Voluntary interactive sessions relieve stress, offer emotional comfort

Biubiu would probably still be a skeletal stray dog with a tangled coat were it not for the help she received from Jin Pei, a retired book editor in Shanghai.

Jin encountered Biubiu, a mixed breed with the appearance of a small schnauzer, on a wintry night in 2015 when the dog dashed out from an alleyway as Jin was walking her own canine.

"She walked fast when we walked fast, and slowed down when we did. She followed us for a long way, and I sensed she was eager to find herself a home," Jin said.

Since that night, the pair have become close companions, and in December, Biubiu became a therapy dog, visiting care homes for the elderly and rehabilitation facilities for autistic children to aid their recovery.

"I used to be extremely shy, but running into Biubiu that night really lifted my spirits. That's why I decided to send her to be trained as a therapy dog, so that she could help more people," Jin said.

Wu Qi, founder of Paw for Heal, a volunteer program established in 2012 that uses therapy dogs, said there are about 300 such animals in China. Some 95 percent of them live with their owners and are put to work when their services are requested.

Each dog must undergo a thorough training program and international-standard tests before becoming a certified therapy dog. Wu, 38, said that the animals have provided help for at least 100 institutions.

Therapy dogs have been introduced in more than 10 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Xiamen, Fujian province. By the end of this year, they are expected to start work in another 10 cities, and their total number is expected to rise to 1,000, Wu said.

"By providing such a service, we hope to raise awareness among more people that dogs are more than just companions for their owners at home. They can go out into society to play a certain role for individuals in need," Wu added.

In the middle of last month, Jin and Biubiu went to Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital to help patients. The hospital is the first medical institution in the city to introduce therapy dogs.

Four other dogs also provided assistance at the hospital — Momo, a white samoyed, Dobby, a gray-and-white border collie; Yoyo, a snow-white bichon frise with a mass of fluffy fur, and Yuda, a Chinese rural dog who used to be a stray.