2 minute read
Animal Attraction
By Dory Hickey Navigate - NDIS Support Co-Ordination & Recovery Coaching
“When an 85 pound mammal licks your tearsaway, and then tries to sit on your lap, it’s hard to feel sad.”
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Dogs are good for us. The conclusions of ten research studies involving data from nearly 4,000,000 people showed that engaging with a dog can help us to live longer. The calming effect of petting a dog can lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure, heart disease and the risk of death. It’s is also good for the dog.
No wonder dogs have been used for therapeutic purposes since the middle ages when they were used in Europe to help improve the health of people with nervous conditions and mental illness. In the mid 1800’s, Florence Nightingale recommended the use of small animals in hospitals for their health-giving properties. In the early 1900’s, psychiatrist, Sigmund Freud was using his own Chow Chow dog to facilitate connection with his patients.
And it is not just dogs; cats have also been shown to improve the health and wellbeing of their owners. Horses were used by the Greeks and by physicians in the 17th Century to aid patient well-being. In recent times, the use of animals for therapy is being increasingly explored and even keeping fish has been shown to increase the self-management skills of children with diabetes. The rehabilitation of prisoners has been improved by their training and caring for animals ranging from dogs to farm animals.
But anyone who loves their dog doesn’t need research to know that domestic animals have secret powers and are a blessing in our lives. Joyous welcomes, quiet companionship, eagerness to please, devotion and inability to argue back are all qualities we may sometimes find ourselves secretly wishing our partners could have.
.All dogs are therapy dogs in their own way. Which is why our Therapy Dog Walking and Social group which meets monthly is for “people with certified assistance dogs, people with non-certified assistance dogs, and anyone who find dogs therapeutic, whether they own a dog or not”.
The next walk will be In Yeppoon on August 4th, meeting at Anderson Park by the boat ramp at 8.30am. For any enquiries, please ring Dory on 0408 577 403.
