Summary: Service dogs have become a very public and vital part of our society. But there’s another area that doesn’t get quite as much hand-waving. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) includes companion animals as a part of the patient’s therapy in a treatment plan designed by a health care professional. For instance, a child might be more willing to toss a ball for the dog to fetch, than follow a human therapist’s instructions to rehab a painful injury. A pioneer in the field, Nancy Stanley first introduced "Animal Therapy" to severely handicapped children and to convalescent hospitals for the elderly in 1982 after founding Tender Loving Zoo, a nonprofit organization. She talks about her experiences, the benefits of pet therapy, and new gift book PILLOW WITH A HEARTBEAT, narrated by therapy dog Truffles.
