Pet Therapy at Bridgehaven

For many years, Bridgehaven has offered a pet therapy program at Opportunity House. Animals will snuggle up to you when you're lonely, offer unconditional love and companionship and provide a distraction from your worries. While the cats actually live at Bridgehaven, the dogs live with the Program Manager, and have been brought in to work every day. We currently have one dog and one cat.

Tyler, our original pet therapist, came to Bridgehaven in 1990. We believe her to have been the first pet therapist in a community mental health center in Louisville and surrounding areas. Tyler touched many lives in her 16 years of service and was beloved by all who knew her.

Caesar and Cleocatra were found by one of our members when they were kittens, and brought to Opportunity House. For many years, Bridgehaven has been the only home they have known, and our staff and members are their family. In early 2010 we lost Caesar after a brief illness.

Aidan Rose is a Wheaton Terrier, donated by Heartland Classics in Nebraska in 2006. She quickly won the hearts of many here at Bridgehaven.

In addition to decreasing heart rate and blood pressure, animals can help teach empathy, promote nurturing skills, help people to feel accepted, build feelings of trust and bonding and help people begin to socialize. Pets offer unconditional love in a way that even many people cannot.

At Bridgehaven, our members interact with the animals, but they also help share the responsibility of taking care of the animals. Providing fresh food and water, making sure that Aidan gets plenty of walks and that the litter box is clean is all part of the daily pet therapy unit.