Brussels hospital builds €1 million villa for patients with pets

The UZ Brussels, the university hospital of the Free University (VUB), has plans to open a villa costing one million euros in 2016 where long-stay patients can meet their pets as part of psychiatric or palliative treatment.

The plan, named Villa Samson after the puppet dog in the long-running children's TV series Samson & Gert, in entirely financed by private donations and business sponsorship. One of the major benefactors is Danny Verbiest, for years the voice of Samson, who takes on the costs of the architect.

Research has shown convincingly the beneficial effect of pets on patients in treatment, even when the animal is not the patient's own. Domestic animals have been used in nursing homes and even prisons. “Research has shown that people become calmer as they stroke a dog or cat,” said animal behaviour expert Danny Grosemans. “The blood pressure goes down, and the heart beats more slowly. They also recover more quickly, because they are moving more.”

The villa will be situated on the campus of the hospital in Jette in Brussels, separate from the main medical centre.