The healing power of animals

[Guest guest]

The healing power of animals: people with pets have reduced levels of stress,

depression, and heart risk. Find happiness and well-being through this primal

connection by Hynes, Natural Health > March, 2005

ELLA, A FOUNDLING, looks-like the love child of a Lab and a greyhound.

She has snow-white fur, an ear-to-ear grin, and--according to her two-legged

companion, Konik--a penchant for wearing sporty bandanas.

Because Ella also has such a winning way with strangers, Konik believed she

might have a career in cheering up the sick. So-he enrolled her in training to

become a therapy dog. Now, outfitted in her official red vest, she is a beloved

visitor at Los Angeles homes, hospitals, and shelters.

On his first outing with Ella to a nursing home, Konik was filled with

trepidation. " I'm generally very uncomfortable in those kinds of places, " he

admits. Ella, however, was her usual perky self, happy as always to make

new friends. One resident, a wheelchair-bound man named Dick, was

physically immobilized from a stroke. His nurse said he did not speak. But

after she placed Dick's gnarled hand on Ella's head and helped him gently

stroke her fur, he croaked out, " Nice dog. " The nurse's eyes went wide with

astonishment, and Konik's filled with tears.

Even among the healthy, animals provide " instant social lubrication, " says

Konik. He was so pleased and moved by Ella's sterling work as a therapy dog

that he treated her to a vacation, which he chronicled in the book Ella in

Europe. " Language barriers, cultural barriers, class barriers--all those

obstacles came tumbling down when I had her with me, " he says. " I interacted

with so many wonderful people that I never would've met without her there. "

mind/body benefits

STORIES OF ANIMALS like Ella breaking through to lonely, withdrawn, sick,

or distressed human beings are legion. Of course, anyone who shares a

home with a pet--be it furred, feathered, finned, or scaled--knows that animal/

human interaction fosters well-being.

Evidence of this healthy connection fills books, cable TV shows, and now

medical journals. Over the last few years, researchers have discovered that

owning a pet can reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol; lower

triglyceride levels; lessen stress; result in fewer doctor visits; and alleviate

depression. Infants who live in a household with dogs are less likely to

develop allergies later in life, not only to animals but also to other common

allergens. And there is anecdotal evidence suggesting that dogs can detect

bladder cancer and predict the onset of seizures.

While these studies have focused primarily on companion pets, the scope of

animal-assisted therapy is much wider. Since 1988, the Dolphin Research

Center in Grassy Key, Fla., has run programs to enrich the lives of children

and adults with special needs by working on increasing motor skills,

lessening stress, and focusing attention. " Once they've faced the challenge of

transferring into the water with these majestic marine mammals, their self-

esteem grows, " says Joan Mehew, director of the center's Dolphin Child

Therapy Program. " The dolphins seem to sense the disability of the people

and adjust their behavior accordingly. For instance, they'll reduce the speed

and power of a 'dorsal pull' to accommodate the swimmer's condition. "

Back on land, psychotherapist Marlena Deborah McCormick, Ph.D.--working

with her parents, Adele Von Rust McCormick and E. McCormick--has

pioneered the use of horses in treating emotionally disturbed teens and

adults. (Together, the McCormicks wrote a book on the subject, Horses and

the Mystical Path.) She recalls a seminal experience: " My mother, in her very

intuitive way, introduced a withdrawn and mute young man to horses when

nothing else could reach him, " she says. The young man learned to ride and

started talking to other equestrians, eventually getting a job working with

horses. It not only changed his life, it changed the way McCormick and her

parents practice psychiatric medicine. " We began to see that nature, and the

horse in particular, is able to reach people in a profound way, " she notes.

The family has expanded the scope of equine therapy and now offers retreats

for those suffering from the stress of urban life. " Horses center people

because in their presence you must be still, " says McCormick. " They respond

negatively to people who are too hyper. "

The participants also learn lessons about nonverbal communication and

leadership they can make use of in their everyday lives. " The authority you

have with horses can't be from any rhetoric, " explains McCormick. " It has to be

authentic or the horse won't respond. "

ancient bonds

FOR MOST OF US, animals bring out our nurturing and protective natures

and make us feel more responsible. We are touched not only by the

companionship and cuddle factors, but by the unwavering loyalty and lack of

guile. " Dolphins accept humans regardless of our differences, " says Mehew.

But is there more at work here? Could we be hard-wired to connect with

animals? " Basically, we're the same people in our brains as we were 125,000

years ago, " says Chernak McElroy, author of All My Relations: Living

With Animals as Teachers and Healers. " Back then, animals were everything

to us--food, shelter, clothing, spiritual relatives. " Her theory is that only

those

humans who successfully developed a dose understanding of animals and

were enmeshed with the natural world managed to survive.

It's an understanding that too many people left behind as society became less

and less connected to nature, says Chernak McElroy. To illustrate, she

contends that crossing paths in the forest with a deer ( " which I don't think for

a

minute is offering me unconditional love " ) could be just as startling and

uplifting as interacting with a therapy dog--yet would we know how to interpret

the experience? " We have no words to talk about what's happening at an

emotional level in our bodies when we're in the presence of something

ancient, wild, and--these days--culturally unacknowledged as having any

meaning in our lives, " she says.

McCormick agrees that the bond between humans and animals, horses in

particular, evolved from an ancient mutual dependence. Moreover, after

studying the way Iberian and Celtic cultures embrace the horse as a spiritual

symbol, she has come to believe that a relationship with animals can be

transforming, guiding us toward authenticity and a more passionate life. In

Celtic tradition, horses are known as aman cara--soul friends.

the right connection

INTERACTIONS WITH HORSES, deer, and dolphins aren't so easy to come

by. But should we all go out and adopt a dog, cat, gerbil, or chameleon? Not

necessarily. Residential, financial, physical, or relationship factors may

preclude taking on or keeping a pet. " While it's vital for our health, humanity,

and maturity to rekindle our connection with animals, some people aren't

suitable pet parents, " says Chernak McElroy. " There have also been times

when I've seen that an animal I've loved dearly is not a good fit for our

family,

and to keep that creature out of a sense of moral responsibility is actually

agony for the animal. " At such times, she's found more appropriate homes for

the pets and seen them blossom. " It's a kind of arrogance to believe you have

what it takes to serve all animals all the time, " she adds.

Even if you don't choose to live with a companion pet, you can still benefit

from the healing power of animals in your life. Here are ways to find that

connection, at least occasionally:

* Volunteer at a humane society or rescue organization. Walk the dogs, or

cuddle the cats, bunnies, and guinea pigs. You can also be a foster parent to

a pet for a limited period.

* Set up a birdfeeder outside your window. " It's a wonderful way of having

animals around you and sensing their autonomy, " says Chernak McElroy.

" We don't have a co-dependent relationship with wild birds--they grace us

with their presence. "

* Get out in nature by walking, hiking, camping, or just sitting in your yard.

" Listen to the sounds of birds and animals as though it was a language your

body understands, because on an ancient and visceral level, it does, " says

Chernak McElroy.

* Take an animal vacation where you can have supervised close encounters.

For more on swimming with dolphins and other Dolphin Research Center

programs, go to dolphins.org. To learn about horses, visit

therapyhorsesandhealing.com.

* Be an appreciative spectator. Go to a horse show, for example. " The sheer

beauty of these incredible creatures that are so full of energy and strength

and passion can take us out of our own egos, " says McCormick.

WORDS & IMAGES: " The simplicity of our affection with pets is a model for the

smaller, intimate moments that really sustain us, " observes Marty Becker,

D.V.M., author of The Healing Power of Pets. " Without those ties that bind--the

of love, friendship, responsibility, and dependence--we gradually begin to

wither away. " His conclusion? " Basically, we're talking about life-support

systems cleverly disguised as pets. "

THE DOGTOR IS IN

Does your mutt spread happiness like it was dog hair? He or she may have

the makings of a therapy dog like Ella, who visits hospitals and other

institutions on a regular basis--and is paid, as her red vest declares, in " hugs

and kisses. "

The main requirement for therapy pets is a good disposition. They need to

love humans, not get spooked by loud noises or other behaviors, and also

socialize well with other animals. (You don't want your dog chasing

someone's cat down the corridor.) They must be kept clean, healthy, and free

of parasites, and recognize some basic commands. Apart from that,

requirements vary from state to state, even from site to site. Some welcome

any well-behaved animal for an informal visit, while others require training

and certification, such as Ella underwent. A Web search will likely uncover an

organization in your area; you can find further information and loads of useful

links at deltasociety.org.

By the way, a therapy dog--even a certified one--doesn't have the same legal

rights as a professionally trained service dog. Also called assistance dogs,

these are the imperturbable animals you'll see guiding the visually impaired

or walking beside a child in a wheelchair. Under the Americans With

Disabilities Act, they're allowed access to any public place their human

charge can go. If this program interests you, consider being a puppy raiser,

fostering a potential service dog until it's about 1 year old and ready to begin

formal training. To learn more, go to www.caninecompanions.org.

take a hike with spike

Can a dog motivate someone to lose weight? The answer, according to a

recent study, is a resounding yes, says researcher Kushner, M.D.,

medical director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

in Chicago. Study participants were asked to do 30 minutes of moderate-

intensity activity at least three times a week. Because dogs change their

behavior once they start exercising, people reported they'd come home tired

in the evening, but their dog would greet them at the door ready to go. " This

really made a difference, " says Kushner, who now routinely asks all his

overweight patients if they have a dog. If so, he tells them their exercise

equipment is as close as the leash. But before you start hiking or jogging with

your best friend, have him checked by a vet, especially if he's packing a few

extra pounds.