There is a considerable body of literature on the benefits of animal therapy for people. This raises the question: Why is this not done more often? It may sometimes feel like a missed opportunity with thousands of animals on the streets and in public shelters.
There are animals in need of homes, and a true loneliness epidemic is spreading among people who have forgotten how to connect. One clear benefit is improved access to animal therapy, especially through PawzUp, which helps bring these services to those who need them most—children, individuals with disabilities, and people dealing with mental health challenges.
This joyful interaction would benefit both animals and humans. It could even be one of those moments when the world feels like a better place for everyone (well, for dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and humans, but it would still be quite impressive).
Animal therapy today
That said, we understand that modest animal organizations already provide animal-assisted therapy in hospitals, schools, and special clinics. However, the number of beneficiaries remains minimal compared to the potential and the need. The primary reason for this is the cost.
Some children on the spectrum would benefit from enjoyable, animal-assisted therapy and could make significant progress through this simple interaction. Additionally, there are elderly individuals in nursing homes who do not engage with anyone unless family members come to visit, which does not happen very often. Furthermore, there are ordinary people in need of any form of activity that will help them connect with another living being.
The problem seems to lie in how we refer to it as therapy and the benefits we expect from it. To a more straightforward approach, mere animal interaction is highly beneficial. However, for results to be registered and quantified, the authorities want clear data on progress across all listed categories, making animal-assisted therapy something less accessible than it could be.
Unless we are talking about any form of government subsidy that would cover the expense of this type of therapy when seen as vital in an individual’s recovery, people can rarely afford animal therapy. Why? Mainly because of the costs that organizations incur for this type of activity when it is done as a medical procedure. Firstly, the animals need to be trained in a specific way. Secondly, the organizations need on-site licensed therapists to document the patients’ progress.
Like any form of therapy, it must be done consistently and in a controlled environment. For those offering these services, this may suggest having a location referred to as a clinic, for instance. Some organizations circumvent this by bringing their services, along with the help of the animals they work with, to specific locations such as hospitals, schools, and nursing homes.
As astute observers of society and the bond between animals and humans, we must acknowledge that there is still a long way to go before we can claim that we utilized what we had to address what needed fixing. It is indeed a shame!
How is PawzUp proposing to offer animal therapy?
If there is one thing we know how to do best at ROLDA, it is managing resources to maximize everything and help as many of our animals as possible. Therefore, the notion that any resource could go to waste is nonexistent. Once we started viewing our beloved residents’ love for interaction as ‘resources,’ the ideas began to flow.
The center will be open to people from nearby communities. There will be areas for them to walk and interact with some of the residents we consider best suited for adoption. Once people are comfortable playing with the animals, we can build strong relationships and even pursue adoptions within these groups. Although this is not officially therapy, some people will come to see their visits here and the access to a good time spent in the company of animals as therapy.
Consistency is crucial for maximizing the benefits for all involved. Our goal in making the center open for visits is to help people become more accustomed to being around animals and, eventually, to take one home. However, we also recognize that not everyone can keep an animal, and these interactions may be their only opportunity. Therefore, we will encourage people to come and spend time with the animals, provided it benefits both parties.
ROLDA has organized trips to nursing homes where our dogs have brought great joy to the elderly residents. We plan to continue these visits and even expand them.
Therapy for the animals as well
Although we have emphasized the benefits these meetings offer to people, there are also advantages for the dogs. In addition to becoming familiar with people and, hopefully, enhancing their chances of being adopted, socialization serves as an effective means for them to address past traumas.
Since all our rescued dogs have spent time on the streets, many have been traumatized by their interactions with humans. Before determining that they are ready for adoption, we must ensure that they undergo a process of rehabilitation.
With hundreds of dogs in our shelter each day, no matter how hard we try, there isn’t enough time to pet and cuddle each one at least once. Despite having a permanent staff and volunteers on rotation, some dogs miss out on socializing and human contact. We can see they are sad because of this. Therefore, they would benefit from interacting with people just as much as they would benefit from interacting with each other.
For some of our dogs, the process is as simple as being exposed to gentle and kind people. This is where these visits prove most beneficial. When they come into contact with individuals who treat them well—unlike their previous experiences on the streets—they become more sociable, trusting, playful, and, most importantly, more relaxed around people. In brief, this makes them more adoptable.