Celebrate National Therapy Animal Day

April 30th has been designated National Therapy Animal Day. As a tribute to these hard working, and often overlooked, animals… our Dog Blog will look into the history of the use of therapy animals, the state of therapy animals today, and provide a list of how many “non-traditional” animals are now being certified as Therapy Animals.

Our own Freddie was a shining example of a successful therapy dog. Fred would work diligently with children, in hospitals, with the elderly, in schools, and in an impromptu fashion with random people who he met on the street. Freddie had a keen sense of peoples moods and emotions, which made him perfect for the job.

What Makes a Great Therapy Animal?

Not every animal is a great candidate for a job in therapy. Sure, we’d all like to think that our precious dogs or cats could put on the vest and help others cope… mostly because that’s exactly what they do for us in our homes. However, the reality is, there are far less animals that possess the temperament. A great therapy animal must have the following qualities to even be considered for the position…

  • Great with all people. A therapy animal must love meeting new people, shows a genuine joy and acceptance of strangers and new places, likes to be touched, and has an even temperament.

  • Show No Signs of Stress.  Often therapy animals are used in some places that radiate negative energy. Hospitals, nursing homes, and schools are just some of the places where therapy animals do the greatest good. However, those places are full of people that are emotionally down, people that are sick and dying, people who have little hope or are stressed and indifferent. There could be strange noise, loud talking, odd smells, or lots of commotion and movement. A great therapy animal may be startled at first but quickly adapts to the situation at hand.

  • In Tip/Top Physical Shape. Your animal must be physically well and up to the hours needed to work in therapy. They should be free of illness or conditions that cause them pain to walk or sit for long periods of time. Pets with disabilities often make awesome therapy pets, but they must be physically strong enough to handle the job.

  • Cool with Other Animals. In some settings, a group of therapy animals are invited into a single setting to cover a larger group of people. Examples of this are hospitals and nursing homes. Be sure your candidate is friendly with meeting and interacting with strange animal partners. Nothing turns a positive situation sour like a dog fight or unexpected commotion. Your therapy pet should be focused on the job, not on other animals.

  • Always in Good Spirits with Good Behavior. Therapy work is long hours with lots of variables that can change in an instant. A child could act out, grab the animal, there could be loud voices or people in great distress. You want a therapy animal that is even tempered, not overly excited to meet new people but tolerant and happy to see them. Watch your pets reactions and interactions in your home. How they act when tired, when put in a stressful situation, when approached by strangers, when introduced to new animals, can tell you how they would react in a strange place and lots of new people touching them.

  • Older and Wiser is Better. Pets mature, grow calmer, adapt to change, and set up in routines faster as they age. They gradually form an individual personality, and they know what they like and dislike. A young animal might be cute, fuzzy, and full of energy… but they are fairly unpredictable. Most therapy animals are older, wiser, and can adapt to the ever changing environment and people they will encounter.

  • Trainable and adaptable. A good therapy animal doesn’t need to have deep military style training, but they do need to know, understand, and perform, some basic commands like sit, stay, heel, down, come, and leave-it. They will be free to interact with people, so they won’t likely need to follow a lot of commands while doing the job, but should there be a need, the animal must know and obey basic commands to bring themselves under control and be safe. When the therapy animal is calm, people are generally drawn to them and will be calm as well.

What Animals are Used as Therapy Animals?

Dogs and horses have long been used in the therapy world. In fact, the first recognized and recorded use of therapy animals was in 600BC, when Greeks noticed how the presence of horses seemed to lift the spirits of seriously ill patients. Even before that, man domesticated dogs and they became companion animals, having an emotional and soothing impact on their people.

Today a variety of different animal species can be used as therapy pets. Outside of horses and dogs, species such as cats, rabbits, donkeys, pigs, snakes, sheep, birds (parrots), squirrels, ferrets, monkeys, rads, goats, turtles, rodents, and hedgehogs have all performed therapy duties. Humans normally respond to cuddly, loving, calm, gentle, social, playful, and happy animals.

How do I Get my Pet Certified as a Therapy Animal?

Once you’ve targeted and qualified your pet as having the right temperament, social skills, health, cooperation factors, ability to obey simple commands on demand, and know they can adapt to changing situations, venues, and people… then your animal needs to take a course with an accredited therapy dog organization and they will need to pass a series of tests. These test will confirm your dogs behavior, skills, health, cooperation level, and ability to interact with strangers.  Minimum requirements to take a course are an animal with a calm and friendly temperament that is at least one year old.

Organizations like the American Kennel Club (AKC) for dogs, Pet Partners, The Good Dog Foundation for dogs, Love on a Leash, and the International Society for Animal Assisted Therapy (ISAAT) all have the needed training and testing to get your animal certified for therapy work. You can start small by taking therapy animal “prep” classes at your local PetSmart or PetCo. This will give you a broader idea on if your pet is really a candidate for therapy work.

What Happens AFTER my Animal is Fully Certified and Ready to Go to Work?

Once fully certified, you can start to seek jobs for your animal. Believe it or not, places like ZipRecruiter and other job boards list open positions for therapy animals. In addition, there are therapy animal recruiters or companies that partner with hospitals, schools, retirement homes, and other venues to provide therapy animals on a regular schedule. You’ll even see therapy animals at airports, big business and corporations buildings, yoga classes, and many other mainstream locations. Even some veterinarians, coffee shops, and bookstores have their own full time therapy animals on staff. Where there are emotional people dealing with stressful situations or coping with the outcome of a personal disaster, you’ll now find therapy animals being deployed. It’s a fact that people respond to animals, animals sense the emotional state of humans and naturally comfort them. Its a bond centuries old that continues today.

Whats the Difference Between a Therapy Animal and an Emotional Support Animal?

A therapy animal is normally seen in group or public setting, often with other therapy animals. The goal of animal assisted therapy is to alleviate or help people cope with some symptoms of various conditions where possible. A therapy animal must have designated training and pass a course.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) provide essential companionship and emotional support to individuals dealing with mental health or emotional disorders. They are usually paired with one person and that individual is in a bonded relationship with the animal. Emotional support animals are routinely used to help reduce a humans symptoms of depression, anxiety, and/or loneliness. There’s no requirement for ESAs to undergo specific training; however, they should be well-behaved in public and not pose a threat to others. You must obtain an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional, including those in the American Service Pets Provider Network, but not certification/training classes are required. Research your state and local requirements regarding a ESA to assure you are within the stated laws for your area. 

Therapy Animals provide humans with much needed emotional support and stress relief. The powers of an animals natural need to comfort someone in distress is amazing. Its a gift of healing when these fur friends turn frowns to smiles, and help someone feel less alone with their burden.

That’s all for today’s Dog Blog. We hope you’ve learned something from today’s FreddieSez, and that you’ll take “paws” to thank a therapy dog on Aprils 30th, their special day of recognition.

Look for more pet related blog topics in the upcoming weeks. April Showers bring May flowers, and the return of fleas and ticks. Be sure your fur kids are up-to-date with their prevention medications so they will have a pest free spring and summer. Until we talk again, treat your pets like family and your family will only grow happier… #FreddieSez!

Research Partners for Today’s Blog