Animals Helping Humans, Part 3: Horses
Equine animal-assisted therapy is beneficial in that horses are very good at mirroring the mood of the human they work with. Horses also need more grooming than cats or dogs, and patients find the repetitive motions of grooming to be calming. People in physical therapy who ride horses often find that the calm walking gait […]
The World of Animal Assisted Therapy at Sea
Each day, 1 FUR 1 Foundation works to support animal assisted therapy and activity programs. Often, those programs involve familiar companion animals such as cats and dogs. But as animal-assisted therapies gain in popularity, we’re seeing more programs centered around exotic creatures and even marine life. We talked to Hannah Fraser, a model and dedicated marine-life […]
Animals Helping Humans, Part 1: Dogs
Dogs are the most popular pets in the U.S. — 36.5% of U.S. households owning at least one dog. When asked why they own a dog, many people answer “for companionship” or “stress release.” Neuroscience studies supports these claims, showing that the presence of a pet correlates with increased release of beta-endorphins and oxytocin (“relaxing” […]
What If…Earth Continues to Get Hotter?
With another successful Earth Day coming and going, we should all pat ourselves on the back for all the eco-friendly things we do such as conserving water and recycling. But we must also realize that we need to take additional steps in order to begin reversing global warming. I’d like to take this opportunity to […]
Top Traits of Therapy Dogs
Many people want to make a difference by volunteering with their pet in an animal assisted therapy setting, but not every animal is right for it. There are a few common traits that you should make sure your pet has before training them to be a therapy animal. 1. The dog should be calm in […]
Man’s Best (& Oldest) Friend
Animals and humans have worked together in therapeutic relationships for more than 12,000 years. Scientists proved this when they found a 12,000-year-old human skeleton in Israel, holding close the skeletal remains of a puppy. The history of the human-canine bond starts even earlier than that, however humans and wolves, the ancestor of our domestic dogs, […]
Animal Assisted Therapy Helps Alzheimer’s & Dementia Patients
Alzheimer’s and dementia are lonely diseases. Diagnosed patients get frustrated and anxious in social situations and choose to isolate themselves from people. This is where animal assisted therapy programs come in. Animal-assisted therapy programs benefit Alzheimer’s and dementia patients by promoting social interaction. “Sometimes you get a resident here who is not very social, keeping […]
Photo Doggies for Anthony
When friends of cancer patient Anthony Lyons of Phoenix, AZ, posted a request on Facebook for “photo doggies for Anthony” to cheer him up, they did not anticipate the overwhelming response the request would receive. Lyons, 16, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia last July. Therapy dogs visit him twice a week at Phoenix Children’s […]
Where did Dolphin Assisted Therapy Get Its Start
Many people come back from their Hawaiian vacations excitedly telling a story of how they swam with dolphins, mentioning how relaxing and amazing it was. However, swimming with dolphins can be more than just a great anecdote from a fun trip. This type of therapy is typically utilized on patients who suffer from Down syndrome, […]