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On this week’s show, Lori Hartwell and Stephen Furst speak with a specialist in
animal-assisted therapy. They discuss the influence that pets can have on our
lives and our health.
Have you ever thought about talking with the animals, like Eddie Murphy did in
the movie “Dr. Doolittle”? Maybe you already do. And if you’re like Lori, who
has an African gray parrot named Johnny, then you have a pet who will talk back!
All pets have a way of barking, cawing, meowing, and simply snuggling their way
into our hearts. And that’s a good thing, according to certified pet therapist
Deb Hurdle.
Pets provide us with companionship and unconditional love. But beyond that, they
can actually affect our health in a positive way. Says Deb: “Animals affect our
mood, and that can lower blood pressure” and even reduce the need for pain
medication in many situations. Lori--a real animal lover who also has two dogs
and a cat--agrees: “When I watch my pets play, it reduces my stress and anxiety.
It’s a wonderful way to relax.” Stephen, too, loves being around animals, and
especially likes coming home after a tough day to be greeted by his dog, “who’s
always so happy to see me.”
Sometimes, relaxation is just what’s needed in a medical setting, and that’s
where therapy pets come into play. What exactly is a therapy pet, you might ask?
“It’s a pet that loves to be loved,” says Deb. Therapy pets have been around a
long time. They used to be common only in senior centers or convalescent
centers, but now they’re also being used in the acute care setting. Lori
experienced this not too long ago while in the hospital for double
knee-replacement surgery, when a pet therapy dog came around to visit. Lori
“looked forward to it every day.”
“People do look forward to it,” says Deb. “It just does wonders for some
patients who are otherwise unresponsive. We’re all equal in the animals’ eyes.”
Deb’s therapy dog is named Rocky. He’s a six-and-a-half-year-old Pomeranian that
she rescued from the pound. Says Deb: “When he first walks into the hospital,
he’s excited. But when he gets to the patient’s room, he’s calm because he knows
he’s working.” Although they do work hard at what they do, therapy pets are
considered “feel-good” pets as opposed to true “working” pets such as seeing-eye
dogs.
Believe it or not, pet therapy is done on a volunteer basis. So what’s the
payoff for all this effort? Says Deb: “For Rocky, the payoff is that he feels
loved. For me, it’s seeing the positive responses of the patients that makes all
the hard work worth it.”
When asked if he enjoys working with the patients in the hospital, Rocky answers
with a resounding “Ruff!”
Can’t you just feel the love?
One way to request a pet visitor at your facility (if your facility allows it)
is by contacting the Delta Society, a nonprofit organization, at
www.deltasociety.org; (425) 226-7357.
The Delta Society’s national network links volunteer pet-owners with healthcare
facilities in their communities that request visiting pets. Critters that have
taken part in animal-assisted therapy include dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits,
horses, goats, llamas, donkeys, potbellied pigs, cockatoos, African gray
parrots, and chickens.
