by Elaine Kachala
When
Tucker wears his bandana, he knows he's a dog with a job!
All
dogs have a special gift. But when we saw how Tucker, our delightful,
much-loved family pet brightened so many lives, we thought he should
be a therapy dog.
In 2017, Tucker became a certified therapy dog
with St. John Ambulance. He also took a special test to visit with
kids. For five years, he was a therapy dog. I was his handler. We
were a team that visited nursing homes, youth shelters, schools, and
libraries. Now, at thirteen years old, Tucker is retiring. As I
reflect on Tucker's career, did he make a difference in people's
lives? And how do I know?
I
heard sensational smile stories! Tuesdays were Tucker's day at the
nursing home. Staff told me how every Tuesday morning, without fail,
residents would wait in their wheelchairs by the elevator, asking,
where's Tucker?; At the youth shelter, the teens told me how
much fun it was to play games with Tucker; it made the shelter feel
like a home. And at the library, kids told me how much easier it was
to read when Tucker lay beside them.
I
saw people's faces light up with joy when they touched Tucker's
velvety soft fur. I felt what they felt. And I saw Tucker enjoying
his work. It was meaningful and fun; his work brought him deep
satisfaction.
But
as remarkable as Tucker is, his story is not unique. Ask any handler
or pick up any book about helper dogs, and you'll hear similar
stories. Dogs ease people's social, emotional, and educational
burdens in magnificent and miraculous ways.
With
so many stories, why do we need science to prove the value of therapy
dogs? When scientists can prove or disprove something, this
information helps people make decisions.
-
Should therapy dogs be allowed in schools?
-
Do they reduce kids’ stress levels? Do they help kids learn?
-
Do therapy dogs help all kids and teens with autism? Do they help
veterans with PTSD?
- Do therapy dogs improve health outcomes
for patients in hospitals? Do they help people recover faster?
-
When isn't it a good idea to bring in therapy dogs?
- How do we
know dogs like being therapy dogs?
- What are the best infection
control methods to ensure safe environments for people and dogs?
Scientific
research can answer questions like these. It can generate information
about how therapy dogs help and heal us and how to keep people and
dogs safe. Then, more people can benefit. Hospitals, schools,
families, and others could have guidelines and feel confident about
including therapy dogs in treatments and programs.
Organizations
that provide therapy dogs and train, evaluate, and register therapy
dogs have increased in recent years. Each organization has its
policies and procedures, but are they following best practices?
The
science of therapy dogs is a rapidly expanding study area with
professionals from diverse disciplines contributing to a growing body
of evidence supporting best practices. Veterinarians, psychologists,
public health specialists, neurologists, cardiologists, and others
are contributing to a growing field called Human-Animal Interaction
(HAI). All are committed to advancing our understanding of the
complex relationship between humans and animals.
Looking to the
future, stories and science are coming together to support progress
in understanding the value of therapy dogs.
Imagine
if there were a miracle cure that could make us feel better, act
kinder, and live more joyfully. Actually, there is. It's called a
dog.
Sarah
Albee, Author.
Sidebar: Therapy Dogs vs.
Service Dogs
Therapy dogs provide love and affection through
touch. They are permitted to visit areas approved by the therapy dog
program and the facility (e.g., hospital, nursing home,
library).
Therapy dogs don't require training but are usually
certified/registered. Service dogs are highly trained for a specific
person's needs (e.g., cancer detection, allergy alert, visual or
hearing impaired). They are not allowed to be touched or petted while
working and are permitted in public facilities.
Sidebar: Do you have a nose
for science?
Would it be fun to sniff out information
and gather proof about how therapy dogs help people?
HAI is a
growing field that needs people like you who love animals and want to
help others.
Selected
References:
American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Service, emotional support,
and therapy animals.
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/service-emotional-support-and-therapy-animals
Assistance Dogs of
America.
https://assistancedogregistry.com/?msclkid=fb81df4633c7151f7d7bbed32eef48f8)
Brooks, H.L., Rushton, K.,
Lovell, K.et al. The power of support from companion animals for
people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and
narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC Psychiatry 18, 31
(2018).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2.
https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11/s12888-018-1613-2#citeas
Burns, Katie. AAHA releases
guidelines for working assistance, therapy dogs. American Veterinary
Medical Association (AVMA), December 8, 2021.
https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2021-12-15/aaha-releases-guidelines-working-assistance-therapy-dogs
Goodavage, Maria. Doctor
Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine. Dutton, an
imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, 2019.
Griffin, JA, Hurley K and
McCune S (2019) Human-Animal Interaction Research: Progress and
Possibilities. Front. Psychol. 10:2803. doi:
10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02803.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02803/full
Human
Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) https://habri.org/
Mayo Clinic. Centres and
Programs Integrative Medicine and Health Research Program. Pet
Therapy and Animal-Assisted Therapy.
https://www.mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/integrative-medicine-health-research/research-studies/pet-therapy-animal-assisted-therapy-studies
St. John Ambulance. Therapy
dog FAQs. (https://www.sja.ca/en/resources/therapy-dog-faqs.
Did
you know that just reading about dogs can make us feel great?! Here
are some of my favorite nonfiction middle-grade books:
Albee,
Sarah. Dog Days of History. 2018. National Geographic
Kids.
Castaldo, Nancy. Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their
Noses) Save the World. 2017. Clarion Books.
George Joanne.
Smiley: A Journey of Love. 2017. Fitzhenry &
Whiteside.
Groc, Isabelle. Conservation Canines. How Dogs
Work for the Environment. 2021. Orca Book Publishers.
Hamilton,
Kimberlie. Daring Dogs: 30 True Tales of Heroic Hounds. 2020,
Scholastic Nonfiction.
Pearce, Jacqueline. What Animals Want:
The Five Freedoms in Action. 2021. Orca Book Publishers.
