a therapy dog while planning a funeral. That will likely lead to an increase in the number of therapy dogs brought into funeral homes around the country.

So why are therapy dogs proving to be so effective when it comes to providing families with relief at funeral homes? For starters, they are very attentive to the needs of those in grief and will often come right up to them when they sense that they’re upset. Studies have also shown that people’s blood pressure and stress levels go down when they’re in the presence of a therapy dog, which allows them to play a more active role in funeral planning. And if nothing else, therapy dogs serve as a welcomed distraction for many people who are trying to process the loss of a loved one.

At Johnstown Hearse Rental, we’re glad to see so many funeral homes adopting the practice of using therapy dogs. We’re also glad to see so many using the funeral supplies we provide for the families who visit funeral homes. If you’d like to order supplies or take advantage of our hearse and limo rentals, call us at 800-452-2249 today.