Argumentative Essay On Pet Therapy

Nightingale and Freud’s contributions to psychotherapy methods using animal-assistance did not end where they began. Dr. Boris Levinson made-- what was just a curiosity by some-- a legitimized

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.

Mountain Vista’s High school class of 2017 was able to create and elective named Dog Therapy. Which would make Mountain Vista the only high school in the Douglas County schooling area to have a dog therapy “class”. But you won’t know until you are enrolled in the class is that you will have to go through many hours of training. To only reach a .25 credit and no letter grade on your transcript. Which is a huge misfortune, because you will put just as much work in this class as you would in any other class if not more. So with the guidance of my consoler and I, we decided to propose this to the Dougal county board and to the assistant principal. With the rest of the second semester I created a Dog Therapy class proposal, and got the green light from the

Studies have shown that the children who grow up in homes with animals have a better ability to show empathy later and as adults. Pets are easy to communicate with, and their body language is much simpler than a human’s. This simple body language allows children to learn to empathize with them, a skill they can carry with them as they go through life (Holistic Online, 2007).

Imagine you were in a hospital and your doctor mentions pet therapy and you decide to try it out. Your doctor arranges for you to meet with someone in the morning to tell you all about it. Soon after that, a dog and its handler visit you in your room and you are invited to pet the dog, play with it, and ask questions to the owner. After the visit you realize you're smiling, less tired, and more optimistic, and you can't wait to tell your friends and family about it, and can't wait for tomorrow to see the dog again. This is called pet therapy. Because pet therapy is popular today people should understand the physical, mental, and social benefits before making a decision.

Pet therapy is a way of comforting a patient. Although dogs are primarily used, they are not the only

For centuries people have known that animal companionship has brought many benefits to people’s lives. According to Kathryn Heimlich, of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the first known time a companion animal was used to aid in a therapy program was “York Retreat in England, an establishment founded by the Quakers for persons with mental illness” (Heimlich, 2001, p. 48). As stated by Heimlich, the first published reports of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy come from Psychologist Boris Levinson. Levinson “discovered that he could reach a disturbed child during therapy

People are dismissing the idea of owning pets and the benefits they bring more and more. They do not see the multitudes of benefits when a pet is accepting into their home. These pets are not just restricted to dogs and cats, it branches out to amphibious, reptilian, and equestrian animals as well. These animals help children to create an identity and create social abilities. Not only that but also they help improve the quality of life of many. That is why animals are often used for a form as animal therapy. The calming effect that animals bring soothes and inspires a person’s body chemistry to heal itself rather than having to take medication after medication. So, why then do we not bring animals more into our daily lives?

Questions arise concerning the treatment of therapy dogs when visiting patients and whether animal-assisted therapy really works at all; however, those who disagree aren’t looking at the big picture. Animal-assisted therapy is both an ethical and effective therapy method due to its success in treating those with chronic diseases, disorders, and managing stress and anxiety. The varieties of cases regarding the success of therapy dog treatments far surmount the amount of cases saying otherwise. Animal-assisted therapy stems from the human-animal connection, one of the most unique and powerful bonds man has ever experienced. It is that connection that allows animal assisted therapy to be a critical part of everyone’s daily

In a recent study conducted by Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, of the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness showed that when humans pet a dog, within minutes there is a huge amount of beneficial hormones known to be associated with health and feelings of well-being.(Becker par. 2) These hormones are called beta endorphin, prolactin, dopamine, oxytocin, and beta phenylethylamine (Becker par. 2). The hormones that are released from the interaction between the animal and the human allow the patients to feel more blissful and trusting. Along with being emotionally benefited from working with animals in assisted therapy; people can benefit physically. For example, people who have physical

“A Healthy Dose of Puppy Love” by Kathryn Satterfield describes a new study that shows that dogs can improve an individual’s health by lowering anxiety levels and by improving cardiac function. Specially trained therapy dogs visited a hospital in November in Dallas, Texas to help conduct a study that animals can improve an individual’s health, to do this people split the seventy six patients into a total of three groups: visitors with dogs, visitors, and an “at rest group.” For accurate results researches preformed anxiety tests on the patients before, during, and after the visit, and the results concluded that patients who received visits from people had encountered a ten percent drop in anxiety, while patients who received visits from dogs

Animal assisted therapy, or AAT for short, began with the first documented case at an asylum run by the Society of Friends in England 1792. The first documented case of animal assisted therapy in the United States was not until 1919 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C. During the 1930s, famous psychoanalysist Sigmund Freud become an advocate for AAT when he used his dog, Jofi, during his therapy sessions. He found that his patients were more comfortable talking to him when Jofi was present. I believe that AAT proves to be beneficial for both mental and physical disorders according to articles I have read prior to the research done for this project.

Have you ever noticed that when you are not feeling well, your pet will not leave your side? It is almost like they have a sixth sense to illness or anything that you may be inflicting you mentally, emotionally or physically. Those suffering with chronic illnesses, both physically and mentally benefit exponentially from the companionship of a pet. For anyone suffering with a chronic pain disorder, there is nothing essentially that can make you feel better. My mother is a disabled fifty-two year old woman; she suffers from depression, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. If anyone knows about chronic pain…it is her. When discussing this paper with her she said, “Some days I do not know what I would do without Matilda Faithe, she gets me through some of my worst days ("Animals Helping Humans Cope with Pain." Personal interview).” My mother has had Matilda Faithe, her nine year old; over-weight Yorkshire terrier, ever since her doctor suggested that a pet may be beneficial to her health. Nine years later and it has proven to be nothing but true. Having that companion gives her a reason to have to get up and keep moving, even when her body is telling her no. You have another life that is depending on you to get up and feed them and walk them. Just having to do simple tasks such as walking or feeding the dog is keeping her moving. My grandmother, whom suffers from dementia, also lives with my mother and benefits from the day to day help of Matilda Faithe. A pet is something constant in the life of someone suffering from a memory disorder. Not only does this little companion help her mentally, she keeps my frail ninety pound grandmother up and moving as well. This alone is why it is very common for nursing homes to bring in therapy animals for the residents. It not only helps them mentally and physically, but it brings an overwhelming sense of contentment with the interactions they have with

Society makes one of the biggest impacts on how we look at things. So how does society look at veterinary medicine and the staff? The field is often looked down on even though they go through a lot and have to handle a lot which leads to high suicide rates and a huge burnout in the field. So why would people who have devoted their entire live to saving, take their own?

Pet adoption brings myriad health benefits. One of these benefits is the loyal companionship of shelter animals. GAWS shelter’s acting chief executive, Mia Shaw states, “There are big positives for a person’s mental and physical wellbeing in adopting a pet – there are so many benefits to adopting a dog or cat, including companionship and friendship” (qtd. in Sum 19). These animals help human beings physically and mentally by providing another incentive to exercise, and by providing a steady companionship. These benefits could potentially save the lives of depressed people and improve the lives of incapacitated people. Inclusively, shelter animals reduce stress and other health-related issues. Rescue cat owner, Lisa Barley notes, “Not only will you benefit from the joys of a furry friend’s unconditional love, but a pet can have a positive impact on your health, from helping you stay physically active to reducing stress and lowering blood pressure” (48). Adopting a pet is much like obtaining a best friend, who will provide unconditional love and support when the person needs it the most. Furthermore, most of the shelter animals are caged for days or even months, resulting in being restricted from social environments. Consequently, these animals end up being friendlier when they are adopted and placed in a steady home, unlike the ones obtained