During the pandemic, many people have been lonely and sometimes even isolated from the company of others. This has been especially true for those people living in nursing homes where visitors have largely been prohibited.
Fortunately for one nursing home in South Dakota, things aren’t all that lonely or dull because they have their own cute and energetic golden retriever puppy to bring some cheer into the facility.
This is one of the cutest stories we’ve seen so far this year.
Residents at the Good Samaritan Society have been graced with an adorable new staff member.
As Good Morning America reported, residents at the nursing home in Scotland, South Dakota been loving their frequent visits with Gracie, the nursing home’s social services manager dog.
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“We’ve seen a lot of changes since she’s come,” Pam Stewart, the facility’s social services manager and Gracie’s owner, told the outlet. “We’ve seen a lot of smiles, cuddles. It’s giving them a lot to talk about versus what they’ve seen in the world.”
Gracie arrived after a recent loss.
The nursing home had another dog named Hope who would visit the residents, but she unfortunately passed away in November.
Despite the sad loss, residents have been able to warm up to Gracie and appreciate the new pupper in their lives.
Gracie loves to socialize with the residents.
During her visits, Gracie spends time with around 30 residents both indoors and outdoors, all while under the supervision of a staff member.
The sweet pup does her very best to keep everyone’s spirits lifted as people wait to be allowed to safely reunite with their loved ones.
People are truly inspired by Gracie’s connection to the residents.
The Good Samaritan Society posted photos of Gracie spending time with residents on Facebook and the post proved to be an instant hit.
One Facebook user commented “What a wonderful idea!” with many others echoing the same sentiment and saying they want a puppy to visit their local nursing home, too.
Let us know what you think of this story in the comments and if you feel like this having a puppy visitor is a helpful idea for residents.
h/t: Good Morning America