Pet-Assisted Therapy

The San Diego Humane Society has a unique group of volunteers. Those who help run the Pet-Assisted Therapy program bring animals like dogs, cats, guinney pigs and rabbits to places where people are usually not allowed to have pets. Because this group knows the importance of human-animal interaction and the therapeutic value that animals have on people, they take time out of their busy lives to bring some peace to those who struggle to find it. I've talked to a couple of the volunteers with the program, as well as the director, and among all of their different stories, they all said the same thing- whenever they bring animals to a hospital, convalescent home, juvenile facility or nursing home, the residents feel like they can escape reality for a while. One volunteer told me a story about a boy who woke up from a coma after a guinney pig was placed on his chest. He had a guinney pig as a child, and the stimulation of the animal brought him out of the coma. This is an emotional reminder to us all that animals have the power to heal us. I would like to extend a special thanks to the volunteers who took the time to talk to me and share their stories with me. To learn more about the Pet-Assisted Therapy program, go to the SD Humane Society's website and look under the "Pet-Assisted Therapy" tab. Thanks for reading!