YES YES YES!!!!! We use our yorkies as therapy pets through a program called P.A.W.S. through our church. PAWS stands for Pets Are Working Saints. They had to be put through a "test" to see how they did with the elderly, handicapped people, around wheelchairs & crutches, etc. Of course ours passed with flying colors
But anyway, we take them once a month to a nursing home and let the elderly love on them and hold them. Sometimes if we are available, we take them to handicapped children's facilities and let the children love on them. It is so rewarding to see the faces on these people when we bring our little doggies to share. The elderly always share stories of the pets they had when they were younger and they express to us how much they love seeing our pets once a month.
Like I said, we do it through our church. PAWS does not have a website. You could check the listings of ministries at your local churches...I am sure there is at least one church in your area who has some sort of ministry like this, although it may not be called "PAWS." You would probably HAVE to be with some sort of group or program in order to take your dog to a nursing home or other facility bc I doubt they would want strange animals coming to visit. We have to provide verification of shots before they can go visit.
If you want more information, please let me know! I would love to share more about my experiences.