  Animal Assisted Activities & Therapy - By Lisa Wagie | ||||||||||
Compassion, And Service - A Human and Animal ExperienceAnimal-assisted therapy involves more than just an animal visiting a person; it is a means of improving quality of life, often bringing rehabilitation or healing to individuals. The astounding benefits extend not only to the recipient of the therapy, but also to the volunteers and animals.
enough to investigate her surroundings. Whenever she needed a break, she returned to her carrier. The highlight of the visit was when a small boy with ADHD (attention deficit – hyperactivity disorder) sat down on the floor to pet her. "that’s a good bunny," he softly said to her. Currently, I bring Angel Bunny with me occasionally to Creative Artspace, another of the specialized recreation programs offered in my city. Her presence inspires art, gentleness and smiles. I know her visit was enjoyed when I hear comments such as this from Shirley, "I bragged about your bunny to the people at home." If simple visits from a 3 lb., 5 year old lop bunny could brighten people’s day, animals must bring wonders to the realm of therapy!
•Improvement of posture, balance and coordination •Strengthening of muscles •Maintaining and improving circulation, mobility and relaxation of muscles •Opportunity to practice focusing attention and interacting socially •Encouragement Kathy considers encouragement the most important benefit. Marilyn Redman, assistant instructor, agrees, "Students realize that they can achieve higher goals by their success in learning to ride and caring for the horse." There are advantages to the animals, as well; the benefits to the horses include the maintenance of good training and obedience, and steady, but mild usage. The thrill of horseback riding, not the therapeutic benefits, are on the minds of Sean and Michelle as they attend their therapeutic riding lesson. Michelle enjoys the class because, "It helps me learn how to ride independently so when I get my own horse I can ride it." Though their vision is deteriorating, these siblings continue to learn horsemanship skills and experience more freedom of mobility. Their mother appreciates that horseback riding is recognized as an acceptable sport by Sean and Michelle’s peers. "They can fully participate in it, unlike ball sports," she says. As with other sports, participants are challenged physically. "My legs are tired from like pushing the horse," comments Sean near the end of a trail ride. Sean has come a long way since he began riding. He feared animals, even to the point of being cruel to them, from the time he was a baby. He has more than overcome that fear. "This has really brought out a nurturing side in Sean, which is great for a boy," says his mother.
Pooch With A MissionCompassion is one of the most wonderful human traits, and sometimes animals are the ones to inspire that characteristic.In 1993, Joan Dalton started Project Pooch with a mission to teach incarcerated juveniles patience, responsibility, and compassion for all life. The program combines animal-assisted therapy with treatment for offenses and anti-social behavior. Selected juvenile offenders from the MacLaren Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon, are paired with dogs who would have been euthanized in two local Humane Society shelters. The young men work with the dogs, using positive reinforcement to shape their dogs’ behavior, until the dogs are ready to be adopted out to humane society approved homes in the community. In this way, both the young men and the dogs get a chance at making a fresh start. Wesley writes of dog Copper in his journal, "He's a big part of my life. It's the first time I really cared for anything. He's a lot like me in some ways - he needs someone as much as I do." "First you have to learn to control yourself before you can control a dog," Askia, the second young man to join the program, once observed. The behavior management, self-esteem and persistence the young men develop through Project Pooch can have life-changing effects. Joan Dalton says of Askia, "He will be graduating from college next month. It has been difficult for him to make it financially but he has done it. He held a part-time job with a newspaper while in college. In addition he played on the football team. Best of all, he stayed out of trouble and is a changed person." How can working with a dog really influence one’s life so much? In the words of a program participant, Gabriel, "When you have a dog, it opens you up. You can trust him. You have a friend. You learn how to talk to people, and you learn how to take care of somebody else besides yourself." Vital in the founding of Project Pooch was the Delta Society, a national organization based in Renton, Washington, that promotes animals helping people, people helping animals. This mutually beneficial bond between animals and people is evident in the Delta Society’s Pet Partner(R)program. People and their pets, after being trained and screened, volunteer to bring the healing power of animals to their community. They enrich not only the lives of those they work with, but their own lives as well.
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