This just out. Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from surgery require 50 percent less pain medication. This data builds the case for expanding the use of dogs for therapy during recovery from surgery.

More than a decade ago, two animal lovers, Julia Harvey, RN, and colleague Frances Vlasses, Ph.D., both with the Department of Medical Center Information Systems at Loyola University Health System, began raising puppies to become assistance dogs through a program called Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). This non-profit organization provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with physical and developmental disabilities, free of charge.

Havey and Vlasses take puppies to class and teach them house and public manners until they are old enough to enter a formal training program. When the dogs are 15-months old, they return them to CCI’s training center for six to nine months, where they are trained to be one of four types of assistance dogs:  service dogs, facility dogs, companion dogs, or hearing dogs. The average service life of each dog is eight years. After that time, the dog retires to live out its golden years as a special pet.

Service dogs are trained to assist with physical tasks and provide social support to their partners. Facility dogs are trained to work with a professional in a visitation, education, or healthcare setting. Companion dogs are trained to work with an adult or child with a disability, such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, autism, or Down’s syndrome. A skilled companion dog, under the guidance of a facilitator, can also serve as a social bridge to people who are not used to relating to someone with disabilities. Hearing dogs are trained to recognize and alert partners to various sounds, such as a doorbell, alarm clock or smoke alarm.

Havey and Vlasses believe that animal-assisted therapy will ultimately become a standard of care for healing. The pair will continue to advocate for this therapeutic option through public speaking engagements and philanthropic work.

Tags: assistance dogs, disabilities, dog therapy, hearing dogs, pain, service dogs