Pet Therapy
What is pet therapy?
Pet therapy is a broad term that includes animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities. Animal-assisted therapy is a growing field that uses dogs or other animals to help people recover from or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer and mental health disorders. Animal-assisted activities, on the other hand, have a more general purpose, such as providing comfort and enjoyment for patients.
How does animal-assisted therapy work?
Imagine you're at home. Your nurse mentions the animal-assisted therapy program and asks if you'd be interested. You say yes, and your nurse arranges for someone to tell you more about the program. Soon after that, an assistance dog and its handler visit your home. They stay for 10 or 15 minutes. You're invited to pet the dog and ask the handler questions. After the visit, you realize you're smiling. And you feel a little less tired and a bit more optimistic. You can't wait to tell your family all about that charming canine. In fact, you're already looking forward to the dog's next visit.