This piece is dedicated to my lovely parakeet Saki Vino who passed away the 29th of December 2012. This bird served as a source of comfort, love and relief to me during the time I spent at home recuperating. I still continue to recuperate from trauma sustained from car accidents, and will miss my little buddy. The presence, interaction and chirping of the bird gave me great joy especially when I was in a lot of pain. The daily interaction we had: by feeding, talking, petting and playing would bring me peace of mind and I would not think about the pain as much. Is it possible that pets, and trained animals that visit nursing homes are truly providing therapy by interacting with sick persons?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Pet Therapy also known as Animal-assisted therapy can help with healing, depression and fatigue. This type of therapy is growing rapidly, and uses animals such as dogs, cats, and birds. It has been shown to help those with terminal diseases, cancer and mental health disorders to cope better, be entertained and comforted (Mayo Clinic, 2012).
In addition to allopathic medical treatments, Pet Therapy can be a wonderful addition to give your loved ones joy, comfort and relief. If you have a pet and are visiting a sick loved one, it does not hurt to check with the nursing home, hospital or the person you are visiting if they live at home if it is all right to bring your pet along. If you don’t have a pet and would like your loved one to have a visit please feel free to check out The Therapy Dog Organizations. This is just one of many organizations that list Pet Therapy services. If you are interested in volunteering with your pet or want to volunteer in general a good place to start is Pet Partners. They say the little things in life make a big difference, and Pet Therapy is one of these things.
Pets are wonderful, healing; helping and if they can bring you joy to you and others, that is priceless. For more information on Pet Therapy please visit the links below.
http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/programs/animal-assisted-therapy/
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