Newfoundland dog in hospital - whatever next?

[Globules]

Not that I know my breeds, but Newfoundland was the closest I could find in Google. Whatever it was, it was large and very furry and should not be in a hospital.

You can see it's not being used as a service dog by the way it's being led.

This "my dog has to go everywhere" stupid craze has to end now.

AIBU?

Oh FFS, it’s a therapy dog, They don’t visit the Mumsnet dog hater brigade, but they visit the people who will really benefit from their presence. What IS the problem with that? It’d really help me if I was in hospital if one came to see me, as I would be missing my own dogs.

You don’t get to choose for the rest of us because of your ridiculous phobia or massive sense of entitlement that the world should be run around your preferences. Even if you were in hospital this wouldn’t hurt you, it wouldn’t come to visit.

There’s a particular place of utter joylessness for those who hate dogs.

PS I know of a hospital facilitating someone in ITU seeing their horse for the last time before they passed away, I think that’s touching, you’d no doubt by apoplectic.

Also to add, the pic is of an obviously trained New Foundland. The hospital now will have rules what can come in and also to where.

They don’t go anywhere, outside life with all those dreadful things they may need to avoid is too much for them.

I just hope the woman on here who is going back to TWC in Hitchin tomorrow (aspirational brand) to complain about some dog, who was with it's owner, which had a wee on her bag and it is down to TWC to sort out, sees this post.
If the hospital is local to her she can call in, or perhaps make a detour, to the hospital to show them her wee stained bag in the hope the hospital immediately bans all therapy dogs.
Some people just drain the joy out of life.

Don't want this to get lost as it made me laugh out loud! 😂

I used to work in a small community hospital in quite a rural area, we had lots of elderly patients from farming backgrounds.

The visit from the PAT Newfoundland dog was one of the highlights of the week. The majority of the patients either had or used to have dogs of their own and it was wonderful to see them light up as the dog came onto the ward.

He used to visit right after lunch. One of the lovely Domestic staff used to keep a box of little dog treats, and would hand them out with a cup of tea and a human biscuit just before the visit. That way, the owner knew who wanted to be approached.

I would highly recommend you look into dog training if your experience with dogs is them shitting in corridors and pissing up your walls.

@IAm16StoneHalloween2024 what a stupid post, it could easily be the next scenario along the alphabet where some entitled tosser has brought his dog in and doesn't care if it's in the rules or not.

Weird how all the dog obsessives call them "doggos." Nauseating.

You don't get to choose for the rest of us because of your apparent inability to do without the company of an animal or your massive sense of entitlement that the world should be run around your preferences.

There’s a particular place of utter joylessness for those who hate dogs.

There's a particular place of utter shittiness for people who call other people's phobias ridiculous.

Some people have no compassion. What if the dog was being taken for a last visit to a dying owner? Would you deny that person the chance to say goodbye to a beloved friend?

If a dog's in the hospital I think it's safe to assume it has permission to be there.

I really think some of y'all need to toughen up.

Or the owner has permission to bring the dog into the hospital to say goodbye to their owner who is dying? Seen that Happen a lot as a dr

Don't worry, if you don't like the massive dog or are allergic to him the nurses will just move you elsewhere.

Like the morgue.

Ok. I’m taking my cat with me next time I’m going to hospital and don’t care what anyone thinks🐈‍⬛

I shared a room with an elderly woman whose daughter brought her cats in to say goodbye to her. It was so lovely and heartbreaking.

We were allowed/ requested to bring my daughter’s dog into visit her several times when she was ill in hospital. Hospital staff asked us to and it’s not a service dog. We had to link them up in the hospital garden but she’d have to walk( or hop on my DD’s wheelchair) down corridors to get there. She brought so much joy to any staff or patients we came across.

In English law - yes you can work your assistance dog ‘naked’ You can walk into any public place with them on a collar and lead looking like a pet dog and in theory if challenged you say ‘he’s an assistance dog’ and you should because of the dogs behaviour be left alone.

In practice (I have an assistance dog) I never do this. Even when fully harnessed up with lead slip stated ‘ assistance dog’ jacket with ‘assistance dog’ on him, tags with ‘assistance dog’ and my own lanyard etc - I face daily access issues / refusals and hassle due to people’s ignorance of what these amazing dogs do and what the law is and how access is required.

To make my own life easier I use a lead slip and jacket to signify clearly to others that he is working and to hope they will leave us alone and not distract him .

I personally only take him into a shop / hospital if he in his unitorm as I can see that ‘naked’ people are going to question me and be confused and I don’t need the stress.

most hospitals have security on the door and I’ve regularly been challenged despite all his uniform and I calmly say he is an assistance dog and we get through eventually. It’s a horrible part of being disabled but I personally do all I can to make it obvious by always working him in his uniform to minimise the ‘you can’t bring that dog in here’ comments.

But the law is clear (see below) - the dog doesn’t have to be marked - it is the training and behaviour that demonstrates it is an assistance dog - not having a uniform or id etc…

www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/assistance-dogs-guide-businesses-and-service-providers

I'm sure she asked the dog.

Another miserable, ill-spirited dog-hating thread 🙄 Dogs are used as therapy animals. My DS was delighted by the one he saw (a Golden Retriever) and a relative on a dementia ward loved the dog visits, as did all the other older folk there.

I'd rather have a newfie on the ward than partners on the post-natal ward talking loudly on their phones and ordering extra-pungent curry deliveries whilst I am trying to sleep and rest after giving birth.

It is a ridiculous phobia. Dogs are part of everyday life. It’s like being scared of cars or children, there’s no way you can avoid them, so what you should do is seek help, not try to ban a species that detects cancer, finds bombs, provides therapy, or guides people who cannot see.

I have a phobia, it’s something that I can easily avoid, but I toughened up and did something about it. I will fly in a plane which I’m phobic about. I sought help. I didn’t try and ban planes from going across the sky. I didn’t complain about their presence on this planet.

The worst thing is I see this phobia being passed onto children and that’s sad for them.

By that reasoning, all phobias are ridiculous.

A phobia of dogs isn't that strange...dogs can kill people. Unusual and unlikely yes, but it's not unheard of.

I wouldn't say I had a phobia of dogs but I'm not entirely comfortable around them. I find them unpredictable and I have no idea what they'll do next or how I should respond to them.

Name change as outing. But I work in that hospital as I recognise the layout and the dog! She is definitely a therapy dog. Her presence has been fully vetted by the infection control team and there are some areas of the hospital that she is not allowed in. But she brings a lot of joy to our patients some of who are going through the worst time in their lives and are in hospital for months desperately missing their own pets.

So please don't try to make an issue when there is not an issue!

@Martha70 are your cats trained PAT animals? Because that is the difference here. Our hospital allows own pets in for end of life patients, but beyond that only registered therapy animals. Dogs (and ponies) who perform therapy are highly trained, and insured. They have to have perfect recall, never jump up unless ordered to etc. If your cats do that you may want to think about them getting licensed.

FFS, just use common sense OP!
That is a very expensive dog to get and keep.
Most likely a therapy dog.
You will find owners of very large dogs don't tend to bring them with them to every shop, coffee shop or department store. For very obvious reasons.
100% this was not some wanker taking their pet dog for a wander to keep company. It would 99% be a working dog. Or visiting a dying owner.
And for further reassurance OP, it was not a dog used for detecting explosives.