WOULD YOUR PET MAKE A GOOD THERAPY DOG?
Narayanan, founder of CARE. “Stumpy, another stray, lost his tail to a tumour on his back. Both have the perfect temperament for AAT. Kids with special needs and disabilities take to them and connect with them.” CARE, founded in 2004, works with special schools and has helped over 300 differently abled children through the years. While dogs are the face of AAT — and what a cute face it is — cats also make for great therapy animals. “Cookie, 7, an Indian cat, works with our Pune team and Cherry, a Persian cat is associated with the Mumbai team as co-therapists in the AAT sessions with adolescents facing relationship and behavioural issues,” says Aakash Lonkar, Mumbai head of the AAF.
Unlike therapy dogs who readily come to greet you, therapy cats are not pleasers. “The client learns to win the cat’s trust, respect boundaries and address rejection issues as a result,” says Lonkar. At Intact Special School in Trichy, ponies Koko and Jerry aid students with cerebral palsy, ADHD, Down’s syndrome and autism in what is called hippotherapy.
These sessions consist of several different elements, involving a physiotherapist and a special educator overseeing the students’ interactions with the ponies.
“The children love to brush the pony’s mane and tail, sing songs to them, share secrets. Riding the ponies very slowly also teaches postural control, improves balance and concentration, coordination and even social interaction,” says A Bharatidhasan, a physiotherapist at the school.
A year ago, when a 10-year-old child from Mumbai with hearing and speech impairment was suggested AAT, his parents did not really expect a major change, considering that the child was very silent and had barely responded to other forms of therapy.
“Therapy dog Pepe, a six-year-old golden retriever, started attending weekly sessions with the boy. In six months, to his parents’ surprise, he began greeting the dog by calling out to him by his name,” says clinical psychologist Kavishwar. It’s not all fun and games, though. Animals, particularly canines, can find assisting in therapy so exhausting that they must have a break every 45 minutes — at least 5 minutes to step outside, clear their heads. “I can see the dog wilting before my eyes once we cross the 30 minute mark,” says Narayanan of CARE.
“No session should extend beyond 45 minutes as it becomes counterproductive if the dog gets restless and impatient.”
Animal therapy can have a downside as well.
“Dependency can become an issue, especially if animal therapy is used for longer than a year,” says Dr Sagar of AIIMS. “The patient, especially if it is a child, may get too attached, and could even affect their ability to interact with humans.”