Residents welcome new dog at rehab center in Stockton
As a physical therapist at Stockton Healthcare and Rehab, Jessica Westenhauer sees the changes in her patients as they interact with her therapy dog named Dallas.
Dallas has been coming to work with Westenhauer for the past few weeks. Dallas will roam the halls, greeting the residents along the way. It is seeing the smiles on the faces of these residents that brings a smile to the face of Lori Steele, administrator.
“He seems to like my office,” Steele said. “And, I don’t even have to feed him treats.”
As the physical therapist at this rehab center, Westenhauer said the added canine therapy has made a difference during therapy sessions. Just reaching to pet Dallas helps with trunk control in the patients.
“I have some patients that do not like to exercise and sometimes they fight me,” Westenhauer said. “But, when Dallas is around, these same patients will reach out to him, using their arms to exercise, and they don’t even realize it — he really helps with these sessions.”


The state government is waiting on the findings of an inquiry by former director-general of the NSW Premier's Department Brendan O'Reilly into the leak of a toxic chemical from an Orica plant in Stockton on August 8, due tomorrow.