Physical therapy and rehabilitation can be mentally and emotionally draining, and sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated. Finding the will to do the same mundane exercises in a hospital isn’t easy.

Thankfully, Sentara Obici Hospital is offering a new way to make the stress of rehabilitation just a little bit easier. Bobby, a 3-year-old black lab, is now ready to help patients through their physical therapy appointments.

Bobby is a facility dog trained through Hero Dogs Inc. and handled by his owner, Amber McKee, a physical therapist at the hospital. Hero Dogs is a Maryland-based nonprofit that improves the quality of life for veterans by raising, training and placing service dogs and other skilled canines free of charge.

Bobby isn’t a registered therapy or service animal, but he does go through some intense training with his owner to make sure he can handle the various noises and smells that are in a hospital.

While Bobby isn’t a service or a therapy dog, he still has a lot of skills to offer the patients at Obici Hospital.

Instead of doing their regular therapy, patients essentially play with the dog in ways that enhance their rehabilitation program. Sometimes it’s just reaching a few extra inches to be able to pet him or give him a treat.

Having a little motivation to get physical therapy done is made easier when its paired with a dog that is wagging their tail in support of you.

It seems that Bobby already has admirers at the hospital even though he has only been there for a short time, and hopefully that love continues. In just two months, the dog has already seen more than 30 different patients. His appointments have ranged from low-level impairments to high-level impairments.

These kinds of services are not technically necessary, but it’s wonderful to know that Obici Hospital cares about the experience their patients are having as well as excellent treatment.