Feature:
How Pets Make Us Happier & Healthier
“Psychologist Aubrey Fine...a professor in the education department at California State Polytechnic University, is considered an expert in the field of animal-assisted therapy & the human-animal bond. He is the author of several books about animals, including Our Faithful Companions:Exploring the Essence of Our Kinship With Animals (Alpine Publications, 2014) & his menagerie includes 2 Golden Retrievers, a cockatoo, & a lizard known as a bearded dragon. He incorporates animals in his clinical practice...
Q. How do pets help people?
A. Animals give us that unconditional love that can make our lives more meaningful...
People with animals talk about how the pet becomes a confidant & friend & encourages them to walk & exercise. Having an animal in your life gives you purpose & direction & provides companionship. dogs or cats are wonderful listeners: They can read our emotions. They enrich our lives.
Q. Could you describe some health benefits for humans of animal companions?
A. ...The literature is becoming much more clear about the health benefits of animals in our lives...it was found that petting an animal could reduce perceived anxiety. Research has shown that when you pet animals, the hormone cortisol is reduced as you become more engaged with the animal.
Q. Could you explain animal-assisted therapy & its benefits?
A. Animal-assisted intervention is the term we use to explain a spectrum of options that incorporate animals in therapy... The cold nose & warm heart of a therapy dog can edge into a person’s being & allow him or her to feel comfortable enough to do things that perhaps he or she wouldn’t otherwise...
Q. In what situations is there a role for animal-assisted therapy?
A. ...I have used dogs with children who are chronically depressed & children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder...
Q. Most animals used in animal-assisted therapy are dogs: Do they have to be specifically trained?
A. They have to have an affinity for people. But they have to be really well trained, so their behaviour is consistent & reliable...As much as I am concerned about my clients, I am equally concerned about the well-being of the dogs.”
Susan Schwartz
in The Gazette, Montreal
June 4/2016
Cute Critter Pic
Weekly Chuckle
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