Animal-assisted therapy has helped millions of people overcome illness and disabilities and has made life a little more tolerable for those dealing with stressful emotional times.
For pet lovers it's important to learn about what it takes to become a "therapy pet" and how your own pet can join the ranks.
Sue Gilberti and her dog Tara are members of the Delta Society, an organization that screens and trains handlers and their pets to provide visiting animal programs to schools, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and nursing homes. Sue recognized Tara had a gift and wanted to share her with others.
"What really did it for me was that my husband was an oncology patient, and with his doctor's permission I took her up to visit him in the hospital," Gilberti said. "She was great in his room, very comfortable in the setting, and then the doctor and I took her around to other patients and it was just amazing."
But before heading off to work there is training involved for both the handlers as well as the pets.
Sue Gilberti said, "Tara had to learn how to not get really excited around people and how to learn how to not pick something up that drops on the floor, such as a pill."
Tara loves her work and her fans love her for it.
The Delta Society's ranks include thousands of dogs across the country as well as other animals like cats, rabbits and miniature horses. There is even a miniature donkey in Arizona participating in the program.
If you think your pet would be good at animal assisted therapy there are screening and training sessions offered throughout the year. You can find out more information on their website
Deltasociety
Reference:news10now
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