July is Disability Pride Month! 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲?
Humans and animals have spent thousands of years forming mutually beneficial relationships. One such bond is with animal companions who help humans with disabilities and mental health issues navigate the spaces around them.
In some parts of the world, there are official certifications for such animals - service and therapy animals. And the most common animals to do this work are dogs. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, such as blindness, move safely in crowded or traffic-prone areas. They typically also assist in daily tasks by fetching household items or helping their owner move objects around.
There are many other kinds of specialized fields service dogs work in - such as protection, drug detection , allergy detection and the list goes on.
If you see a dog with clear service markings, don't try to pet them! They're probably working and will be disturbed from an important task.
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 such as anxiety, PTSD or even schizophrenia. They might be affiliated to just one person or you can see them in a therapy center or hospital, spreading calming vibes. See the article below to read about Luna, an amazing therapy dog helping her owner navigate hallucinations.
𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀? No! Shireen Merchant, a pioneering canine behaviorist in India, successfully trained many breeds, including Indies, for service work. It all depends on the animal's temperament.
Even without the certifications, multiple research studies have shown how the company of animals decreases stress and anxiety in humans. Our bodies recognize our ancestral bonds, even if our modern lifestyles leave little space for it!
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
#TheKindHour #DisabilityPride #MentalHealthAwareness #ServiceAnimals #ServiceDogs #TherapyDogs #HumanAnimalRelations #combatingdisability #mentalhealth #India #animalwelfare #animalrights #caninebehavior #dogbehavior
