Therapy Animals

Therapy animals are special pets that visit people to make them feel better. They go to hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and disaster areas. Petting a friendly animal can reduce stress and make people smile. Therapy animals include dogs, cats, rabbits, and even miniature horses.

How Therapy Animals Help

Therapy animals help people in many ways. Children who read to therapy dogs become more confident readers. Hospital patients who spend time with therapy animals often feel less pain and heal faster. Therapy animals can calm down people who feel anxious or scared.

Becoming a Therapy Animal

Not every pet can be a therapy animal. Therapy animals must be calm, friendly, and well-trained. They need to be comfortable around strangers, loud noises, and strange places. Dogs and their owners take special classes together and must pass a test before they can visit people.

Fun Facts

• Some airports have therapy dogs that walk around to help nervous travelers feel calm.
• Therapy animals have been shown to lower blood pressure just by being in the room.
• Colleges often bring in therapy dogs during exam week to help students relax.

Did You Know?

A therapy dog named Smoky was one of the first therapy animals. During World War II, she visited injured soldiers in hospitals and helped cheer them up!