Hello, fellow animal advocates; This post on AnimalHumanConnection.com is a story that I collected at a recent pet event. Part of our mission is to collect and document the love stories of pets and people. There really and truly is a magic power in sharing your life with a pet.

The miracle of a therapy pet animal can change the life of a child forever. Does it need to be an official “therapy animal” to benefit the child? No, just a loving and accepting fur-friend Even when it is not an official “therapy pet” it is always therapeutic to bond with an animal who shares unconditional love and acceptance. Now, here is our “I Love Pet Stories.”
Over the years, I have watched and personally witnessed the magical power of pets and children. Having a pet and child’s life ??n h?l? ?n th? early cognitive development, encouraging them to crawl and then walk, and l?t?r h?l? boost ? child’s IQ ?nd reading skills.
M? daughter, Trish, learned how to walk b? having the determination to get our dog Riley’s furry tail. Countless schools have? programs with children reading to dogs. Be the scent of a dog’s treat on the pages of the book, the child believes the dog ?? training to read living with them when r??ll? ?t ?? sniffing f?r th? treat. The dog’s focus ?n th? pages encourages the child t? w?nt t? read longer.
Studies have shown, that having pet can lower blood pressure ?nd heart rate, ?nd reduce anxiety. Depression ?? ? common mental illness. On? teenage girl w?? hospitalized for severe depression ?nd suicidal tendencies. Nothing ???m?d t? h?l? her. Dogs w?r? brought ?n f?r visits. Gradually th? girl began t? feel better. Sh? w?nt home ?nd began volunteering ?t th? local shelter, wh?r? ?h? walked dogs. Sh? ?v?n adopted ? couple ?f kittens, ?nd gradually recovered from the illness.
Pet therapy ?? the healing power of animals.
Th?? h?v? th? power t? comfort thr?ugh unconditional love, th? power t? ease ?ur pain, ?nd th? power t? give u? th? strength ?nd courage t? k??? g??ng wh?n life hands u? ? difficult situation t? deal with. Animals u??d ?n pet therapy include dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, chickens, donkeys, llamas, ?nd ?v?n pot- bellied pigs.
M? dog, Riley, helped m? through ? debilitating disease, Crohns Disease, ?nd gave m? th? strength ?nd courage t? k??? hanging ?n t? life. Through h?? unconditional love, I w?? ?bl? t? survive! I feel ?v?r?th?ng ?n ?ur life h????n? f?r ? reason. I now speak about pet therapy t? ?th?r? ?nd u?? m? dogs t? h?l? m?n? children cope.
Riley passed ?w?? ?n 2012 but w?ll f?r?v?r live ?n m? heart.
My therapy dog, Teddy h?? ? v?r? special gift. H? h?? ? comical snore. H? w?ll curl u? b???d? ? child, ?nd wh?l? th?? ?r? petting him, h? b???m?? relaxed. Th? m?r? relaxed h? is, th? louder ?nd deeper th? snore becomes. Ev?n th? sickest child w?ll laugh ?t this. Th?? comical snore helps th? children t?k? th??r focus ?ff th??r pain.
Wh?n ? nurse, ?r parent, ?? h?v?ng ? difficult time convincing ? child t? t?k? th??r medicine, Teddy ??m?? t? th? rescue. W?th h?r big brown eyes, ?h? stares ?t th? child. Teddy w?ll reach ?ut h?r paw t? th?m ?nd wag h?r tail. If th?? t?k? th? medicine, Teddy w?ll d? ? trick f?r them, ?nd th?? ?r? allowed t? give h?r ? treat. F?r ?v?r? sip ?f medicine, th?? h?v? t? take, Teddy reaches ?ut h?r paw ?nd w?ll d? ? d?ff?r?nt trick. Th?? encourages th? children t? finish th? medicine quickly ?? th?t th?? ??n give Teddy m?r? treats, ?nd ??? ?ll h?r tricks. Teddy h?? b??n successful w?th ?v?r? child.
Pet therapy ??n occur anywhere.
R???ntl? ?t ? school, wh?r? I w?? giving ? presentation ?b?ut pet therapy, ? l?ttl? boy slowly walked u? t? th? front ?f th? room w?th h?? head hanging. H? h?d ?u?h sadness written ?ll ?v?r h?? young face. Wh?n h? finally g?t u? b???d? me, h? began t? cry, ?nd h? shared h?? story w?th me. H? ???d th?t h? wished m? dog h?d b??n w?th h?? grandfather th? night before.
H?? grandfather h?d died alone, ?nd th?? terribly upset th? l?ttl? boy. B?f?r? I ??uld ??? anything, Teddy wh? w?? lying quietly ?n th? floor b???d? us, sat u? ?nd reached ?ut t? th? kid. It w?? clear th?t Teddy sensed h?? pain. Th? boy held Teddy tightly ?n h?? arms. W?th Teddy licking th? tears away, w? ?ll watched ?? ? smile appeared ?n th? boy’s tiny face. On? hundr?d ?nd twenty children, ?t th?t presentation, witnessed th? power ?f pet therapy. Willy showed unconditional love f?r ? child ?n pain.
Pets ?r? magical.
Th?? sense ?ur n??d? ?nd comfort us. Th?? trul? give unconditional love. I w?uld encourage ??u t? m?k? ? difference f?r ??ur child, b? bringing ?n animal ?nt? th??r life! It ??n b? ? wonderful learning experience, ?nd ?l?? b? v?r? healing!
Join Our Pack

Judy Helm Wright, author, speaker and intuitive wise woman. Owner of many businesses including ArtichokePress.com
You are invited to join our pack of animal lovers and protectors. Please share your email in the box at the top of the page. You will be connected to many pet people who want Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience in life. This is the foundation of all the work and service done by Judy Helm Wright, an author, speaker and intuitive wise woman.
Discover more about the books, eCourses and programs offered by www.JudyHWright.com You will always be glad you did.

Kim
October 21, 2016 at 9:53 am
My magic boy was called Riley and he passed away a few years ago also.
Dogs are magic
Pawesome Cats
October 21, 2016 at 1:36 pm
I always find cats and pets more generally to have a calming influence. My cat Ava, intuitively knows when I’m unwell and is always by my side.
Dusty Desert Dogs
October 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm
oh I agree 100% pets are magical! Great post!
Joely Smith
October 23, 2016 at 11:36 am
I could not imagine our family without pets! My daughter has a therapy pet and without him her life would not be the same. He has improved her quality of life substantially.
Golden Daily Scoop
October 23, 2016 at 5:25 pm
The therapy power animals have with children is simply amazing! What a great post!
Tenacious Little Terrier
October 24, 2016 at 1:33 am
Therapy dogs are wonderful for sure. Mr. N has helped some children who were afraid of dogs.
Cathy Armato
October 24, 2016 at 8:59 am
What a beautiful post! This really appealed to me because I have a therapy dog as well, my Husky Icy. I think every child should have a pet to love and care for. I remember how my childhood dog Ginny comforted me when a favorite Uncle was dying. I hugged her so tightly, it really helped me a lot.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Kama
October 25, 2016 at 8:17 am
My pets absolutely provide therapy for me. I can’t imagine my life without them.