|
It Matters to You Furry Companions: The Benefits of Pet Therapy 
If you've ever sat still and snuggled a dog or cat for a few minutes, you've experienced firsthand the benefits of human-animal contact. Spending time with a pet helps you relax, lower your blood pressure, decrease feelings of stress and anxiety, and make you feel loved and special. Pet owners even supposedly live longer. Studies in recent years have touted the emotional and physical benefits of owning a pet or at least spending time with one, such as during a therapy pet visit. Animal-assisted therapy can help with feelings of loneliness, increase social and verbal interaction, help with healing after an illness or medical procedure, and just make life a little more fun. Nancy Jones, English assistant professor, has been doing pet therapy with her Cardigan Welsh corgi, Caley, for five years – at Bethany Homes, Fargo, N.D., and in recent years for Concordia's annual Hands for Change service-learning event. As a club faculty mentor, Jones helps lead her group of first-year students on visits to Eventide Senior Living Community, Moorhead. Caley joins the entire freshman class for a kickoff at the bell tower and then their club's walk over to Eventide to visit with the residents. "One of the things I want to model is the way in which your interests and hobbies can possibly lead to service," says Jones. Like many others involved in pet therapy, Jones was attracted to the idea of sharing her dogs with those who might be lonely. "Before my grandmother died she was in a nursing home for many years, far away from where I was living," she says. "I could only get back to see her a couple times a year, but some of her friends from church visited her regularly. I feel as if now there's an opportunity for me to pay back all the good people who were near to my gram, to help people here. And it's so rewarding to go. It's a pleasure to see Caley interact with the people and look so proud."  Stevie Mathre's '90 interest in pet therapy ties back to her grandmother as well. When the Fargo dog owner and trainer began visiting her grandmother at a Detroit Lakes, Minn., nursing home with her collie Joella, she discovered how much the other residents wanted to see her dog, too. "We spent more time trying to make it down the hallway to her room than we actually did with her," Mathre says. "Joella is so gregarious that I knew she would enjoy pet therapy. And now that we're a certified team, I've never seen her happier or enjoying her work more." Lori Steedsman, projects manager and graphic designer in the Office of Communications and Marketing, first became involved with pet therapy in 1995 with her border collie Megan. Already an avid dog trainer, she realized pet therapy was a perfect way to spend more quality time with Megan, who loved receiving attention from people and performing tricks. They joined a group that visited nursing homes. "During our visits, the residents would see our dogs and that would remind them of their pets they either had to leave behind or ones they had growing up," Steedsman says. "Some of the people just wanted to hold and hug the dogs. They felt the love the dogs were giving them." She and Megan visited residents for several years, witnessing many wonderful moments between the elderly people and the pets. "One time, we visited a lady that hadn't talked since she arrived at the nursing home. She said her first words while our dogs visited at her bedside," Steedsman says. "It is amazing how a person will share their feelings to an animal, but sometimes not to other people. It's probably because we know animals don't judge us. They take us as we are and still love us." Learn More
- Back to eNews |
Let
us know what you think of eNews.
eNews is a publication of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Concordia College, 901 8th St S, Moorhead, MN 56562; (218) 299-4000
eNews is a publication of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Concordia College, 901 8th St S, Moorhead, MN 56562; (218) 299-4000