Animal-Assisted Therapy: Home

In the 15 years since the first edition of Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy published, the field has changed considerably.  The fourth edition of the Handbook highlights advances in the field, with 11 new chapters and over 40% new material.  In reading this book, therapists will discover the benefits of incorporating animal-assisted therapy (AAT) into their practices, best practices in animal-assisted intervention, how to design and implement animal-assisted interventions, and the efficacy of AAT with different disorders and patient populations.  Coverage includes the use of AAT with children, the elderly, those receiving palliative care, as well as people with chronic disorders, AIDS, trauma, and autistic spectrum disorders.  Additional chapters cover techniques for working with families, in juvenile and criminal justice systems, and in colleges and universities.

Dogs that visit patients with cancer have been convincingly shown to reduce stress, loneliness, and mood disturbance that may complicate cancer care. In addition, dogs may provide important motivation for patients to maintain rehabilitation programs that have been shown to reduce cancer risk and improve cancer survival. Outlining all of these issues and many more, Therapy Dogs in Cancer Care: A Valuable Complementary Treatment is a ground-breaking, highly innovative addition to the literature on cancer care.  Detailing a comprehensive summary of truly impressive research demonstrating the ability of dogs to serve an important therapeutic role within the cancer arena and in other serious medical conditions, the text provides highly practical advice and very helpful "tips" to ensure that those who wish to employ dogs to assist the cancer patient have the necessary knowledge and "tools" to optimize outcomes.  Authored by Dawn A. Marcus, MD, an expert in both pain management and health improvement through human and dog interaction, Therapy Dogs in Cancer Care: A Valuable Complementary Treatment is an extremely well-organized, well-researched, and highly readable book.   Providing practical suggestions to effectively incorporate dogs into cancer care, with detailed instructions about requirements for therapy dogs to ensure visits are safe and limit unwanted spread of infection, Therapy Dogs in Cancer Care: A Valuable Complementary Treatment is an invaluable reference that will inform and delight both the clinician desiring a "how-to" text as well as the casual reader.  

This comprehensive overview of the many types of animal-assisted therapy provides the perfect reference for students, general readers, pet owners, animal care specialists, psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, and mental health professionals. The use of animals for therapy is a burgeoning form of treatment for individuals with physical, emotional, or psychological illnesses. Written for students and general readers, Animal-Assisted Therapy offers a historical overview of the practice, detailing its growth and the many ways it is practiced today. Filled with illustrative examples, such as successful programs where children with reading problems read aloud to canine companions, the book illuminates the expansive nature and effectiveness of this therapy as it is practiced both generally and among special populations, including children, the elderly, autistic individuals, and the incarcerated. The book also provides specific information that will be of interest to pet owners who want to get involved in these programs and includes information on U.S. government requirements allowing guide dogs in public and private facilities. A list of government regulations about the rights of service dogs in public accommodations A glossary of major terms, such as animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted activities, equine therapy, and many others The most comprehensive annotated bibliography yet developed on the subject, including books, journal articles, videos, and websites

Have you ever been confused about the world of "assistance animals"? Have you wondered about how these animals are legally defined? Perhaps you have an animal that assists you, and you want to know whether that animal may be designated as your assistance animal. Or maybe you are a landlord whose tenant has requested that you allow an assistance animal in the rental home. You might be a teacher, or employer, or business owner. There are so many terms and categories being used: guide dog, therapy pet, psychiatric assistance cat, emotional therapeutic animal, seeing-eye canine, companion animal, emotional therapy rabbit. Whether you are reading this book to help you determine your rights, or to figure out your obligations to others, we hope you will find this book not only educational but enlightening. Questions covered include: What is a service animal?, What is an emotional support animal?, Can you have multiple assistance animals or just one?, Do exotic animals, such as snakes or tarantulas, qualify?, What are my travel rights?, Can a landlord ask me for my medical records?, What do I need to show to ride the train with my animal?, Is my employer able to deny my service animal at work?