Benefits of Pet Therapy

You've sometimes seen animals around with bright vests that say "service animal."  You assume they're a guide dog, or a dog for someone with epilepsy.  But it turns out that you can have a service animal for much more than blindness or seizures.  

Many people with mental health issues are recommended a fish - watching the fish swimming is supposed to calm your nerves and focus your mind.  But there are animals other than fish that can help you with anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems you're struggling with.  Having a furry friend can lower your anxiety, increase your socialization and lessen your boredom.  The unconditional love that animals are able to give can help pull someone out of a tough spot.

With physical therapy, pets and playing/exercising with pets can increase your joint movement and improve your motor skills.

Pets also help with other physical problems.  Those with high blood pressure, diabetes, and more, can be helped by service animals.  Pets can lower your blood pressure, improve your cardiovascular health and even releases endorphins that give a relaxation response.  This relaxation can prevent the need for additional medication.  

This release of endorphins can calm your mind, too.  You should never feel embarrassed to want or need a therapy animal, as they can help you out of a bad physical or mental spot, and giving them a home is a good deed, too!  And not only this, but when you have a therapy pet, there are added benefits.  Don't let housing situations affect you, because apartments and houses with landlords that won't allow animals have to give an exception to therapy animals.  If you have a licensed therapy animal (you can have your pet qualified by your doctor) then landlords must allow it as a necessary health measure and are not legally allowed to charge extra rent or deposits on it.  And if you have a therapy animal, you are allowed to bring them to most institutions that normally wouldn't allow pets.  Just don't abuse this power!

The healing power of pets is amazing!  Don't underestimate it.