As every high school student approaches senior year we are all filled with excitement, but we all dread one thing and that is the senior paper and project. When the idea first started floating around in the air I had no idea what I was going to do. I am now proud to say that I made it through the paper and it really was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The big question that I will be trying to answer through this paper revolves around how therapy animals can help kids and adults with disabilities emotionally. The setup of the paper starts out with my general knowledge on what I think therapy animals are and how they can effect a person. It then jumps into what I want to learn and what I want to get out of this project. Then it …show more content…
AAT is still a fairly new type of therapy but since one of the jobs of the animals is to provide affection and comfort a therapy animal is usually found in retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster effected areas, hospitals and in places with people who have learning difficulties (GoodTherapy). Animal therapy takes advantage of the natural bond between ad animal and a human, therapists believe that when using animals there are significant emotional and transformation changes (GoodTherapy). Patients who are involved with AAT see physical improvements in their health such as: decreased stress levels, reduced anger and aggression, decreased hostility towards themselves and others, improved social skills, decreased heart rate and normal blood pressure levels, increase in endorphins, improved self-esteem, trust, patience and a sense of empowerment (GoodTherapy). Animal therapy will also be seen a lot with kids because often times they have a harder time trying to express their feelings or make connections with adults but they can connect with an animal. Therapy animals can teach a child patience, respect, empathy, acceptance, confidence, assertiveness and responsibility. No matter the age of the person who works with the therapy animals they know that no matter what happens they won’t be judged only be loved unconditionally and that’s something they don’t always feel from human therapists
Most people are familiar with service dogs and have seen them in action. Animal-assisted therapy is similar service animals in that an animal-human healing partnership is being created. However, the difference is that therapy pets are typically used to treat a mental disability whereas people with physical disabilities use service dogs to help them in many ways. Therapy animals are used in a wide variety of places, such as, hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, therapy sessions, mental healthcare facilities, and even in people’s homes. These amazing animals are used on a wide variety of different disorders, but they are utilized mostly by people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For people with these mental health disorders, everything in live can be difficult and challenging, however with the help of animal-assisted therapy, their mood, motivation, and life can dramatically improve. Anyone who hears about these brave, loving animals soon falls in love with them. From a medical standpoint, there have been many successful studies and the support for animal-assisted therapy still continues to grow in doctors and therapists across the nation.
Animals can help hospital patients meet rehabilitation goals (Fischman). In addition, pets can make the healing process more bearable. Animals can also provide quiet, yet successful support to patients and their families during the rehabilitation of an injury or illness. They can cheer up patients who are going through rough times and can be a reliable friend in a sometimes sad setting. It is remarkable the miracles that can be made when a caring and loving animal is by someone's side through the long journey. There have been times where a hospital patient was unconscious for months, but when their hand was placed on the back of a dog, they woke up, wondering what they were touching (Fischman). Also if someone who is in the hospital is feeling down or depressed, a visiting animal can help perk them up, and hopefully make their recovery easier and faster. Visiting animals can also help those who are in a nursing home to feel less lonely and less stressed. Nursing home patients with Alzheimer's have proven to be more calm when in the presence of an animal. Studies have shown that they get less agitated and comply easier with instructions when around an animal
For centuries, bonds between animals and humans have been stronger than ever. Many people could argue that their pet has become a part of the family. Over time, the bond that a pet and their owner have can become very similar to the bond between child and parent, sibling to sibling, etc. Many studies have been done that prove that the interactions between animals and humans are beneficial to the health of both individuals. Furthermore, the benefits of having an animal has become a large part of one’s health. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is practiced in many facilities around the world, but the “lack of interest and knowledge of animal-assisted therapy are still widespread” (Altschiller 12). The therapeutic bonds between humans and their animals have helped many medical cases around the world.
Equine-Assisted therapy so far has shown commendable results. “Equestrian Therapy” acknowledges that “it is a fairly new technique for autism and other disorders that has been providing promising results such that many are consistently utilize therapy animals in their treatment programs and only for autism but also for people with Asperger’s syndrome. Equine therapy for special needs is an animal-assisted therapy that helps children with a wide variety of disabilities. This type of therapy makes use of riding horses as an effective way of providing physical and emotional therapy as well as psychological benefits” (“Equestrian Therapy”). Equine Therapy helps develop the motor skills of a child while they learn to ride a horse. The calming
A bus carrying several clinical students from the local college pulls up in front of the nursing home. The students begin to unload some boxes which contain puppies and kittens ranging in age from three to six months. Once inside, the students begin to pass the puppies and kittens out to the patients that are waiting expectantly in the recreation room. Some patients are alone, some are in groups, but all are delighted to see the animals arrive. As the animals are being passed out, the patients begin smiling, laughing, and talking to the animals. They stroke their coats, play with them, and feed them snacks that they have saved for this occasion. While the patients are interacting with other students and staff, two of the students begin making notes on the activities that are taking place in the room. The patients, staff, and students are clearly enjoying themselves, but there are greater benefits to be found here.
Kristin found out that Bea was from a laboratory and decided to give her a loving home. In the first years of Bea’s life she was mute, pathologically fearful, and terrorized from the trauma she experienced for the laboratories. She even shook when someone approached her, and rolled over and urinated every time a man was around. When Kristin would take Bea to the vet she would shake uncontrollably with fear. This just goes to show how the trauma from these animal laboratories effects the animals. Luckily, from the love and care from Kristin Bea transformed into a healthy dog without fear of her new owners or veterinarians. This story shows that these animals need love, attention, and care that they are clearly not getting at the laboratories. (Williams, and
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 7.6 million companion pets enter animal shelters across the United States each year, nearly evenly disrupted between dogs and cats . These animals are abandoned for reasons including families no longer being able to care for them (sickness/death of an owner), to families not wanting them (the novelty wearing of the animal wearing off), to the animals being born into puppy mills to finally animals that are loved being lost from their owners. These animals do not understand what is happening to them and rely on the kindness of humans to provide for them in shelters until their forever home can be found.
Arluke, A. (1994). Managing emotions in an animal shelter (pp. 145-165). Animals and human society.
Seeing maimed animals are not pleasant images. Those images sometimes appear across computer and television screens. The advocacy groups who place these images in the public’s view are trying to jolt people into the realization that abuse exists. For every ten seconds that goes by an animal is getting abused (“Animal… Statistics”). One statistic states that “71% of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims; 32% reported their children had hurt or killed animals” (“Animal… Violence”). Animal cruelty comes in several forms, some of which people do not know. There is animal experimenting, animal abuse, and mistreatment of animals. and through revealing the results from research, one discovers the horrific effects of animal abuse.
Many people would like to believe that animal cruelty doesn’t exist, but little do they know it is still happening all around the world every single day. The treatment we have on animals is unethical. It’s unreal how animal cruelty is still a thing because of the fact we live in a world of right versus wrong. Animals are looked as a form of product instead of what they really are, living breathing creatures. The use of animals in entertainment has been going on for thousands of years. Animals are forced into racing, captivity, violence, all for the sake of amusement to us. The children love to take a peek through the gates and cages of animals in zoos. People who are young and old love to watch the animals race. What people don’t know is that attending these events oftentimes means you’re supporting the abuse that is done to the animals. They have been taken out of their natural habitat, stripped from any rights they had, and forced to comply to the demands of human beings. The unfair treatment given to animals when used for entertainment purposes constitutes animal cruelty.
The abuse that animals endure at human hands is heartbreaking, sickening, and infuriating. Animals are just as delicate as humans, so why not abuse us too? Animal lives should be just important as ours. No animals should be killed or abused for testing, entertaining, clothing, or hoarding. Every year, millions of animals are being killed and torture for testing.
Animal cruelty is an issue that gets plenty of attention in the U.S. From all the commercials to the donation hotlines and tee shirts everyone in the states knows that it is a relevant issue, but what about testing on animals? It’s not as relevant or discussed as other forms of cruelty, but the truth is we kill thousands of innocent animals all for the hope that maybe a wrinkle or two may disappear. This is horribly insensitive and cruel and I really can’t believe that we could do this to such innocent and loving creatures. We have to accept that animals are not ours. Cosmetic testing on animals is not only cruel but illegal in several countries; innocent animals are constantly losing their lives for our vanity.
In 1991, a ten year old boy killed his eight week old puppy by stabbing him in the rectum with a pencil. He was then convicted of juvenile court and counseling for a year (Cindy A. Adams, “America’s Abuse Problem”). This is the sad awful truth of what happens to animals everyday. Animal abuse is a big problem in our society and there are varying degrees of this issue including intentional abuse and animal hoarding but, there is one very clear solution and that is to report it to the police and get the animal legal justice.
For many years now, animals have been used for testing and experimentation. Many organizations like PETA and the ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) strongly oppose the topic of animals being experimented on. Many people are against animal testing as a whole because not only does it harm animals, but many times they may be killed. There have been many countless years and protests against testing, and they deserved to be heard and listened to. People have begun to realize that not only does animal testing harm and kill animals every year; it has been pretty much useless.