Using therapy dogs effectively within public health

Domestic animals are routinely used in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, nursing homes, mental health units, physician offices, prisons, and businesses. Therapeutic equine riding programs are becoming more common place, as horses are used to improve the physical and emotional health of children and adults alike in the field of hippotherapy. Dogs are frequent helpers to physical therapists with their patients. Fish are oftentimes seen in doctors' offices to decreases patient anxiety, and cats, rabbits, and dogs are becoming more frequent visitors to the elderly in nursing homes. Therapy dogs are becoming more common place in the role as hospital visitors as professionals better understand and appreciate the healing powers of the presence of animals. Llamas, dolphins, and cows are even mentioned throughout the literature as playing a valuable role in the field of AAA/T.

The field of Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy has exciting applications for substance abuse treatment and Public Health. This presentation will provide the basic information that professionals need to know about this research-based approach and how to apply it effectively in a public Health Setting. In this presentation, professionals will become familiar with this research-based approach that uses the human-animal bond as a tool to transform both the environment and the client. This is the ideal presentation for any professional who has a basic love of dogs and would like to understand how to credibly and effectively combine this love of dogs with sound clinical practice.