Animals are loving and caring, they always live in the moment and it teaches kids how to be responsible. At St. Mary’s hospital they have been doing animal assisted therapy since December 1998. Animals have a good quality in a child’s life and help a child recover. When they have serious illnesses, they help them and can even improve a child’s involvement in activities. They make a child aware of the present and help them with skills such as, nurturing and responsibility. And they have a fun time interacting with them.

Dogs are used in the treatment for kids that have had a traumatic brain injury. They cannot use one hand without difficulty. Therapists use dogs to have the children use their bad hand to pet and brush and other to regain strength in the arm. A dog helps the kid want to do the therapy more by excitement of being around a dog. By helping the child regain strength in that arm he can dress him or herself.

Developmental skills in children can also be helped by animals. They help kids with learning, and play skills as well as getting them excited for the therapeutic session. This animal program was the idea of Doctor Schweitzer. He realized that the value of animals and how they can help kids recover of learn life skills.

I think this program is great for kids. Because if you were going into a room to lift weights every day, or you were just learning in a room wouldn’t be nearly as fun or helpful for the child. It would be a completely different attitude for me if I knew I was just going to sit in a room and talk with someone or play with a dog. I think I would rather play with a dog and have the person teach me in an environment with a loving animal at my side.

It is also good for kids with developmental issues to teach them about responsibility and how to care for yourself. They are also very loving and you can learn a lot from a dog. I have a dog and I’ve learned a lot about responsibility and caring for someone else. Rather than sitting in a room talking or learning with other kids I would want a dog instead.

This is useful for teenagers to know because it is a great job field and if you love animals a fun one. Unlike a vets job who saves animals but also has to operate on them and put them to sleep. It is also good for kids who don’t know about these service but need them to get them. It was also really cool for me to know how it worked and how animals can really make a difference in someone’s life.