But it is the sight of the therapy animal arriving that gets the most attention. Once a month the door at the end of the hall swings open and in walks Pisco the llama.

"It is different to see the llama in the hospice," says Jennifer Dunlap, complimentary therapies manager for the hospice. But because it is so different and because Pisco is so gentle, the residents are drawn to him.

"Patients that are around Pisco aren't thinking about the fact they have a terminal illness," says Dunlap. "They are absolutely present. They are looking into the big beautiful eyes of the llama and they're not thinking about the pain. They're not thinking about the worry and they're not thinking about the fear."

Pisco was raised from baby by Carol Lontine of Kersey. She started using Pisco as a therapy llama when he was two, some eleven years ago. Over the years she has seen the impact Pisco has on the patients.

"Oh, they love it," says Lontine. "They are so happy and that is one of the reasons I love bringing my llama to a place like this is because I know he's going to make people happy."

Pisco is fairly happy too because the patients love to feed him carrots.

"And I tell them, if you give him carrots, he's going to love you forever," says Lontine.

Even the simple aspect of seeing a llama can put a smile on patients.

"I mean what a funny thing to see Pisco walking down the hall with his big ears and those hips kind of going back and forth," says Dunlap.

Pisco provides patients at the hospice a much needed medicine: a smile.

"It almost brings happy tears to me," says Lontine. "Because it's great and I know I'm doing something good and I want to continue doing this as long as I can."