Animal Therapy

Pet therapy is broken down by the Delta Society into to two programs, the first being Animal-Assisted Activities(AAA) which provides opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life. AAA are delivered in a variety of environments by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and/or volunteers, in association with animals that meet specific criteria. (from Standards of Practice for Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy)

What does this really mean? Animal-assisted activities are basically the casual "meet and greet" activities that involve pets visiting people. The same activity can be repeated with many people, unlike a therapy program that is tailored to a particular person or medical condition.

The second pet therapy program is called Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) which is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal that meets specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. AAT is directed and/or delivered by a health/human service professional with specialized expertise, and within the scope of practice of his/her profession.

AAT is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning [cognitive functioning refers to thinking and intellectual skills]. AAT is provided in a variety of settings and may be group or individual in nature. This process is documented and evaluated." (From Standards of Practice for Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy)

We provide both type of therapy work. It depends on the facility and the services they provide. We do group as well as individual work depending on medical orders.