Can dogs get AIDS?

December 1, 6:42 PMDogs ExaminerStephanie Modkins

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Therapy Dog Type: Seeing Eye Dog. Just another way they help people.  (Photo by L. Tote/Sxc.hu)

Can dogs get AIDS? This question is the one I asked myself today after finding out it was World AIDS Day. For those of you who don’t know, AIDS stands for auto immune deficiency syndrome. It is a blood disease that has ravaged Africa and different segments of America. For this reason, the search continues for a cure. The good news is that our canine friends don’t have to worry about it. There are no reported cases of AIDS in dogs. The main way dogs are connected to this disease is through therapy.

Therapy dogs trained to provide comfort and love to people suffering from AIDS and other disease are a welcome presence in the medical community. According to 2007 statistics, about 18000 canines were registered with Therapy Dogs International. This organization lists strict requirements for their registered dogs with the hopes of providing the best canine therapy to sick people. Below are just a few of the things they ask of a potential volunteer.

A dog must be . . .
* Accepting of a friendly stranger
* Able to sit quietly while being petted
* Comfortable with distractions and medical equipment
* Willing to obey commands like “sit” and “come”

Other things like the health of the dog and the character of the dog handler come into play too. The leaders of Therapy Dogs International are serious about their organization and the dogs they associate with it.. For this reason, they limit the amount of dogs accepted each year.

So, once again, dogs come to man’s rescue and prove what it truly means to be a friend. As we all probably know, some people won’t associate with anyone who has AIDS, even if it’s a loved one. This reality is a shame considering the pain and suffering that people who succumb to this disease go through.

If you want to learn more about how AIDS is affecting the world, click  here, then consider how you can help fight this disease. Whether it’s in educating an ignorant friend or child about how to not get it or donating money, any way you can help fight AIDS will be appreciated. Also, if you have a dog that would benefit from going into therapy, sign him up for a class in your area. It is just one way that you both can do something good for society together.