Is animal assisted therapy helpful?

Depends what for: Therapy or assistance animals are used in many ways, from service dogs (and other species!) for the blind and physically disabled, to pet therapy for anxiety and mental health disorders, to equine (horse) therapy for physically and developmentally disabled children. As with anything, there are potential pros & cons in each unique situation, so discuss in detail with professional care team.

Therapy dog: A therapy dog is not considered a service animal or an emotional support animal. An emotional support animal provides its owner comfort. A service dog has been specifically trained to perform tasks which will ameliorate the owners disability. So either a service dog or an emotional support dog might aid a person with post traumatic stress disorder. Therapy dogs are trained to comfort people in a.