Therapy pets are often used in health care, social, educational, and recreational settings. In health care, therapy pets help facilitate physical and psychological sessions with patients of all ages, whether a psychological counseling session in which a patient feels more free to speak with an animal in the room, or a round of physical therapy in which the patient is encouraged to groom or walk a pet.
Therapy animals can also be used in hospices, nursing homes, hospitals, short-term care facilities, and even residential dwellings to facilitate therapeutic interaction. Therapy animals visit patients, who are encouraged to pet, interact, and play with them. These interactions often result in the improved physical health and mental well-being of the patient.
The Benefits of Pet Therapy
The benefits of pet therapy can work both ways. The people who provide pet therapy services often speak about how rewarding it is for them. Even better, pets and people of any age can volunteer in a therapeutic capacity. Some organizations even prefer to provide pet therapy to senior citizens using older petsfurther proof that age doesnt matter when love is involved.
How To Get Your Pet Certified
If a caregiver and animal would like to volunteer as a therapy pet team, there are several large groups that offer training and certification programs. However, no single national organization can certify your pet for all types of therapy.
Depending
on where a pet will visit, local certifications may be required in
place of, or in addition to, a national certification. Many hospitals or
other therapy locations will offer their own certification or training
classes or will have certain requirements for pet therapy teams to
complete prior to volunteering. Individuals should research the types of
certification, training, or other requirements needed to determine
where their pets would provide the best "fit."
What Assistance Animals Do
Assistance
animals guide dogs for the visually impaired, hearing dogs for the
hearing impaired, and service dogs for the disabled, to name a few are
specially trained to help humans who have physical or mental
disabilities. These animals can be trained to open a door, turn on
lights, and even alert the authorities to a medical emergency. They live
with their caregivers to offer round-the-clock assistance. Most of
these animals attend special classes and have to pass tests to be
classified as "assistance animals," and some are specially raised from
infancy with trainers or handlers.
Recommended reading/resources:
Service and Therapy Dogs
Delta Society
R.E.A.D.
TDI
The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One by Jack & Wendy Volhard
Therapy Pets: The Animal-Human Healing Partnership by Jacquline J. Crawford & Karen A. Pomerinke
Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog To Reach Others by Kathy Diamond Davis
Team Work: A Dog Training Manual for People with Disabilities by Stewart
Nordensson & Lydia Kelly (corresponding DVD available)
Team Work II: A Dog Training Manual for People with Disabilities by
Stewart Nordensson & Lydia Kelly (corresponding DVD available)