History of therapy dogs
Therapy dogs have been used as early as the 16th century. In the 1700’s an asylum in England called the York Retreat, were the first to actually document the use of animals for therapy. The first known animal therapy program was created sometime in the 19th century. But it wasn’t until late in the 1900s that using animals in therapy started to become more recognized and respected. Two different associations were started to recognize and encourage the use of therapy dogs. In 1976, therapy dogs international was founded and the delta foundation was founded in 1977. Over the last 35 years to improve the positive interactions with animals in therapy, service and companionship. One of these programs was the National Service Dog Center, which focuses on advocating for the acceptability of service dogs in public places as well as providing tools for those who are disabled and searching for a service dog trainer and an understanding of their rights. In the 1980’s the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps developed a program to help the veterans and how important the human-animal bond is. Some therapy dogs even help serve in the war with very many different jobs. The first therapy dog was a Yorkshire terrier by the name of Smoky who also helped serve in World War II. Animal-assisted therapy or pet therapy has come a long way since its early roots. Presently therapy animals can be found in nursing homes, hospitals, libraries, schools, prisons, mental institutions and of course, our homes; some colleges and universities in the US bring therapy dogs to campus to help students de-stress. With more awareness of how animals affect our lives, the future will prove to be fascinating as we discover more ways that we can strengthen the human-animal bond.