BenefitsofAnimalAssistedTherapy

Thereisnopsychiatristintheworldlikeapuppylickingyourface."~BenWilliams.I
thinkmosteveryoneinherewouldagreewithhimonthat,IknowIlovepuppies!Theycanbe
usedforalotmorethanjustapet,though.Animalassistedtherapyisbecomingmoreandmore
popular,anddogsaretheanimalsmostcommonlyused.Horsesarealsocommonlyused,and
cats,rabbits,birds,andevendolphinsarealsousedinsomecases.Youmaybethinkingabout
servicedogsrightnow,likeseeingeyedogsandanimalslikethat.Buttherapyanimalsareabit
differentthanthose.Servicedogsneedtohavemorespecificcharacteristicsthantherapydogs,
butthatsnotwhatthisspeechisabout,soIllskipthat.Animalassistedtherapyisaformof
therapywhereatherapisthasaanimal,adog,cat,orrabbit,intheroomwiththemandtheir
patient.Sometimes,thetherapysessionisheldsomewherebesidesinaroom,andabird,
horse,ordolphinwillbeused.Thetherapistallowsthatpatienttointeractwiththeanimalby
petting,brushing,feeding,orplayingwithit.Thishasmanybenefitsforpatients.Asanimal
assistedtherapyisbecomingmoreandmoreused,wearelearningmoreandmoreaboutwhat
itdoesforpeople.Animalassistedtherapyhasmanybenefitsforhelpingpeoplewithspecial
needs,mentalillnesses,andphysicalrehabilitation.
Childrenwithspecialneedsoftenusemusicorarttherapytoengageininteractive
learning,butanimaltherapyisalsosometimesused,butisnotheardaboutasoften.Anditis
notnecessarilyonlyusedforchildren,adultswithspecialneedsalsobenefit.Animalassisted
therapycanhelpmanytypesofspecialneeds,forexample,forindividualswithcerebralpalsy,
whentheyhavetroublewithmotorskillsandmusclecoordination,petting,brushing,andfeeding
ananimalhelpsrefinethoseskills.Itcantcurecerebralpalsy,nothingcan,butworkingon
motorskillscandefinitelyimprovetheirsituation.Theyalsohavefunwithananimal,sothey
havemotivationtowanttogototherapyandtowanttoparticipate.Childrenwithautismalso
thrivewhileengaginginanimaltherapybecauseitcalmsthemdownandmakesthemmore
willingtotalk.Peoplewithspecialneedsingeneralaremorewillingtotalkaroundananimal
becauseanimalsarenonjudgemental.Italsogivesthemasenseofresponsibility,whichwill
helptheminthelongrunintherealworld.Theyneedtobrush,feed,andplaywiththeanimal
regularly.Theyalsoimprovetheirbehaviorskills,becausetheylearnhowtoactaroundpeople,
theirtherapist,andanimals,theirtherapydog,cat,horse,orrabbit.Animalassistedtherapyis
extremelybeneficialforallindividualswithspecialneeds.
Alongwithbenefitingpeoplewithspecialneeds,animalassistedtherapycanalsohelp
treatmentalillnesses.TheyarecommonlyusedwiththerapiststohelpPTSD,depression,
dementia,andchildrenwhohaveexperiencedtrauma.PTSD,orposttraumaticstressdisorder,
oftenoccursinsoldierswhohavecomebackfromwar,andwho,toputitsimply,havetrouble
gettingusedtolivingsafelyintheUnitedStates.PatientswithPTSDbenefitfromhavinga
therapydogbecausethedogsneedtobetakencareofdistractsthepersonfromthemselves
andturnstheirattentiontothedog.Alongwithadog,ahorsealsohelpsbecausetherider
needstobecalmsothatthehorseisalsocalmenoughtoridesmoothly.Anyonewhohas
riddenahorsecansaythatitisgenerallycalmingtogohorsebackriding,whichdefinitelyhelps
patientswithPTSD.Animalsarealsononjudgemental.Theydontcareifaveteranhasa
handicap,theylovethemunconditionally.InadditiontosoldierswithPTSD,animalassisted
therapycanbenefitchildrenwhohaveexperiencedtrauma,forexampleamajorcaraccidentor

thedeathofaparentorsibling.Theyarecalmedbyadog,cat,rabbit,orhorse.Childrendont
generallyenjoygoingtotherapy,butwhentheyknowtheirtherapyanimalwillbethere,theyare
moreenthusiasticaboutit.Anotherexampleofamentalillnessanimalassistedtherapycan
helptreatisdepression.Pettingadogreleasesendorphins(achemicalreleasedinthebrain
thatreducesstressandpain).Patientsarealsomorecomfortabletalkingtotheirtherapistabout
theirsituationwhentheyhaveananimaltoholdorpet.Dogsarelovingandhappy,sopatients
withdepressionautomaticallyfeelhappierwhentheyhaveadogwiththem.Dogsarealways
happytoseethepatients,andtheirenthusiasmisoftencontagious.Finally,elderlyindividuals
withdementiainnursinghomeshavebecomebetterathavingconversations,payingattention,
andstayingontopic.Elderlywhoownadogalsohavealowerbloodpressureandcholesterol.
Animalassistedtherapycanbenefitmanydifferentpeoplewithmanydifferentmentalillnesses.
Perhapstheformofanimalassistedtherapymostwidelyusedisforphysical
rehabilitation.Forexample,ifachildhasbrokenanarm,wrist,orshoulder,petting,brushing,
andfeedingdogscanstrengthentheirweakenedmuscles.Ifsomeonehasbeenoutofasport
forawhile,runningwithadoggivestherunnermoremotivationtogetbackinshape.Walkinga
doghelps,too,tohelpstrengthenweakenedlegmuscles.Adogwillalwaysrunorwalkwith
someoneenthusiastically.Usinghorsesfortherapyisthemostbeneficialforphysical
rehabilitation.Itstrengthensmuscles,whileridingorsaddlingthehorse.Brushing,saddling,and
tryingtogetthehorsetowalkwithyoustrengthensweakenedmuscles.Italsorefinesmotor
skills,whengettingonandoff,tryingtostayon,brushing,saddling,andfeedingthehorse.
Usinganimalsforphysicalrehabilitationisfunandverybeneficial.
Clearlyanimalassistedtherapyisaverybeneficialformoftherapyformanydifferent
typesofpeople.Peoplewithspecialneeds,amentalillness,orwhoneedphysicalrehabilitation
canallbenefitfromit.Animalassistedtherapyisalsothemostenjoyableformoftherapy.There
reallyisnotherapistlikeapuppylickingyourface.

InformationCitations:

Oakley,Dawn,andGailBardin."PotentialBenefitsofAnimalAssistedTherapy."
PotentialBenefits
ofAnimalAssistedTherapy
.N.p.,n.d.Web.05May2016.
<
http://www.kidneeds.com/diagnostic_categories/articles/animalassistedtherapy.htm
>.
CentralIdea:
Animalassistedtherapycanhelppeoplewithspecialneedsbyimprovingtheirsocial
behaviorandphysicalhealth.

Weil,Andrew."AnimalAssistedTherapy."
Dr.Weil'sWellnessTherapies
.WeilLifestyle,n.d.Web.
05May2016.<
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03171/AnimalAssistedTherapy.html
>.
CentralIdea:
Animalassistedtherapyisaformoftherapywhereatherapistusesadog,cat,horse,
ordolphintohelptreatpatients,anditisverybeneficialtomanytypesofpeople.

Malai,Rena."AnimalsIncreasinglyUsedinTherapy."
AnimalsIncreasinglyUsedinTherapy
.
NationalAssociationofSocialWorkers,Oct.2014.Web.05May2016.
<
http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/news/2014/10/animalassistedtherapy.asp
>.

CentralIdea:
Animalassistedtherapyisgettingmoreandmorepopularandtheanimalsmost
commonlyusedarehorsesanddogs.

Dogtime."TherapyPetsAndHumansWithMentalHealthIssues."
Dogtime
.TotallyHerMedia,LLC,
n.d.Web.5May2016.
<
http://dogtime.com/doghealth/general/20839pettherapyandhumanmentalhealthissues
>.
CentralIdea:
Animalassistedtherapyisbeneficialforindividualswithmentalillnesses,dementia,
andsubstanceabuse.

"AutisticSpectrumDisorders."
AnimalAssistedTherapyinDenver,CO
.AnimalAssistedTherapy
ProgramsofColorado,n.d.Web.05May2016.
<
http://www.animalassistedtherapyprograms.org/autistic_spectrum_disorders.html
>.
CentralIdea:
Animalassistedtherapybenefitspeoplewithautismbyimprovingtheirsocialskills,
motorskills,andcaretakingskills.

"AnimalTherapyIsMakingStridesintheTreatmentofPostTraumaticStressDisorder."
Addiction
TreatmentElementsDrugRehabTreatmentCenters
.DrugRehabTreatmentCenters,24June
2011.Web.05May2016.
<
https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/traumaptsd/animaltherapyptsdtreatment/
>.
CentralIdea:
AnimalassistedtherapybenefitssoldierswithPTSDbecauseadogtakesuptheir
attention,horseridesarecalming,andanimalsarenonjudgemental.

Pictures/VideoCitations:

Lynch,Fred.HorseAssistedTherapy.Digitalimage.
SoutheastMissourian
.SoutheastMissourian,4
Mar.2012.Web.<
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1821912.html
>.
Therapy,DolphinHuman.DolphinAssistedTherapy.Digitalimage.
CollegeAAT
.Wordpress,n.d.
Web.<
http://collegeaat.web.unc.edu/background/animalassistedtherapy/
>.
RabbitAssistedTherapy.Digitalimage.
HakuBaldwinCenter
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
<
http://hakubaldwincenter.org/programs/animalassistedtherapyandactivities/
>.
VanGogh,SouthBurlington,VT
.Digitalimage.
ICAT
.Wordpress,n.d.Web.
<
https://therapycatsorg.wordpress.com/
>.
BirdTherapyinaNursingHome.Digitalimage.
CareRocks
.Sigma,n.d.Web.
<
http://www.carerocks.co.uk/pettherapy/
>.
ShepherdCenter."PetTherapyatShepherdCenter."
YouTube
.YouTube,21Apr.2008.Web.09
May2016.<
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTp2tDvh2w
>.