Olympics ā¦Ā Simone BilesĀ may have brought home a lot of gold, but there is another important member of the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team ā one with four legs
"Beacon," a four-year-old golden retriever, acts as theĀ therapy dogĀ for the entire team, offering nuzzles, licks, and cuddling whenever needed. During the lead-up to the Games, the teamās āGoodest Boyā was always on-call, sometimes even putting in 15-hour days to see all his "patients."
Owner Tracey Callahan Molnar, a former gymnast herself, says "Petting a dog, or even watching someone pet a dog, can lower blood pressure and anxiety, help increase the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine and lower cortisol levels.ā
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