Animal Assisted Therapy Part I: Introduction to Pet Therapy
The enjoyment of animals as companions dates back many centuries, perhaps even to prehistoric times. The first known therapeutic use of animals started in Gheel, Belgium in the ninth century. In this town, learning to care for farm animals has long been an important part of an assisted living program designed for people with disabilities.
Pet therapy, the practice of using animals with patients for therapeutic benefits, first became popular in the 1970s. Since then, scientists have continued to research the benefits of this form of therapy, which has acquired the name Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) to acknowledge the variety of animals, such as cats, dogs, dolphins, and horses, being used for therapeutic purposes.
Some of the earliest uses of animal-assisted healing in the United States were for psychiatric patients. The presence of the therapy animals produced a beneficial effect on both children and adults with mental health issues. It is only in the last few decades that AAT has been more formally applied in a variety of therapeutic settings, hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, and outpatient care programs.
Animal therapy is a way of bringing animals and people together for healthy interaction. Taking docile, trained animals to hospices, medical centers, children's hospitals, retirement centers, and even to home-bound patients enhances memory and social interaction. As a natural stress reducer, animal therapy is an excellent means of providing non-pharmacologic stress reduction.
Animal therapy has been identified as promoting shorter hospital stays and dramatically improving the participant's sense of wellbeing. Studies have shown that physical contact with a pet can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and reduce pain as there is evidence that petting an animal causes endorphins, the chemicals that suppress pain, to be released.
Many skills can be learned or improved with the assistance of a therapy animal. Patient rehabilitation can be encouraged by such activities as walking with a dog or throwing objects for the dog to retrieve. Fine motor skills may be developed by petting, grooming, or feeding the animal. Patient communication is encouraged by the response of the animal to either verbal or physical commands. Activities such as writing or talking about the therapy animals or past pets develop cognitive skills and improve communication. Creative inclusion of an animal in the life or therapy of a patient or resident can make a major difference in the resident's comfort, progress, and recovery.