Dogs, cats, horses, pigs—you might be surprised to learn that these furry friends can be more than just pets for persons with disabilities. They can also be secret weapons, providing companionship, support, and relief from symptoms.
People with disabilities can benefit from animals in two ways, emotional support and service provision. Emotional support animals provide significant psychological, social, and physiological benefits, such as companionship and support.
Service animals, on the other hand, are trained to perform specific tasks, such as guiding a person who is visually impaired, pulling a wheelchair, or alerting a person who is having a seizure. Get the right pet for the right purpose.
Research has shown that emotional support animals can be particularly helpful for persons with mental or emotional disabilities, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
For example, a study published in the Fordham Law Journal found that emotional support animals can help persons with depression by providing motivation to get out of bed in the morning, offering unconditional love and acceptance, altering behavior, offering distraction, and promoting a sense of responsibility.
Another study found that interactions with emotional support animals can help reduce blood pressure. And yet another study found that gazing at a dog can elevate oxytocin and dopamine, chemicals that create positive feelings for humans.
Emotional support animals can also benefit persons with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and autism. A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that Alzheimer’s patients living with animals had fewer mood disorders and episodes of aggression than did Alzheimer’s patients who did not.
Below are some specific examples of how emotional support animals can help persons with disabilities:
A dog can help a person with anxiety by providing a sense of security and grounding.
A cat can help a person with depression by providing companionship and affection.
A horse can help a person with autism by providing therapeutic riding opportunities that can improve social skills, balance, and coordination.
A pig can help a person with PTSD by providing emotional support and helping to reduce stress and anxiety.