P4H infomation

Our Mission

As part of our regular visits, we also offer teams the opportunity to participate in presentations, science fairs, kid camps, Special Olympics, and de-stress activities. At institutions in our neighborhood, Paws 4 Healing volunteer members and their registered animals offer Animal-Assisted Activities/Therapy services. The places we visit with our registered volunteers include schools, children's centers, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and battered homes. (No visits are made to residential homes, college housing, or dormitories.)

About AAT:

Animal-Assisted Activities and Animal-Assisted Therapy are both referred to as Pet Therapy. The term "animal-assisted intervention" has recently been coined to summarize these terms.

It is a goal-directed intervention that involves an animal that meets certain criteria as an integral part of the treatment process. AAT is usually delivered by health/human service professionals who have specialized expertise within the scope of their professional practice.
Applied Behavioral Analysis (AAT) entails providing a wide range of interventions that support the improvement of physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and/or behavior. All AAT interventions are documented and evaluated for efficacy.

AAT's main characteristics are:

For each person, there are specific objectives and goals.
One measure of progress.
A professional is always in charge of overseeing AAT.

About AAA:

To enhance the quality of life, Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) provide opportunities for motivation, education, recreation, and/or therapeutic benefits. Activities are offered by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and/or volunteers for animals meeting certain criteria. This is done in a variety of environments. A therapy program is tailored to a particular individual or medical condition, unlike animal-assisted activities, which are casual "meet-and-greet" activities involving pets visiting people.

AAA has the following key features:

The treatment goals for each visit are not predetermined.
It is not mandatory for volunteers and treatment providers to keep detailed records.
There is no set schedule for visits, and they can last as long or as short as necessary.

advantages of pet therapy

Entertainment

Physical Advantages

Outside-In Focus

Animals can often be amusing when they are present. Many people like observing animals' antics and reactions, even those who dislike them. Everyone enjoys animal visits, especially at long-term care homes.

Outside-In Focus

Physical Advantages

Outside-In Focus

Assisting people in realizing their own truth. Animals can help people suffering from mental illness or poor self-esteem focus on their surroundings rather than on themselves and their issues. They observe, interact with, and speak about creatures.

Physical Advantages

It has even been reported that watching fish swim in an aquarium can be soothing many people find being around animals to be calming Studies have shown that the drop in blood pressure and heart rate might be quite significant as well.

The Acceptance

A Sense of Empathy

Physical Advantages

Positive approval or response. Animals accept unconditionally. Acceptance from an animal is unrestrictive, forgiving, and without the psychological tricks that people frequently use to complicate their relationships.

Mental Exercise

A Sense of Empathy

Increased interaction with others, remembering events, and animals' amusement all stimulate the mind. The presence of animals serves to uplift the mood in institutional or sad settings by fostering enjoyment, laughter, and play. People's feelings of alienation or isolation may be lessened by these constructive diversionary activities.

A Sense of Empathy

Recognizing and appreciating another's thoughts, feelings, and intentions. According to studies, kids who live in households where a pet is a member of the family are more sympathetic than kids who don't. Animals are peers to kids. Children can learn empathy for animals easier than for people. Animals get exactly what you see. Human beings are not as blunt.

Touch is Physical Contact

In literature, touch has been linked to health and growth in infants. Infants without touch are unable to form positive interpersonal bonds and often do not thrive. When a person touches them, some people find it offensive, but they tolerate the cozy, fluffy touch of a dog or cat. Interacting with a hospital pet, however, is a pleasant and safe experience, as opposed to most human contact, which can be uncomfortable and intrusive.

Rapport

Touch is Physical Contact

A link or sense of closeness stems from a trusting relationship. Between a client and a therapist, animals can create a safe, non-threatening communication channel. Psychologically, nurturing satisfies a person's need to be nursed. Animals contribute to an atmosphere of emotional safety in therapeutic settings. An animal at a therapist's office implies that the therapist "can't be all wrong." The presence of the animal could help overcome the person's first resistance. Children tend to project their emotions and experiences onto animals more often than other adults.