Jason was only 16 years old when he took that fateful dive off the rocks by the ocean. The minute he hit the water, he knew his life had changed forever. Becoming a paraplegic was difficult enough, but Jason soon found that no one really looked at him in his wheelchair. All the girls at school hung out with the athletic guys, and Jason felt lonely, isolated, and depressed. His mother found a service-animal group and, after months of communication and evaluation, Jason met Ellie, a big, blonde, smiling Golden Retriever who would be his new companion in the world. Soon, people at school and on the street began to talk with Jason, and they were drawn to Ellie. He went on dates, graduated from high school, entered law school, and opened his practice, all with Ellie at his side. She provided love, companionship, acceptance, consolation, joy, and a way to greet the world that allowed him to be seen apart from his physical boundaries and his wheelchair. Jason knew Ellie changed his life.
“Covered with fins, feathers, fur, or other, animals manifest an enlightening presence” (Huebscher, 2000). Animals and their presence provide many health benefits to humans, whether through pet ownership or through therapy or service programs. Pet owners exercise more and have less anxiety (Scott, 2014). They have an external focus of attention that provides physical contact, decreases loneliness and depression, and promotes an interactive and interesting lifestyle. In health care settings, animals of all types are being used more and more often to provide acutely and chronically ill patients with unconditional love, an opportunity to touch and be touched, and healing benefits.
The human/animal bond has been described in ancient literature, modern fiction, and research reports in current professional literature. All of these writings cite something extraordinary about our relationships with animals, which are very different from conventional human relationships. Konrad Lorenz (the famous ethologist), Boris Levinson (considered by many to be the father of animal-assisted therapy), and Leo Bustad (founder of the Delta Society, now called Pet Partners®) are three influential people who helped first coin the term “human/animal bond” (Fine & Beck, 2010).
Animals bring support and hope to individuals through a variety of means and thus enhance the compassionate efforts of health care providers (Frick, 2014). Examples of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) include the following:
• Guide dogs helping a visually impaired individual cross the street
• Dogs and cats bringing smiles and much-needed relief to elderly residents of a long-term care facility
• Disabled children riding a horse with confidence
• Adults and children exhibiting less depression after swimming with dolphins
In addition to those animals mentioned above, ferrets, donkeys, monkeys, fish, birds, guinea pigs, and rabbits are among the types of animals whose qualities have been shown to offer therapeutic support and comfort to their human companions in even the most challenging situations (Graham, 2000).