Puppies visit autistic children in Guangzhou

Since 2006 when the "doctor puppy" project was initiated in Guangzhou, 85 dogs have passed the tests and become "doctor puppies," 40 - 50 of which are at their post, providing services for 32 nursing homes and children's medical centers.

China's "doctor puppies" entered a hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong province on Jan 10, and will visit sick children on a regular basis to keep them company.

Puppies bring comfort and warmth, especially for children with special needs, such as autistic children and those with language disorders.

Five puppies entered Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center with the help of Animals Asia Foundation (AAF). Under the volunteers' guidance, children were able to feed and walk the cute puppies. The lovely way the puppies ate or walked made the children laugh a great deal.

The 40 children, some of which have disabilities, were carefully selected through previous sign-ups. All of them were above five years old, and were not allergic to dog hair.

Since 2006 when the "doctor puppy" project was initiated in Guangzhou, 85 dogs have passed the tests and become "doctor puppies," 40 - 50 of which are at their post, providing services for 32 nursing homes and children's medical centers. This is the first time these "doctor puppies" provided services for hospital.