Robot dog lends a helping paw

Bournemouth : Among Ron Grantham’s happiest memories are the days he spent fly-fishing with his beloved dog, Spot. Now those memories are being revived by visits from his new best friend, Biscuit - a robotic dog.

Grantham is 99 years old and lives in Templeman House, a British care home, which brought in Biscuit. Staff there say dogs - even robotic dogs - can help to elicit memories from residents and spark conversations with care providers.

“I found out today that Ron used to go fly fishing when he finished work and take the dog across the fields with him while he fished,” said Deanna Barnes, home manager at care home, told Reuters. “We didn’t know that before. So obviously the dog brings out memories that they can reflect on and tell us.”