Essay On Animal Assisted Therapy

Animal-Assisted Therapy Animals play a key role in many peoples’ lives. Many researchers have shown that animals are positive influences on our health. Having always had a dog in my house throughout my life, I have grown to love all animals, as do many other people. As human, we need social support and interaction for our own personal health. Animals help provide that by showing humans love and affection. Allen R. McConnell Ph.D. from Psychology Today writes, “Lonely people are often advised to get a dog or a cat to quell their social isolation, but is it really the case that pets can fulfill one's social needs, serving to improve owners' happiness, well-being, and even their physical health? A new study suggests the answer is a resounding yes!” In Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy, Aubrey H. Fine explains the foundation, the different practices used in animal-assisted therapy, how the human-animal bond is strong, and has been talked about more because of mainstream media. Doctors even use them for therapy treatments in a number of patients with a range of illnesses. In this paper, I will explain exactly what pet therapy is, what it is used to treat, and how it is beneficial. …show more content…
In the first section, I provide information explaining what pet therapy is and the different types there are like animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities. The next section will explain what pet therapy is used to treat: distressing, for patients undergoing chemotherapy, physical and mental disabilities, depression, patients in long-term care facilities, and even war veterans struggling with post traumatic stress. In the final section, I will discuss the beneficial aspects pet therapy has to offer like: improving physiological state and psychological state, increase mental stimulation, improve social skills in patients with few social