TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Oba, Taiwan's first hospital therapy dog, retired at the age of 10 from Taipei Veterans General Hospital, where he had worked for more than six years.

The hospital held a retirement celebration for Oba on Tuesday, attended by Hospital Director Chen Wei-ming (陳威明) and around 50 family members of patients the dog had served. Chen presented Oba with a badge and made him an honorary staff member for life, per CNA.

Oba has been adopted by a nurse named Liu, who was his primary caregiver at the hospital. A 3-year-old female Labrador named Olga is taking over his role.

Chen noted that training therapy dogs is not easy. Oba transitioned from a guide dog to a therapy dog and spent most of his time in the hospital’s palliative care unit offering companionship to patients. He never showed disruptive behavior within the hospital.

According to Taiwan Dr. Dog, dogs must pass a strict selection procedure before becoming therapy dogs, including completing socialization courses, tests, and a four-hour internship.

The association said that therapy dogs primarily provide companionship and assist in rehabilitation therapy. As part of coordinated treatment plans, activities such as playing fetch, brushing, petting, and walking the dogs are used to help patients with movement. 

Other medical institutions in Taiwan have also introduced therapy dogs, including Changhua Christian Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital Luodong, and Taoyuan Psychiatric Center. The Taiwan Guide Dog Association added that it will continue to train dogs that do not qualify as guide dogs to be therapy dogs instead.

Therapy dogs are allowed in all areas of the hospital except for intensive care units, sterile rooms, and operating rooms.