A 21-year-old college student sneaked a dog into a hospital when she
visited her ailing grandmother — and now the viral tweet is bringing
about renewed calls for more visits from animal companions.
Shelby Hennick of California tweeted photos from her successful plot
Sunday to sneak in her grandmother’s mini mutt, and the heartwarming
tale quickly went viral with over 100,000 retweets.
“My grandma is in the hospital right now and wanted to see her dog,”
Hennick tweeted. “So I made it look like I was carrying a baby and we
made it.”
Many of the replies to the tweet were supportive of the subterfuge, some wishing dogs were always allowed in hospitals.
“i really wish i could have done that with my grandma before she died,”
said Twitter user, @Vable_ . “She loved her dog so much and we tried to
sneak him in but couldn’t.”
“I've spent months in hospital,” added @PaulSmith7. “My dog came to see
me when I could go outside in a wheelchair. Was happier to see him than
60% of my visitors.”
Dogs aren’t typically allowed in hospitals for concerns over germs, but
the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America reported in 2015
that the exact level of danger animals pose is unclear, citing that with
specific guidelines, hospitals could become pet inclusive environments.
Pets have been found to be beneficial to patients; therapy dogs are a
common form of relief from anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
When hospitals do allow furry visitors, there are usually hurdles. For example, Texas Children’s Hospital began allowing family pet visits
in 2009, but the pets must be fully immunized, have had a bath right
before the visit, and must be well behaved, as verified by an outside
organization.
If anyone at Grandma Hennick’s unnamed hospital suspected, he or she let Hennick and the pooch off the hook.
“I’m pretty sure one of the nurses had her suspicion,” Hennick told Metro UK, “but she walked away! Thank god!’”
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