Therapy Dogs Aid Stroke Rehab

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, Senior Medical Editor, B. Pharm. Last updated on Aug 7, 2026.

FRIDAY, Aug. 7, 2026 — Pets make everything better — including stroke rehabilitation, a new study says.

Patients recovering from a recent stroke became more engaged in rehab sessions when a therapy animal was present, researchers report in the August edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

“The presence of a therapy dog can change the entire dynamic of a rehabilitation session,” said researcher Whitney Romine. She is the manager of animal-assisted services at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“Patients often share that they feel more grounded, safe and empowered to engage in therapy activities, which can make a meaningful difference in their recovery experience,” Romine added in a news release.

For the study, researchers recruited 50 recent stroke patients and randomly assigned half to undergo rehab that included visits from trained therapy dogs. The rest received standard rehab.

People in the service animal group were given pet-related tasks designed to help them recuperate.

For example, patients were asked to brush the dog’s coat to build fine motor skills. They were also asked to walk a therapy dog to help relearn proper gait and posture.

Patients in the therapy animals group showed higher recovery scores. They had greater participation in their rehab, higher levels of physical activity and remained mobile for longer periods.

“Stroke recovery can be challenging, particularly when patients face barriers such as low motivation or limited energy,” researcher Dr. Brent Bauer said in a news release. He is an internal medicine physician at Mayo Clinic.

“This research demonstrates that animal-assisted treatment may offer a practical and effective way to enhance engagement and support better rehabilitation outcomes,” Bauer said.

Sources

Mayo Clinic, news release, Aug. 3, 2026

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.