By: Everney Benjamin
Therapy animals are common to see in everyday life. However, most do not know what a therapy animal truly does and the benefits that they bring.
Dr. Carlene Taylor is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at the University of North Florida. One of her areas of expertise is Human-animal Interactions. She was able to provide knowledgeable insight on what therapy animals do and how humans are impacted by their presence.
Therapy animals are specifically trained to give helpful services to humans and are required to have the proper temperament to interact with them as well. According to Dr. Taylor, therapy animals provide many different services that are largely beneficial for humans.
“There are emotional, psychological and social benefits,” said Dr. Taylor.
They are also able to provide health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and reducing stress, said Dr. Taylor
Programs dedicated to helping others using therapy animals have slowly gained popularity with many universities bringing these programs in to help with students. At the University of North Florida, it is known as Campus Canines.
This program is targeted towards students who are given the chance to reap the benefits of therapy animals. The student coordinator, Lyla Blanchard, summarized what Campus Canines is all about.
“We invite volunteers from the community who are registered handlers with their canines, and we bring them into student spaces to help increase student well-being and decrease their stress.”
Blanchard also provided a student perspective on why the Campus Canines program is helpful to students. She said that students interacting with the canines can provide a source of comfort for them. Added to this, the campus canines program strives to help students in a fun and accessible way, said Blanchard.
For more information on the Campus Canines program, click here.