The Power of Pet Therapy

By Kate Rosenthal

DOMESTICATED ANIMALS HAVE PLAYED A VARIETY OF ROLES THROUGHOUT HISTORY, FROM HERDING LIVESTOCK TO STANDING WATCH FOR PREDATORS TO SEARCH AND RESCUE WORK. DOGS AND PEOPLE DEVELOPED A UNIQUE BOND, AND AS WORKING DOGS MOVED FROM BARNS AND FIELDS INTO HOMES, THAT RELATIONSHIP DEEPENED. THE KINDS OF SUPPORT PETS PROVIDE EVOLVED TO INCLUDE COMPANIONSHIP, COMFORT, AND SOLACE. THE RECOGNITION THAT PETS MADE US FEEL BETTER WAS THE ORIGIN OF PET THERAPY.

Charlotte’s visit

PAWS for People’s pet therapy team—Kelly and her sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Charlotte—were regular visitors at a local children’s hospital. Children with complex needs often have extended stays and Kelly and Charlotte supported those families in a variety of ways.

The science behind pet therapy

Studies have shown that petting a dog releases the mood elevating hormones serotonin and oxytocin and reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol1. Petting a dog also lowers blood pressure and slows the heart rate. Those changes in hormone levels, heart rate, and blood pressure result in increased feelings of well-being.

The profound effects of these interactions are beneficial to everyone but are particularly impactful for individuals with exceptional needs. Pet therapy has been shown to improve outcomes in physical and occupational therapy patients3, improve literacy outcomes in struggling readers4, and increase use of language and improve social interaction for autistic children5.

Supporting autistic students

PAWS for People worked closely with the Delaware Autism Program to develop the PAWS Autism Initiative. The program includes specially designed PECS boards (Picture Exchange Communication System) that allow students to choose how to interact with the dog. For example, selecting activities such as brushing, petting, hugging, and giving the dog water helps build communication skills.

The activities themselves work on goals for sensory issues, body awareness, and social interaction. Specially trained volunteer pet therapy teams work closely with teachers and therapists to structure visits for individual students. The natural, calming benefits of pet therapy enhance the skill building activities and can have a ripple effect through the student’s day.

One patient called “Emily” formed an immediate bond with Charlotte. Charlotte helped her work on her mobility and gain strength in her upper body as Emily was motivated to reach out and feel Charlotte’s soft fur.

Emily’s parents were always at her side, and Kelly and Charlotte had the pleasure of visiting with the family several times. On one visit, Charlotte noticed Emily’s mom was the one in need of comfort. While Charlotte was quietly sitting on Emily’s bedside, she crawled up into the mom’s arms ever so gently and snuggled in. Mom burst into tears, burying her face in Charlotte’s fur and asking Kelly, “How did she know?” Emily’s parents later shared how amazing it was that somehow Charlotte knew mom was having a very difficult day, and that contact and affection from a loving dog was exactly what she needed in that moment.

Stories like Kelly and Charlotte’s happen every day during PAWS for People visits, where comfort and healing seem to happen in a magical way. Numerous studies of pet therapy have revealed the science behind the magic and proven why pet therapy is so effective.

Mobility challenges

You may have heard the term Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) in the context of occupational and physical therapy. The terms AAT and pet therapy can be used interchangeably. In occupational and physical therapy, as in other interactions, pet therapy works on multiple levels.

That calming physiological response to the pet helps reduce pain, anxiety, and stress in patients, leading to longer and more successful physical or occupational therapy sessions. Activities such as reaching out to pet the dog, walking with the dog, and tossing a ball to the dog are integrated to achieve therapeutic goals. And, of course, all pet therapy interactions have the added motivation of a gentle pet’s warm snuggles and affection.

More and more physical and occupational therapists are integrating pet therapy into their practices, either through groups like PAWS for People or with their own trained pets. While pets may not be available in all PT/OT settings, many of the same benefits can be achieved with a well-trained pet at home, including reducing pain and stress.

Literacy learning and attentional/behavioral support

Pet therapy interactions in the classroom use the same building blocks to support students with learning differences. Pet therapy teams work with struggling and emerging readers, students with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and students with emotional regulation challenges.

PAWS for Reading, PAWS for People’s literacy initiative, takes a simple but highly effective approach. Students read one-on-one to a pet therapy dog, usually for about 15 minutes at a session. As a non-judgmental listener, the dog does not correct or interrupt the reader, but provides positive feedback in the form of snuggles and affection. At the same time, the human half of the pet therapy team offers encouragement, praise and, as needed, support.

A recent study compared students who read to a dog with those who practiced reading to adults. The results showed students developed greater fluency and reading comprehension abilities when they read to a dog compared to the same interaction with an adult. Likewise, the students reported increased motivation and self-esteem after practicing with a dog.

Individualized therapeutic visits with a dog can have equally valuable impacts for students who struggle with attentional issues. For example, a 2018 study showed that children who received pet therapy as a complement to traditional interventions had better outcomes, including a greater reduction in ADHD symptoms and marked improvement in social skills.

For students who struggle with emotional regulation, pet therapy visits provide both calming intervention and behavioral motivation. PAWS pet therapy teams providing this support usually visit weekly on a set day and time. The visit provides a calming interaction, the effects of which continue through the student’s day, while the anticipation of the visit can be used as a motivational tool.

How to incorporate pet therapy

PAWS for People’s trained, volunteer pet therapy teams provide visits in classrooms and facilities, as well to individuals through the Special Request program, throughout Delaware and the sur- rounding counties in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. For those outside PAWS’ service area, there are national and regional pet therapy organizations that may offer support and training.

Families with their own gentle, affectionate pets may consider training to use these skills at home. While dogs are the most common therapy pet, PAWS also trains volunteer teams with cats and bunnies, which can be equally good therapy companions.

PAWS for People offers training for new volunteer pet therapy teams at their facility in Newark, Delaware twice a month, with additional training throughout their service area several times a year. The training is designed for volunteer visitation at PAWS partner facilities; however, the techniques and skills can be used at home as well.

The joy and the magic

There is substantial research supporting the effectiveness of pet therapy. When you experience a visit, though, you are not tracking your hormone levels and blood pressure. You are simply experiencing the joy, peace, and calm of that time with a loving pet. Unlike many traditional interventions, pet therapy should always be a positive, joyful experience. The magic is the joy visits bring to everyone involved: the person receiving the visit, the volunteer, and the pet.

References

Colliton, Anna (2008, February 17). Dogs Warm to Children with Autism: Man’s best friend offers safety, and companionship. Columbia News Service.

4Coren, Stanley (2022, November 3). Kids Who Read to a Dog See Im- proved Literacy. Psychology Today.

Creagan, T., Bauer, B., & Thomley, B. (2015). Animal-assisted therapy at Mayo Clinic: The time is now. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 101-104.

Schuck, Sabrina E. B. (2018, July 17) UCI-led study finds therapy dogs effective in reducing symptoms of ADHD. https://som.uci.edu/news_releases/UCI-led-study-finds-therapy-dogs-effective-in-reducing-symptoms-of-ADHD.asp

Velde, B., Cipriani, J., & Fisher, G. (2003). Resident and Therapist Views of Animal-assisted Therapy: Implications for Occupational Therapy Practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 43-50.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was developed at the Delaware Autism Program (DAP) and was designed to teach young children to communicate in a social context (Bondy & Frost, 1994; Frost & Bondy, 2002).

Kate Rosenthal is the Marketing and Events Manager at PAWS for People. PAWS mission is to improve the lives of people by lovingly providing individualized, therapeutic visits with specially trained volunteers and their certified gentle, affectionate pets. Kate’s experience includes managing PAWS programs for children, including PAWS Autism Initiative and PAWS for Reading.

Website: www.pawsforpeople.org

Email: info@pawsforpeople.org

Phone: 302-351-5622