RESEARCH - A Family Dog Boosts Physical Activity of Disabled Kids

It’s well known that animal companions, service and therapy dogs can positively impact people’s health and well-being.

A recent case study has also shown that a family dog can help individuals with cerebral palsy by boosting their physical activity.

Researchers from Oregon State University studied a ten-year-old boy and his dog after initial assessments of the child’s daily physical activity, motor skills and quality of life.

A veterinarian examined the dog’s fitness for participation, and the interaction between the dog, a year-old pomeranian, and the child was also assessed.

Researchers designed an adapted physical activity, animal-assisted intervention where the family dog would serve as a partner with the child in physical activities.

The eight week program included a supervised physical activity program once a week for 60 minutes and participation in activities such as brushing the dog with each hand; playing fetch and alternating hands; balancing on a wobble board; and marching on a balancing disc.

The child wore a device to measure activity levels and had homework between the supervised weekly programs.

At the conclusion of the intervention, researchers re-assessed and found the child’s quality of life had increased significantly in several areas, including emotional, social and physical health, as assessed by the child as well as the parent.

In addition, the child’s sedentary behavior decreased and time spent on moderate to vigorous activity increased dramatically.

“These initial findings indicate that we can improve the quality of life for children with disabilities, and we can get them to be more active,” Megan MacDonald, an assistant professor in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences and corresponding author on the study, said in a release.

The researchers also found that the relationship between the dog and the child improved over the course of the therapy as they worked together on various tasks.

The dog’s prosocial, or positive, behaviour toward the child is a sign of wellbeing for both members of the team.

Based on the initial results, researchers hope to pursue additional studies involving children with disabilities and their family dogs, if funding can be secured.

Oregon families interested in learning more about future research projects related to this work can contact Megan MacDonald to be included on an interest list.

RESEARCH - Study to Analyze Effectiveness of Animal Assisted Therapy for Abused Children

Penn State researchers have been awarded a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grant to learn more about animal-assisted therapy in child abuse situations.

Brian Allen, a co-funded faculty member at Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network, and his team will be analyzing the effectiveness of integrating animals into Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy —TF-CBT.

“TF-CBT is a structured, 12-session treatment for children who have experienced maltreatment such as physical or sexual abuse or exposure to inter-partner violence,” Allen told Penn State News.

During treatment the child is exposed to their memories and and thoughts related to the abuse.

Allen and his team will look at approximately 60 maltreated children ages six to 17,

half of whom will receive animal-assisted therapy during their TF-CBT sessions.

“We will compare the groups and measure outcomes such as the improvement of post-traumatic stress, along with reductions in depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems,” Allen said. “Our ultimate goal is to determine if animals enhance or weaken the effects of TF-CBT.”

Researchers will also look at therapy retention rates, child and caregiver satisfaction ratings, and how often treatments were missed or shortened due to the animal being unavailable or disruptive.

While the children’s responses are being measured, so are the animals.

Therapy animals will be assessed for stress as a result of being present during treatment.

Researchers will measure animal stress by assessing saliva cortisol levels in the therapy animals, as well as the animals’ behaviour.

“This study will be the first to address animal-assisted therapy for the treatment of maltreated children along with determining the impact of participation on the animals,” said Allen.

Many believe the presence of animals helps children cope with distress - allowing for greater discussion of traumatic memories, as well as improving the rapport between child and clinician.

This study will provide more data about the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy, specifically for children who have been abused.

Penn State’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network's research efforts focus on the causes, prevention, detection, consequences, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

RESEARCH - Therapeutic Riding Improves Autistic Children's Interaction With Pets

Researchers with the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado undertook the first known study to examine the effects of therapeutic riding in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on their caring behaviours towards domestic pets.

Past studies have examined whether social skills are impacted by animal assisted therapy with dogs, and how dogs in the home positively impact caregivers.

Service dogs are now being trained for individuals with ASD, but this look at therapeutic riding is new.

A total of 67 children between the ages of six and 16 participated in the study.

31 took part in a therapeutic riding program and the remainder were involved with barn activities for 10 weeks.

The riding program included learning about horses as well as time in the saddle.

The barn activity group learned about horses, safety rules and horse care, but they had no physical contact with horses.

A consistent caregiver completed questionnaires about participants’ interactions with their household pets before and after the program.

Caregivers of therapeutic riding group participants reported significant improvements in participants’ caring actions with the family pet compared with the barn activity group.

The findings support previous studies that show interaction with animals can have a positive impact on children with ASD.

Researchers concluded: “Engaging with horses during a standard therapeutic riding intervention protocol may generalize to improving caring actions toward family pets in children and adolescents with ASD.

“Moving forward, measuring how caregivers and family functioning are also impacted by the human–animal interaction may be useful.”

RESEARCH - Pets Help People With Serious Mental Illness

Pets are good for people’s stress and physical health, can provide therapy at airports, in courtrooms and hospitals, and a new study suggests they can also have a significant impact on people with serious mental illness.

Helen Brooks, a mental health researcher at University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and her team interviewed 54 people with long-term, serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The scientists asked who they went to when they needed help or advice, where they gained emotional support and encouragement and how they spent their days. Twenty-five of them identified having a pet in their social network.

Participants were given a diagram with three consecutive circles radiating out from a square representing the participant.

They were asked ‘Who or what do you think is most important to you in managing your mental health?’ and wrote the places, people and things that gave them support in the circles, with the circles closest to the center being the most important.

Sixty percent of the people who considered pets to be a part of their social networks placed them in the central, most important circle. 20 percent placed pets in the second circle.

"Many felt deep emotional connections with their pet that weren't available from friends and family," Brooks told NPR.

(Example network diagram, Brooks)

The interviews revealed more about why the pets are so important.

"[Pets] don't look at the scars on your arms," one participant said. "They don't question where you've been."

"They force me, the cats force me to sort of still be involved," said another.

These research results echo a study done in 2009 which also found pets provide empathy and therapy, connections to the outside world, family, and an increase is self-efficacy/self-worth.

However that study also pointed out “the responsibility of caring for pets, while often empowering, can sometimes exacerbate symptoms for already stressed and vulnerable individuals.”

Both studies agree pets should be part of the intake and treatment plan for individuals with mental health issues.

Pets can be included in risk assessments because patients with animals often say they help keep them from following through on suicidal thinking.

Aftercare planning can involve walking and grooming pets as part of a routine.

Brooks hopes her study results will encourage more health workers to consider incorporating pets into care plans for people with serious mental illness.

HEALTH - The First Airport Therapy Pig

(Courtesy San Francisco International Airport)

LiLou’s job at the San Francisco International Airport is the same as the rest of her Wag Brigade team - to reduce traveller’s stress through animal assisted therapy.

The difference with LiLou? She’s a pig - likely the first animal therapy pig working at an airport.

While her work at the airport started this week, LiLou has been busy at senior’s centres and hospitals since she completed animal assisted therapy training at the San Francisco SPCA.

“We have more than 300 dog, cat and rabbit volunteer teams, but LiLou is the first pig in our program,” said Dr. Jennifer Henley, SF SPCA Animal Assisted Therapy manager.

LiLou is a Juliana pig, a breed that typically grows to be 30-50 pounds and 13-15 inches high, and can do tricks including playing a piano.

Like the more common therapy animals, LiLou had to complete the full training program and pass an evaluation before starting visits and joining the airport team.

“Since its launch in 2013, the SFO Wag Brigade has become a favorite amenity among travelers,” said Director-Guest Experience Christopher Birch. “With the addition of LiLou, we can look forward to more moments of surprise and delight for guests at our airport.”

Canine programs are becoming more common at North American airports including Calgary, who launched the Pre-Board Pals program this year, Denver and Los Angeles to name a few.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport conducted a pilot program in the spring using miniature therapy horses.

Medical studies have proven the benefits of animal therapy programs including a reduction in pain, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

Airport animal programs strive to reduce anxiety for travellers - not only when they fear flying but also due to delays, and to create a more pleasant travel experience.

INNOVATE - Assisted Living Residents Save Orphan Kittens

The Pima Animal Care Centre (PACC) has partnered with Catalina Springs Memory Care in Oro Valley to provide the bottle feeding, socialization and love orphaned kittens need to survive and thrive.

(Pima Animal Care Center)

This innovative program was seen by PACC as a way to save kittens and by the Catalina Springs Memory Care board as a positive way to enrich its residents’ lives.

Catalina Springs serves the special needs of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other forms of memory loss.

“To some it may seem peculiar at first: Residents who are in need of around-the-clock care themselves, given the task to care for these young kittens,” Catalina Springs Memory Care executive director Sharon Mercer, said in a statement.

“But there are skills, emotions and needs that do not just leave a person with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. The desire to give love and receive love remains. The kittens have given us the opportunity to nurture this human condition that lies in each and every one of our residents.”

Catalina Springs staff are involved to ensure cats don’t miss a feeding and all their needs are met.

The first two kittens to go through the program, Peaches and Turtle, arrived in mid-October and with great weight gain and socialization, they are thriving.

The residents seem to love it too.

"They [seem to] recognize them as babies, and the human instinct to nurture just kicks in automatically," Rebecca Hamilton, health service director at Catalina Springs, told Upworthy.

"We have noticed that [in] interacting with the kittens, we have residents who struggled with putting complete sentences together, or struggled to find words, could all of a sudden communicate," Hamilton continued. "They could look at you and say, 'This kitten is hungry' or 'I love this little baby.'"

The program gives individuals residing in an assisted living facility a sense of purpose and improves the quality of their lives.

Its success showcases the power and beauty of the human animal bond.

While animal therapy has been shown to have a positive impact, adding the extra dimension of providing care and having responsibility for the animals seems to take the outcome to another level.

It won’t be surprising to see other animal and assisted living organizations implementing similar programs.

HEALTH - Therapy Dogs Provide Comfort in Funeral Homes

It’s become the norm to see therapy animals in hospitals and seniors residences, but now they are also working in funeral homes.

(Lulu)

Goldendoodle Lulu has been a ‘staff member’ at Ballard-Durand Funeral & Cremation Services since May 2015.

Her role is to provide comfort and healing to people who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

Matthew Fiorillo, president of the White Plains, New York, funeral home, told TODAY, "She's developed an uncanny knack for knowing who needs her. She'll park herself right next to an older person to let them pet her one minute and the next she's prancing around with kids. It's been really impressive to watch."

"Humans need to touch," Fiorillo said. "Even just petting her can be a subtle distraction from the tremendous amount of grief people are going through."

Lulu's work doesn’t just involve being there for support during the planning of the service, most of the clients request her presence at the service itself.

Hennessey Funeral Home in Spokane, Washington has also brought a dog into their business.

A four-month-old labradoodle puppy named Paddy is currently in training and has been practicing greeting people.

"He'll be able to quietly help out where needed in regard to helping people deal with emotions of grief," Scott Dahl, the managing partner at Hennessey Funeral Home and Paddy's owner, told KHQ News.

Medical studies have proven the benefits of animal therapy programs including a reduction in pain, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

With the variety of programs now in place, from prisons, to airports and funeral homes, it’s clear pet therapy has gained support well beyond the healthcare field.

Pet and Prisoner Programs Thriving

Metal bars cannot separate the complex bond between humans and animals.

Pet therapy – be it cuddling kittens, petting pooches or working with horses – has become a thriving industry and is eliciting a positive response as it works its way through the therapy regimes in North American prison systems.

The Metropolitan Correction Center in Lower Manhattan, NY is on the verge of launching its own ‘pooch pilot program’, created by Kimberly Collica-Cox, an associate professor at Pace University’s Criminal Justice Department.

The 14-week pilot project is slated to launch January 2017 and is designed for incarcerated women with children. Two dogs will be used to reunite prison moms with their children in six-hour reunion sessions at the correctional center.

Cost for the program is budgeted at $250,000 over the two-year pilot period.

“The women are in need of programming,” said Collica-Cox. “There's a real need for having dogs. They really have this interest in having animals come into the facility.”

Due to their overwhelmingly positive reception, pet-prisoner initiative programs have become staple programs in some institutions.

The Prison Pet Partnership (PPP) at the Washington Corrections Center for Women – a maximum security facility - connects  unwanted dogs with inmates for three-month cycles. The belief is that the prisoners will relate to the unwanted animal and be given purpose by providing love and nurturance to an animal otherwise unloved.

Through the relationship she builds with her assigned dog, it is believed the inmate will garner both life and job skills and gain a sense of self-worth or confidence boost to see beyond her present circumstances.

(Washington State Corrections Center for Women)

The women also work with training service dogs.

It started under the leadership of Sister Pauline Quinn in 1991, with the idea that these prisoners could assist in training these dogs to work with persons with disabilities.

Once an inmate is assigned a dog, that canine then becomes her full-time responsibility. Senior program participant inmates teach tricks of the trade to program newcomers.

The inmate gains skills. The dog becomes trained for service.

Since its inception, the program has been viewed a ‘huge success’ and hundreds of dogs have gone through the program and been placed into the community as service, seizure and therapy dogs. It has been referred to as a ‘model’ for other pet-prisoner initiatives.

Most states continue to offer some type of dog training and/or adoption programs in prisons.

Even from the inside, dog remains (wo)man’s best friend.

By Lindsay Seewalt

Lindsay is an experienced journalist and mother of three whose heart and home is always open to a four-legged friend. With her Corgi, Angie, as household editor-in-chief, Lindsay gives back to the animal planet through the written word on anything and all ado about pets. She is passionate about topics regarding animal welfare and responsible pet ownership, which she aims to instill in both her readers and children to be compassionate animal lovers who are conscious and considerate that furry friends around the globe deserve a voice.

Therapy Dogs Help Olympic Trial Swimmers

ORLIN WAGNER/AP

The swimmers weren’t the only ones working at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Omaha, Nebraska this last week.

Over 1700 swimmers met to compete for a spot on the U.S. team heading to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics in August, and about 30 therapy dogs were brought in to help out.

Although most of the athletes didn’t have a chance at a spot, all of them felt the pressure of the event. It’s the only qualifying meet for the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, and even for the swimmers who don’t make the Olympic team it’s an important opportunity to experience big-league competition.

It’s all pretty stressful, which is why Morgan Weinberg, the program and services manager for USA Swimming, got in touch with Domesti-PUPS to bring in the service dogs.

The pups hung out in the athletes lounge, waiting to spring into action for the athletes. (“Spring into action,” in this case, often meant rolling over for a tummy rub or snuggling up for a cuddle.) The dogs worked three-hour shifts, four at a time, so that there were always dogs available in the lounge during the morning preliminaries and all but the last evening final.

Therapy dogs are showing up more and more in high-pressure environments like the swim meet, or in University libraries during finals week.

Domesti-PUPS is just one of many organizations that provide therapy dogs for a variety of situations, from hospitals, hospices, and physical therapy settings to classrooms, schools, and homes.

The non-profit organization even has dogs specifically trained for being petted, since bonding with an animal can sometimes be easier for people than bonding with other people.

Sandy Ludwig, who works with Domesti-PUPS, told The New York Times, “Anywhere there's an elevated level of stress, we can take our dogs and try to de-stress them."

An all-or-nothing meet, with the potential to send an athlete to the Olympics or send them back home, is definitely an environment full of elevated stress, and the pups did their jobs helping the athletes stay calm and focused.

By Tiffany Sostar

Tiffany is a writer, editor, academic, and animal lover who came late to her appreciation of pets. At 18, a rescue pup named Tasha saved her from a depression and she hasn't looked back. She has worked as the canine behaviour program coordinator for the Calgary Humane Society, and was a dog trainer specializing in working with fearful and reactive dogs for many years. She doesn't have any pets right now, but makes up for it by giving her petsitting clients (and any dogs she comes across on her frequent coffee shop adventures) extra snuggles.

Hospitals Let Pets Visit Sick Owners

(purina.com)

Studies have shown that spending time with pets can reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue in people with a wide range of health issues, and those staying in long-term care facilities.

Many hospitals have pet therapy programs, where specially trained pets come to a hospital or other health care facility and visit. But when it's the patient’s own pet visiting, it can be even more special.

With this in mind, Jill Malan, manager of Child Life Services at St. Louis Children's Hospital proposed a room at the hospital which could facilitate visits between patients and their cats and dogs.

"Our doctors see every day the importance of medicine and world class technology," said Malan. "We see every day the impact a child's emotional well-being has on their overall recovery."

Purina provided a $450,000 donation for construction and staffing of the Purina Family Pet Center which opened this month.

The Center gives patients the opportunity to see their pets without leaving the building, their doctors or the technology on which so many of them rely.

The 300-square-foot room, adjacent to the hospital's second-floor entrance, features washable surfaces and windows to provide natural light. It can accommodate a child in a wheelchair or hospital bed, and provides a comfortable, private visiting space for the child, pet and family. It will also include toys for the pets and Purina treats.

The Juravinski Hospital, a small health-care facility in Hamilton, Ontario allows a patient’s pet to visit in their hospital room. Each pet who comes to visit must be bathed first, healthy and well-tempered. The animals are also not allowed to have any contact with other patients.

That program was launched by Donna Jenkins in 2015 after her 25-year-old nephew, Zachary, begged her to let him see his dogs one last time before he died.

"Before he died, he made me promise that we would have an organization available that if any patient at Juravinski wanted to see their pet, they had that opportunity," Jenkins told CTV.

The Faithful Friends program at the University of Maryland Medical Centre, which has been running since 2008, allows both cats and dogs to visit their owners for the entire day.

The Faithful Friends program is generally used by patients who are hospitalized for longer periods, those potentially approaching end of life or patients whose pet is suffering from duress by being separated from his owner.

The Wolfston Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville Florida has a Healing Paws program that allows patient’s dogs to visit for up to an hour.

"The dogs get so excited to see their human again, and the kids really perk up when they know their pet is going to visit," Pat Kirkland, manager of Family Support Services and head of the Healing Paws program says. "If we can make their day a little bit brighter by bringing in their best friend, we consider that an accomplishment."

Canine Therapy Program Takes Off at Calgary Airport

(PALS)

The Calgary Airport Authority launched a new program featuring canine companions to enhance the passenger experience at Calgary International Airport (YYC).

The Pre-Board Pals program will see therapy dogs in its pre-boarding areas three days a week as a way to reduce stress among travellers.

“Pre-Board Pals demonstrates our commitment and passion for providing an amazing airport experience at YYC,” said Garth Atkinson, President & CEO for The Calgary Airport Authority. “With millions of guests travelling through our airport each year, we know that our new pals will be another positive touchpoint for our passengers.”

Dogs, provided by Pet Access League Society (PALS), are family pets that have been carefully screened by professionals as to suitability for the PALS program.

Diana Segboer, Executive Director for PALS says, “We have an incredible team of dogs, and handlers, that the passengers at Calgary International Airport are absolutely going to love. Our teams look forward to sharing the power of puppy love at YYC.”

Medical studies have proven the benefits of animal therapy programs including a reduction in pain, depression, anxiety and fatigue.

The Calgary initiative is one of many canine programs offered by a variety of airports. Denver International Airport even features ID photos of the dogs in their Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS) on their website.

In Los Angeles, Pets Unstressing Passengers (PUP) program therapy dogs and handlers roam the departures levels in the gate areas of each terminal, visiting passengers awaiting flights and providing comfort, as well as airport information. The program educates and informs passengers about the LAX projects and construction related traffic impacts.

National Therapy Animal Day

National Therapy Animal Day was created in 2015 by Pet Partners to recognize all of the exceptional therapy animals who partner with their human companions to bring comfort and healing to those in need. 

This year, the celebration takes place April 30th.

According to Pet Partners, the goals of National Therapy Animal Day include:

• Recognize and honour therapy animals
• Raise awareness and educate the public about the role therapy animals play in enhancing the health and well being of humans
• Honour the thousands of dedicated handlers (the human members of therapy animal teams) who volunteer their time and compassion during visits.

The Canadian Service Dog Foundation defines three different types of therapy animals.

Therapeutic Visitation Animals are the most commonly used therapy animals. Most often these animals are a family pet whose owner has an interest in sharing the joy of animal companionship with those who may otherwise not have that luxury.

Animal-Assisted Therapy Animals are specifically trained to support the efforts of physical rehabilitation and occupational therapists to meet the needs of a person's recovery program. The animals encourage patients to work on fine motor skills, range of motion, balance, and interactive skills.

Facility Therapy Animals normally reside at the facility in which they are employed. Long-term care facilities, nursing homes, Alzheimers and psychiatric units are all examples of facilities that frequently benefit from their services. These animals are unique in that they generally don't have one owner/handler but rather they work alongside facility staff.

This year Pet Partners is selling special t-shirts and sweatshirts to raise funds for their animal therapy teams. They are available until April 9th.