Therapy Dogs...Man's Best Healer

Dogs have always seemed to me to be some of the most amazing animals on the planet. And, it seems that almost everyone in the medical community is now seeing the same thing.

Companion dogs today are not just pets to many humans. There are a source of comfort and survival. Animal assisted therapy is a growing field of interest and study. The most common animal-assisted therapy programs are in psychotherapy and physical rehabilitation. They visit the sick, elderly, and mentally ill patients at local hospitals and rehab centers because dogs are capable of reaching people that no one else can.

When animals were first introduced to these facilities, they were generally brought for visits to family and friends and not part of a treatment program. Doctors and nurses noticed the positive effects that the animals had on patients that came in contact with them. Because of this observation, dogs started being brought in purposefully to help in the recovery and treatment of patients.

Today, the concept of companion animals in health care facilities has evolved into animal-assisted therapy programs in which trained animals help patients achieve or make documentable progress toward therapeutic goals. The growth prompted the Delta Society to write voluntary standards that pertain to animal-assisted therapy and help to train and certify dogs to qualify for these stressful situations. Not all dogs are capable of being trained to be a therapy dog in a facility situation. But most dogs, after going through the proper training classes, are able to be of service to many physically and mentally ill patients in varying capacities.

Of course, dogs can do far more than just help people in hospitals. They are helping people in their homes and in their everyday lives. I have clients that have dogs for anxiety disorders, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, phobias, and even obsessive compulsive disorders. These animals qualify to be taken anywhere the person goes under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dogs do not need any special training, vest, certificate or even a membership card to be taken into stores or restaurants where dogs are not normally allowed. Just say the dog is a service dog and that is all that is needed. See the ADA website for more information. ADA

If you are suffering from any debilitating condition, just ask your doctor if a dog might be of some help to you. It just might be what the doctor ordered.

Jeff Tinsley
Sound Animals
soundanimals.com
jtinsley@soundanimals.com