For many people, looking into the big, cheerful eyes of a loving pet can melt away anger, anxiety and sadness.
And that’s just the reason Slack and Wallace Funeral Home has recently employed Lola, 4-month-old golden doodle.

Lola is in training to become a therapy dog, which will be available to families on a by-request basis to help mourners through the grieving process.

Everyone grieves differently and, sometimes, receiving condolences from others can bring on more anxiety from mourners who don’t know how to cope with their loss.

While dogs aren’t the only animal that have been trained for therapy purposes, man’s best friend is called such because of his unconditional love for his human companions. This makes canines the perfect animals for therapy training.

Therapy animals have been shown to effect people in both physical and mental ways by decreasing blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels, feelings of depression and loneliness, stress and anxiety, while increasing hormones associated with health and a feeling of well-being, mental stimulation, self-esteem and helps mourners to accept social and emotional support.

Losing a loved one is never easy and funeral homes have the difficult task of making the final arrangements process as easy and stress-free as possible for grieving families. Kudos to Slack and Wallace for going the extra mile to help families cope in their time of need.