Cameron conway

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would like to thank Freestyle Academy for teaching me the skills that I used to create this book. I would also like the thank Maya Higa and Vicki Amon-Higa for their help with this book.

I would not have been able to do this project without their cooperation and assistance, so a huge thank you goes to them. Finally, I would like to thank my film partner, Brittany Haley, for persisting through this project with me and helping me to make this documentary the best that it could be.

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Table of Contents Preface..............................................................................7 Introduction..................................................................9 Chapter 1- Horse Play.........................................10 Chapter 2: The Cat’s Meow.............................18 Chapter 3: Man’s Best Friend(s).................24 Conclusion...................................................................31 Bibliography..............................................................33 5

Preface If you were to talk to any Freestyle student who has gone through this documentarymaking process, they would all tell you the same thing: it’s hard. The deadlines are stressful, the interviews are hard to coordinate, and picking the perfect color scheme for the perfect mood of the book is almost impossible. But at the end of the project, when the paper is done, the film is submitted, and the book is sent off for publishing, we get to experience the greatest feeling of accomplishment in the world.

The hardest thing about writing this book for me was finding the time to do it. I was in and out of school because of a mysterious illness the month that my classmates did the bulk of the work for this project, which made keeping

up with the chapters super difficult. I needed to do a lot of the work and research at home, but since I get distracted easily and, let’s be honest, would rather do anything over sitting inside and researching for school, I was not that productive. On top of that, this was also the month that my partner, Brittany, and I needed to conduct three interviews, visit the AAH farm in Gilroy (an hour away from where we live), and make the film in class. I owe a lot of this project’s success to Brittany, because without her help to stay on top of things, I definitely would have fallen behind.

All of that being said, this project was a good experience and I’m happy it all came together in the end. This is one of the biggest projects

I have ever done in school, and I learned a lot about time management and working with others from it. This project also gave me the opportunity to get closer to Maya Higa, one of my classmates since seventh grade, which has been great because I see her in two of my classes everyday.

This project mostly just confirmed what I already knew, which is that animals have healing powers beyond what humans can provide.

I hope to spread this knowledge to other people around me, and hopefully get someone to try animal therapy.

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“Once you put the time in and see what they’re capable of, it’s pretty amazing.”

Maya Higa

Introduction You rub your eyes, trying to remove the dirt that the wind keeps blowing into them. The bright sun only makes you squint harder, and looking around, everything is blurred.

You don’t need to be able to see to know where you are, though. You hear the different noises that all of the different animals are making.

You smell all of the good (and the bad) natural smells from the plants and animals. You feel the sun on your shoulders and the dirt between your toes. It’s a typical farm atmosphere, but there is something different about this one. Once you get the dust out of your eyes, you see the boy who never smiles laughing at a bunny rabbit. You see the girl who never socializes walking up to a goat. You see people everywhere passing milestones that you know would not be possible without these animals, and you think to yourself how happy you are that animal therapy exists.

Doctors have been suggesting animal therapy to patients for years, recommending it as the solution for a spectrum of medical conditions.

They are known to help people with anxiety, depression, autism, and many other disorders. Animal therapy is used in a wide variety of settings; from school special ed programs to nursing homes to psychiatric hospitals, they share the same purpose: to support the people who need them. Animals help humans in developing social skills, because animals are the stepping stone in teaching people with special needs to interact with others.

An animal can be a more understanding and gentle teacher than another person, and people relate to animals on a more basic level than to other humans. Animals make people feel understood without them having to explain themselves, which is extremely useful when it comes to people with special needs.

Animal therapy is one of the best forms of therapy for a variety of physical and mental problems because of the quiet comfort that comes from an animal being there for individuals that are struggling.

Animals are often times a better substitute for other kinds of

therapy, like psychotherapy, neuropsychology, or occupational therapy, because they are truly non-judgemental listeners who are consistently there for those around them. Animal Assisted Happiness is a unique non-profit organization in California that offers animal therapy via farm animals to people in need. Whether someone likes chickens, goats, rabbits, or alpacas, Animal Assisted Happiness is dedicated to bringing one million smiles into the lives of those in need.

Out of all of the benefits patients get from animal therapy, I find the most important to be comfort. Usually when people participate in animal therapy, they are involved in other forms of therapy, as well. Playing with animals can be a nice escape for patients to feel comfortable, safe, and social without the stress of having to interact with other people.

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Chapter One

Horse Play T

he idea of animal therapy developed over 100 years ago, stemming from the idea that animals had spirits and supernatural powers that humans did not possess. The first known use of animals in order to maintain good mental and physical health was during the times of hunters and gatherers. However, the first legitimate use of animals for therapy was in 19th Century England, organized by William Tuke. William Tuke was a businessman philanthropist who spent his life developing moral treatment, which includes various humane treatments for people with mental disorders.

Tuke spent the later part of his life trying to develop new ways to treat patients. His facility was “unlike other asylums of the period….

[Tuke’s retreat] treated patients as people and took into account their basic needs and comforts.” (Science Museum) Patients were instructed to walk around the lawn that was covered with domestic

animals, which William Tuke believed would improve socialization skills. The Bethlem Hospital followed Tuke’s example years later when they added animals to the facility. This was discovered to have an immense impact on the patients dispositions while staying there, increasing their socialization and dispositions.

The use of animals for therapy only got more popular once famous neurologist and supposed creator of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, discovered that the presence of dogs gave patients confidence, especially children. This confidence came from a new psychological idea called Attachment Theory. To summarize, the most important aspect of Attachment Theory is the secure attachment that a child feels towards an animal. For a child’s social and emotional development to be successful, they need a secure attachment to a living thing that makes them feel safe enough to allow them to

venture out into the world while still knowing that they have a safe place to return to afterwords.

Research on animal therapy and its effects have come a long way since Sigmund Freud’s time. Here in the Bay Area, Animal Assisted Happiness is an organization that launched in 2009 and has been collecting smiles ever since. “We’ve created over 15,000 smiles,” Maya Higa, daughter of founder Vicki Amon-Higa recalls during an interview. “We Count smiles. So whatever kids we help.

We put those in a smile count and now we have over 15,000.” It’s crazy to think that this organization all started with a miniature horse.

When Maya’s sister was around ten years old, she got a horse for her birthday that she named Lollipop; little did she know just how special this horse was going to be.

Maya knew a girl named Riley who rode at the same barn as her who absolutely loved horses. Unfortunately, Riley also had a brain

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tumor. This brain tumor prevented Riley from going out to see and ride her horse, something that had always been her favorite thing to do. Before she passed away, Riley had one request: she wanted to see a horse one last time. Since it wasn’t healthy for Riley to be getting out of bed, the Higas did what they do best: they decided to help Riley. Lollipop was eventually escorted into Riley’s home where she promptly walked through the house on a path of saran wrap all the way into Riley’s room, where she then proceeded to put her head on her lap and stand there for a long time. “What’s funny about lollipop is that…she doesn’t really like her head being touched that much,” Maya told me, “[but] she went into Riley’s house and just put her head on her lap [which] was really, really cool because she definitely knew what was going on.”

The story of Riley was only the beginning for Animal Assisted Happiness. Jon Coleman, a sophomore at Mountain View High School, has also had his life changed for the better by Animal Assisted Happiness. When I asked Jon what it was about the animals that made his time with

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them so therapeutic, he told me Because I have autism…. I have trouble talking to people. I was a very awkward kid, and I just didn’t really understand social situations.

With animals, it’s like a simplified version of that, and they don’t judge you. It’s a good way to interact in a way that you don’t have to worry about what they think of you, you just have to get to know them and enjoy their company….

It just kinda opened me up to the concept of actually doing something. Committing myself to a program and just kind of interacting with animals and people on a deeper level was something that I developed from just having that relationship and building it up over time. (Jon Coleman) While talking to Jon, he brought my knowledge of the effects of animal therapy to a whole new level. Having Jon’s first person perspective on the organization was super helpful to my research because I learned how far animal therapy can take someone in their life. Jon’s mom found out about Animal Assisted Happiness from a group she was in for mom’s with autistic children. When she brought Jon to the farm for the

first time, he had never pet farm animals before. He told me that his first reaction was surprise when he found out that he “got to actually play with them and get involved.

It wasn’t spectating them; it was spending time with them like you would a friend.” Jon continued to tell me that it feels like being with “a human friend, but you’re with animals. It was really cool.”

From working with kids like Riley and Jon, Vicki Amon-Higa realized that there was a need for more smiles among kids in the Bay Area.

She realized that animals have a gift for understanding and connecting with people in need, and she decided that she wanted to start an organization to make as many kids smile as she could. The happiness that came from the animals spread between special needs children and their families like wildfire, and Vicki knew then that she wanted to dedicate herself to serving people in need in the Bay Area.

“Life is about getting involved.

Everybody can do something.

Everybody has passions.

Using those passions to help others is what the world is all about.�

Vicki Amon Higa

Ch a 18

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The Cat’s Meow

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A

nimal therapy has been proven to help with a variety of different physical issues. One of the biggest medical conditions for which animal therapy is a good remedy is improving cardiovascular problems. A study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information researched whether or not bringing dogs into hospital rooms for patients with advanced heart failure was beneficial. An experiment was set up with 76 random adults split into 3 groups. The first group received a 12-minute visit from a volunteer with a therapy dog, the second group received a visit from just the volunteer, and the final group received their normal care. Data was then collected eight minutes into the session, and then again after sixteen minutes, tracking patients blood flow, neurohormone levels, and anxiety.

Once the data was analyzed, the conclusion from the experiment was clear: “animal-assisted therapy improves cardiopulmonary pressures, neurohormone levels, and anxiety in patients hospitalized with heart failure” (pubmed. gov).

Heart disease is not the only

physical problem animal therapy is good for. Animals are also great at helping kids develop fine motor skills. According to “Therapy Animal Program”, in order “to improve the client’s fine motor skills” during therapy, “the therapist has the child manipulate buckles, clasps on leashes, collars, and animal carriers. The child also opens containers of treats for the cat and feeds small pieces of food to the cat.” They can then take these skills into the world and apply them to everyday tasks.

There are also animal assisted therapy sessions that are focused on getting clients the ability to sequence events. A commonly used technique is teaching the patient to brush the animal being used.

If a dog is being used in therapy, the therapist will tell the client to get the brush out of the bag.

Once they have done that, they tell them to tell the dog to “stay”.

Patients are then instructed to brush the dog, and finally tell him or her, “good boy!” Clients are motivated by the fact that if they remember the sequence right, they eventually get to brush the dog.

The most important physical benefit that comes from animal therapy, in my opinion, is comfort. A lot of articles have been written about the correlation between touch and health. An informational website about animal therapy, Paws4Healing.com, claims, infants who are not touched do not develop healthy relationships

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with other people and often fail to thrive and grow physically. For some people, touch from another person is not acceptable, but the warm, furry touch of a dog or cat is. In hospitals, where most touch is painful or invasive, the touch of an animal is safe, non-threatening, and pleasant…. In cases like these, having an animal to hold, hug, and touch can make a world of difference to people who would otherwise have no positive, appropriate physical contact. (“About Pet Therapy”) Finally, animal therapy is useful at aiding in separate physical therapy sessions. Studies have shown that working with animals not only increases joint movement, but also increases recovery time.

The biggest things that animals provide for people who are struggling, though, is motivation. They encourage patients to move more in order to play with them, and they encourage them to move more as well.

While researching for this paper, I came across the inspirational story of Bleu, an abused cat that was rescued to eventually become a therapy animal for old people in need. Bleu was rescued from

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“ Th e y don’t judge you.

It’s a good way to interact in a way that you don’t have to worry about what they think of you; you just have to get to know them and enjoy their company.”

Jon Coleman an owner who broke his legs, shot him, shredded his skin, and did countless other horrific things to him. Most animals, including people, would not be able to recover from trauma like this, and would definitely not be able to trust people again. Bleu was different, though; he was special. Kim Shinn’s cat had died a couple weeks before she met Bleu. Broken-hearted over her loss, Shinn didn’t think she would ever feel okay again. That is, until she met Bleu. She heard his story and had to see this miracle

cat that had survived the impossible. Kim recalls, “as soon as I took Bleu in my arms, he buried his head in my throat and put his front arms around my neck.

It was pretty much love at first sight” (Crawford and Pomerinke 132). Although she couldn’t take Bleu home because he had other people who needed his love, she never forgot how he helped mend her broken heart. Bleu eventually became accustomed to his schedule of visiting Hadlow Hospice every week, making visits with his owner, Nan, to anyone who re-

quested to see him.

One man that Bleu’s presence was requested for was Angus Maitland.

He had neither spoken nor moved for several days, and his family did not know how much time he had left to live. His family requested a visit from Bleu, having the wonderful effect he had had on patients in the past, and the result from the visit was nothing short of a miracle. Nan placed Bleu on Maitland’s chest, and “slowly and so slightly that someone watching could not be sure, Mr. Maitland moved his hand across Bleu’s head and back.

Then more definitely, he stroked the blue-gray fur. . . . The family was stunned. They had thought Mr. Maitland’s hands would never move again” (Crawford and Pomerinke 133).

Bleu is just one example of the magical things that can come from animal therapy.

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p t e a r Th re h C

e

Man’s Best Friend(s)

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ot only are animals a great physical comfort, but they can be therapeutic for a number of mental illnesses as well. Imagine yourself in a hospital bed. You’ve just been through a car crash, something that has completely traumatized you. You don’t know how you will ever feel better again, because nothing so far has helped you to feel anything but afraid. Just as you’re losing hope, you see your doctor walking in with a dog. You don’t understand how something

as simple as this could possibly help you when nothing else has, but as soon as you start petting the dog’s head, you instantly feel yourself relax. This is the therapy you have been needing.

There is a common saying that “laughter is the best medicine”.

Vicki Amon-Higa, creator of Animal Assisted Happiness, agrees with this saying. The vision at the Animal Assisted Happiness Farm “is one million smiles. We have created 15,890 as of March first,

and we still have a long way to go, but that’s 15,890 more smiles than there were six years ago,” Vicki told us during an interview. “Life is about getting involved. Everybody can do something, everybody has passions, and using those passions to help others is what the world is all about.”

Animal therapy is beneficial for patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and a range of other mental disorders. But one of the biggest mental disorders that

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animal therapy is beneficial for is autism. The physical comfort of the animals reduces loneliness in a lot of the patients. Animal therapy is also great for socialization, not only between the patient and the animal, but also between other patients, staff, and family members

and friends who come to therapy sessions. Many people are able to relax in the presence of animals, so this gives the client an opportunity to open up to others.

Animals in animal therapy represent safety, which can often help the therapist break through to the

client. To a lot of children, when a therapist has an animal in his/ her office, he/she automatically becomes nonthreatening. It causes the clients to feel safe knowing the animals trust the therapist, too.

Animals, especially dogs, have also been proven to relieve stress and

anxiety in patients. They also increase attention skills because patients with mental disabilities enjoy focusing on the animals more than they would on boring, everyday tasks. “Individuals who have mental illness or low self-esteem focus on themselves; animals can help them focus on their environment rather than thinking and talking about themselves and their problems. They watch and talk to and about the animals.” (Paws 4 Healing) One of the biggest things animals help with emotionally is confidence. “I’ve seen a lot of confidence… develop in a lot of kids,” Maya Higa told me.

One of my favorite things about Animal Assisted Happiness in general is watching breakthroughs.…

We start with kids… who are afraid to pet the animals, or touch them, or anything like that, and eventually, the more we come or the more they come to the farm, they start petting them and having more fun with the animals. So moving at their own pace really, really builds their confidence and it’s really cool to see that develop.

(Maya Higa) Finally, children with special needs

learn something very important from working with animals: to be nurturing. Since they did not learn this the way most people do (i.e. from their parents) animals are a good outlet to practice taking care of another creature. By taking care of an animal, kids can develop the kind of skills that they missed out on from their parents. It has psychologically been proven that when someone takes care of someone else, it is beneficial to himself as well.

In Therapy Pets, authors Jacqueline Crawford and Karen Pomerinke tell the stories of how therapy animals have helped people.

One of the animals that they write about is Lucy, the golden retriever.

Lucy was left in a dumpster to die when she was five weeks old by someone who did not want to deal with her leg paralysis. Lucy was luckily found, rescued, and eventually became a therapy dog to a little girl named Becca.

‘The first thing Becca saw was the cart that carried Lucy into her room. . . Lucy arched her head backward until her big brown eyes were gazing into Becca’s hazel eyes. Becca responded by stroking the soft fur on Lucy’s neck, while

Lucy continued to look up at Becca, as if she were her hero’ Lucy’s owner, Chan, describes to readers that Lucy is so inspirational to people who have lost hope because ‘Lucy turns their perspective from feeling sorry for themselves to recognizing that, although difficult, their own trials are not insurmountable.’ (Crawford and Pomerinke 123) Lucy is the perfect example of how animal therapy works because she shows how patients relate to animals. They see the animals as a reflection of themselves, and learn from that to accept their disability, to grow from it, and to ultimately live a happy life.

Conclusion Pet therapy has a variety of benefits for a wide range of people who are struggling. Especially in children, having a furry friend by their side is often just what kids need to simply enjoy life. I hope that people reading this book will find it helpful in some way, whether it be for them or someone they know. Animals have healing abilities that humans do not, and pet therapy can only do good things, so it doesn’t hurt to try it.

One of the best results of animal therapy, in my opinion, is the long term life skills that patients take away from it. If there is one thing to be learned from working with animals, it is how to be social in order to lead a happier life. Jon Coleman told me that Animal Assisted Happiness “opened [him] up to a lot of opportunities and made [him] more confident in making social decisions and commitments.� He has moved on from AAH to work with another organization that Vicki and Maya Higa started called 4H. Jon has chosen to spend his time helping people with disabilities by introducing them to animals, just like the Higas did for him. Jon wants to continue using animals to help people for a long time in his future, because he realizes that there are countless benefits from animal therapy beyond just having an escape from the world. Jon and I agreed that when AAH reaches one million smiles, we will be happy to have been able to be a part of them.

“One of the easiest ways to make yourself happy is by making other people happy.�

Maya Higa

Bibliography “About Pet Therapy.” Paws 4 Healing. Web. 11 March 2015.

Amon-Higa, Vicki. Personal interview. 11 March 2015.

Animal Therapy. Monarch Center for Autism. 2009. Web. February 2015.

Benefits of Pet Therapy. Paws for People. Web. March 2015.

Cole KM, Gawlinski A, Steers N, Kotlerman J. Animal-assisted therapy in patients hospitalized with heart failure. NCBI Pub Med. November 16, 2007. Web. March 2015.

Coleman, Jon. Personal interview. 25 March 2015.

Consumer Health. Mayo Clinic. February 25, 2014. Web. February 2015.

Crawford, Jacqueline J., and Pomerinke, Karen A., and Smith, Donald W. (photography). Therapy Pets. The Animal-Human Healing Partnership. New York: Prometheus Books, 2003. Print.

Higa, Maya. Personal interview. 26 February 2015.

Human Animal Interaction. American Humane Association. 2013. Web. February 2015.

Krisha McCoy, Pat. F. Bass. How Pet Therapy Can Help Autism. Everyday Health.

January 12, 2010. Web. March 2015.

Program Results. San Francisco SPCA. Web. March 2015.

Sean McLeod. Attachment Theory. Simply Psychology. 2009. Web. March 2015.

William Tuke. Brought to Life. Science Museum. Web. 31 March 2015.

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Cameron Conway is a Junior at Mountain View High School and Freestyle Academy. She lives in Los Altos with her parents, brother, and two dogs, Zoe and Lulu. Cameron loves to travel and take pictures, having explored the Galapagos Islands, Spain, and Costa Rica, to name a few places. She is not completely sure what she wants to do in the future, but she thinks being a photographer for National Geographic would be a really cool job.

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