Animals have served as companions to humans since the beginning of recorded time. The earliest indication of the significance of the human-animal relationship can be found in the 20,000 year old cave wall paintings of the Cro-Magnon people (Saunders, 1995). People have recognized and respected animals as ‘kin’ and through that kinship, they became totems, familiars, and healers long before they we
re domesticated. The reality that animals touch us in a very deep, central place is not a modern day phenomenon, but one that pervades the history of the human-animal relationship, and one that drives modern-day animal therapy programs. Mary Lou Randour (2000) states, “through our contact with animals, we can learn to overcome the limits imposed by difference; we can reach beyond the walls we have erected between the mundane and the sacred” (p. 5). Animal-assisted therapy is generally called “pet therapy.” It is the use of companion animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs to aid people with special needs, based on the theory that all people need to feel a sense of worth. According to the Mayo Clinic (2013), pet therapy is gaining in use and popularity because it helps people recover from or better cope with health problems, like heart disease, cancer and mental disorders. Therapy animals provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, courts, jails, prisons, and people with learning difficulties, or those who find themselves in stressful situations, such as a post-disaster area. Studies of the human-companion animal bond reveal many physiological and psychological benefits. Petting a dog has been proven to promote relaxation, characterized by decreased blood pressure and increases in peripheral skin temperature (Velde, Capriani & Fisher, 2005). Other benefits include stress reduction, improved morale, an increase in calmness, a decrease preoperative anxiety, improved patient outlook, reduction the need for preoperative medication, and the reduction of fear and anxiety in patients with a psychiatric condition. Velde, Cipriani and Fisher (2005) also state “Motivation is increased with animal interaction. For example, persons who had refused therapy came to the therapy sessions when they knew animals were going to be present. Interaction with animals changes the morale of long-term care residents. Occupational therapy participants continue doing therapeutic activities for a longer duration when animals are present, thereby potentially increasing the benefits of this therapy.”
According to the World Health Organization, 50% of mental illnesses that occur globally in a lifetime begin by the age of fourteen (WHO, 2005). Mental health disorders often diagnosed during childhood include: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, autistic disorder, anxiety, social phobia and obsessive compulsive disorder and mood disorders such as depression. Mental illness is all too common - the Kansas state statistics reflect that of Kansas’s approximately 2.8 million residents, close to 95,000 adults live with serious mental illness, and about 31,000 children live with serious mental health conditions. Douglas County is not immune, as the hospital discharge rate for mental health disorders in children age 15 and younger was 29.29% per 10,000 in 2012 (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2012). The consequences for untreated mental illness bear a burden that is both deadly and costly. In 2006, 379 Kansans died by suicide, which is often the result of untreated or undertreated mental illness. Nationally, a life is lost to suicide every 15.8 minutes, with suicide being the eleventh-leading cause of death overall and the third-leading cause of death among youth (aged 15 and younger) and young adults (aged 15-24). Kansas reported that during the 2006-07 school years, roughly 53 percent of students aged 14-18 who were living with serious mental health conditions dropped out of high school. Currently, mental health services in Kansas are inadequate to meet the needs of the people when the public mental health system only provides services to approximately 15 percent of adults who live with serious mental illness throughout the state. The break-down of services shows in our criminal justice system, too, where in 2006, 1,053 children were incarcerated in Kansas’s juvenile justice system, and Nationally, 70 percent of youth in juvenile justice systems suffer mental illness, while 20 percent are experiencing a severe mental health condition (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 2012). Good mental health status is an important aspect of a child’s life in terms of both cognitive and social development and is a gateway to becoming a healthy adult. Research shows that children raised in an environment filled with love, trust, compassion and understanding are provided with the stepping stones to create a healthy, productive lifestyle (Friesen, 2010). Unfortunately, many children do not have that experience, and instead are subjected to constant negativity, resentment, hatred, distrust, abuse and dysfunction. These children often experience depression, anxiety, suffer from low self-esteem, have difficulty dealing with their emotions and struggle educationally. Often, these children grow up to become involved in unhealthy lifestyle decisions. However, with early and alternative intervention, such as animal assisted therapy, children can learn to overcome the issues that affect them, leading to living happier, more promising lives (Friesen, 2010). Animal-Assisted Therapy is a relatively new approach being used to treat depression, anxiety, Autistic Disorder and more. Canine-assisted therapy is used to reduce stress and calm children with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Animal-Assisted Therapy dogs are also used to help children learn to read and as a conversation topic between therapists and children. Research has validated what every pet owner already knows: interactions with animals can reduce stress levels and increase a sense of well-being (Blascovich, 1991). Animals create enormous motivation in people of all ages and can be an integral component in the success of treatments and educational programs. Loving Paws will offer education, training, certification, guidance and support to the therapy teams while connecting with various organizations and settings (hospitals, nursing homes, detention centers, schools, the Courts and Hospice) who could benefit from the program and utilization of a therapy team. Loving Paws will offer animal-assisted therapy training, testing and certification for volunteers and their animals, as well as provide working therapy teams throughout the community through visits to community centers, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, nursing care facilities, palliative care facilities, the County Jail, juvenile detention centers, the Douglas County Court system, public and private schools and to the University of Kansas. Loving Paws will also participate in the R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs) program, which is a national program where volunteer therapy teams go to schools, libraries and other settings and sere as ‘reading companions’ for children. Loving Paws will also provide education to the community about the human-animal bond and its strength and importance, as well as working to teach children about the responsibility of pet ownership and how to be safe around dogs. Loving Paws will collaborate with the local animal shelter and local rescue groups as well as various other social service organizations to network services and offerings.
