For the Love of Animals

THERAPY ANIMALS OF SAN ANTONIO

Providing Comfort and Joy

BY: LINDA PORTER-WENZLAFF, PHD, LPC-S, NCC, RN THERAPY ANIMALS OF SAN ANTONIO

Measuring the true value of a visit from a calm engaging animal is difficult in scientific terms; but all you have to do is see the difference it can make in a person’s day, and, sometimes, in their life to know it’s a priceless gift. This is especially true for the many perople who are living in retirement communities, who may be hospitalized, or are challenged by life events and may no longer be able to share their lives with a pet companion. Consider the individual in a retirement community who shared with a visiting animal therapy team that the opportunity to hug and cuddle a visiting dog was the only time she experienced loving contact with another living being; or the pure joy and fun of sharing a holiday event with an enthusiastic group of therapy animal teams.

We seek animal’s presence in our lives. They “get” us, they don’t judge us. Our inadequacies disappear and we are whole with them. The results of the 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey report that 70 percent of U.S. households, or 90.5 million homes, own a pet. It is not surprising that 99 percent of people speak to their pets and 70-87 percent consider their pets to be family (Beck, Katcher, 1996). Animals are spontaneous, honest and accepting in their interactions with us. Petting a friendly animal can lower blood pressure, decrease the stress hormone cortisol, stimulate calming serotonin, and help us focus outside of ourselves which in turn can decrease anxiety, pain and confusion or help pull us back into the present. An animal therapy team visiting with an unresponsive child in intensive care placed the child’s hand on her animal and the child slowly opened her eyes and begin petting her cat. It was the first indication that she was going to recover; and, for her parents, it was the first spark of hope after suffering a devastating automobile accident.

Therapy Animals of San Antonio (TASA) is a non-profit volunteer organization that has provided registered animal therapy teams to community members across the greater San Antonio area since 1989. We serve over one hundred facilities and organizations though therapy team visits, student centered literacy programs in area schools, community education, mentoring, collaboration with public and private organizations that provide services

to vulnerable persons, and participation in area school’s critical incident responses.

TASA teams change lives and make everyone’s day better. A gentleman recounts the visit he had with an animal therapy team during a long difficult stay in critical care at a point when he was ready to give up. The visit made him remember how much he missed his dog at home, giving him the will to fight to reclaim his life.

Young children giggle and eagerly engage in dental hygiene lessons by brushing a therapy dog’s teeth. People dealing with loss find the courage to voice their sorrow while holding on to one of our dogs. People in a facility day room laugh together and participate in a therapy animal’s interactions.

Our visits are not always dramatic, but the smiles, increased connections made, gentle touch, laughter and shared memories are real and lasting moments of comfort and joy for those involved and we are privileged to share those moments with them. December 2 National Mutt Day December 4 World Wildlife Conservation Day

Johnny Kothmann, DVM 1051 Austin Highway, San Antonio Chris LaBrie, DVM (210)828-3935

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