Therapy Dogs Show Significant Loneliness Reduction in Hospitalized Older Adults

A 2024 randomized clinical trial involving hospitalized older adults found that brief visits from a therapy dog and its handler significantly lowered patients' feelings of loneliness, whereas visits from the handler alone did not produce the same effect.

Separate lifestyle coverage highlighted dog breeds that tend to get along well with cats, noting the Labrador Retriever’s friendly, adaptable nature and the Beagle’s energetic, sociable temperament as examples of breeds that often form calm, cooperative relationships with feline companions.