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Community Corner

Pet Therapy: The Healing Power of Animals

Therapy animals visit hospitals and other facilities to bring some happiness to people who need it.

It’s no secret that deciding to share your life with an animal companion has many benefits such as sharing a strong bond with one another, constant laughter, sloppy kisses and great memories that last forever.

However, having a pet can also yield numerous health benefits for humans as well. Studies have shown that being around animals can lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety and can even boost immunity and overall wellness. 

This ability to enrich human health makes most animals natural experts in the field of pet therapy, or animal-assisted therapy programs. They operate as an alternative method for bringing comfort and healing to individuals in a wide variety of facilities such as hospitals, mental health centers, convalescent homes or centers for abused children.

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This kind of therapy has experienced an upsurge in popularity in recent decades, as health care organizations have found that patients respond enthusiastically to the presence of an animal companion.

Typically, a humane educator will bring a certified therapy animal for patients to pet and interact with several times a month. This routine creates familiarity and often gives patients a positive experience to look forward to. Additionally, this kind of interaction can rouse endearing memories of the patient’s past pets. Or perhaps the therapy animal’s endearing antics encourage a sense of carelessness and peace in the patient’s mind.

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Either way, inspiring results—such as a delighted smile or significantly improved morale—are instantaneous. 

Therapy animals thoroughly enrich the lives of those who need it most, and they are very good at what they do. A wide variety of animals—such as dogs, cats, rabbits, lizards, hamsters or guinea pigs—have the potential to become therapy animals. To do this, they need to undergo a series of tests to gauge the nature of their temperament and disposition. These tests measure an animal’s response to things like walking through a crowd, being approached by a stranger, walking on a loose leash, encountering other animals and their ability to obey basic commands.

Most programs require pet therapy animals to have some sort of certification validating their good temperament and manners. Once they obtain their certificate for successfully passing the course, they are well positioned to move on to the next phase of becoming a certified therapy animal.

Pet therapy programs have a visibly positive impact on the vitality of needy individuals, and as such are an essential resource to the community.  Many local animal shelters offer pet therapy programs that are open to public participation and volunteers.

If you are interested in getting involved or perhaps believe your pet is a perfect candidate for the life-changing role of a therapy animal, contact your local animal shelter for more information.

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