>>
ARE
ARE WE
ARE WE DOGS OR CAT PEOPLE? YOU CAN VOTE AT
KING5.COM/VOTENOW .
KING5.COM/VOTENOW . >>> TODAY IS NATIONAL THERAPY
ANIMAL DAY A DAY STARTED ON THE
EAST SIDE BY BELLEVUE BASED PET
PARTNERS.
PARTNERS.
PARTNERS. >> THIS MORNING WE ARE JOINED
BY A WHOLE BUNCH OF OUR NEW
FRIENDS, MARGARET CALLAHAN AND
SOME HAPPY ANIMALS WITH
VOLUNTEERS WITH THE
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. >> HAPPY NATIONAL ANIMAL
THERAPY DAY.
THERAPY DAY. >> HAD WE BENEFIT FROM THEM?
>> YOU HAVE THREE FABULOUS
THERAPY ANIMAL TODAY WE'VE GOT
TINO, THE CAT, HOMER LAB OR
DOODLE AND A BELGIAN NAMED
COPPER.
COPPER.
COPPER. THE IS FABULOUS THERAPY ANIMALS,
WORK WITH THEIR HANDLERS GOING
OUT INTO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT
FACILITIES FOR THE HOSPITAL, VA
CENTERS, SCHOOLS.
CENTERS, SCHOOLS. HOSPICE VISITS.
HOSPICE VISITS. RETIREMENT HOMES, WIDE VARIETY
OF PLACES WHERE THESE FABULOUS
ANIMALS SHARE THEIR
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE FOR PEOPLE
TO PROMOTE HUMAN HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING.
WELL-BEING. >> WHEN THEY SHARE THE
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, WHAT
HAPPENS TO US HUMANS WHEN THEY
COME IN?
COME IN?
COME IN? >> THERE IS ALSO THE
PHYSIOLOGICAL THINGS THAT
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. WE HAVE SEEN STUDIES THAT TALK
ABOUT REDUCED BLOOD PRESSURE.
YOU HAVE LOWER STRESS.
YOUR HEART RATE COLUMNS.
THERE IS EVEN MEASUREMENTS THAT
THE PERCEPTION OF PAIN CHANGES
AFTER SPENDING TIME WITH THE
THERAPY ANIMAL .
>> I ALWAYS WONDERED, DOES IT
TAKE TIME FOR THE THERAPY
ANIMAL AND THE HUMAN TO GROW A
BOND TOGETHER?
BOND TOGETHER? OR DOES IT HAPPEN QUICKLY?>>
ALL OF THESE PET OWNERS HAVE A
REALLY STRONG BOND WITH THEIR
ANIMAL WHICH IS WHAT SETS THEM
UP TO BE SUCCESSFUL THERAPY
ANIMAL TEAM IS BECAUSE IF THESE
ANIMALS DON'T TRUST THEIR
HANDLERS THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF
THEM AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE
SAFE, THEY WILL HAVE A HARD
TIME UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING AND
MEETING STRANGERS.
MEETING STRANGERS. BUT THESE ANIMALS ALL SORT OF
HAVE A NATURAL AFFINITY FOR
LIKING TO BE AROUND PEOPLE EVEN
IF THEY ARE PEOPLE THEY JUST
MET.
MET.
MET. >>
MET. >> THAT HAS TO BE THE NUMBER
ONE REQUIREMENT HAVE TO LIKE
BEING AROUND PEOPLE.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS
FOR THESE ANIMALS TO BE
CERTIFIED AS A THERAPY
ANIMAL?>> THEY ALL HAVE A
STRONG BASIS IN SOLID OBEDIENCE
SKILLS.
SKILLS.
SKILLS. RIGHT THEY KNOW HOW TO SIT, TO
STAY, TO COME.
WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FOR MOST
WELL-TRAINED PETS.
WELL-TRAINED PETS. EVEN TINO THE CAT KNOWS THAT
WHEN HE IS TRAVELING ON ROUTE
TO PLACES HE STAYS IN THE
STROLLER AND THEN MAYBE DANNY
WILL PUT A BLANKET DOWN ON THE
BED AND TINO LOVES TO CUDDLE
WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE RECOVERING
IN BED.
IN BED.
IN BED. BUT THEY ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE
TO HAVE A STRONG BOND WITH
THEIR HANDLERS, FOLLOW
INSTRUCTIONS AND STAY CALM AND
COLLECTED EVEN IF THE SITUATION
GETS A LITTLE BIT SKETCHY.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE BEEN IN
THE HOSPITAL WHERE YOU HEAR A
VOICE OVER THE LOUDSPEAKER OR A
CODE THAT HAPPENS IN THE
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. ALL THESE ANIMALS CAN REMAIN
CALM BECAUSE THEY TRUST THEIR
HANDLERS TO MAKE SURE THINGS
ARE SAFE FOR THEM.>> CAN I
CONFIRM THAT THEY DO BRING DOWN
YOUR STRESS LEVEL.
HERE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT I-
5 SHUT DOWN ALL MORNING LONG
AND IT IS MY NIGHTMARE. AND
WITH JUST A FEW MINUTES WITH A
PET, IT BRINGS, I CAN FEEL MY
BREATHING GET BACK TO NORMAL .
I CAN FEEL CALM.
I'M SOME SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENT
>> I THINK WE NEED A THERAPY
ANIMAL DAILY.
ANIMAL DAILY. >> BUT NOT MY DOG.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE WORK.
YOU NEED A HANDLER WHO IS READY
TO TAKE CHARGE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. NOT EVERY ANIMAL IS SUITED FOR
THE THERAPY AND HOPE YOU HAVE A
WONDERFUL COMPANION DOG NAMED
MIMI, CHOWAN APPEARED SHE LOVES
ME.
ME.
ME. SHE'S
ME. SHE'S A FAN OF YOU, TOO.
DON'T WORRY.
DON'T WORRY. BUT SHE DOESN'T REALLY LIKE
STRANGERS.
STRANGERS. I COULD PUT HER ON A STRANGERS
LAP BUT SHE WOULD LOOK AT ME
THE WHOLE TIME AGO MOM WHY ARE
WE DOING THIS?
THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO FIND
THAT WITH THESE ANIMALS . YOU
CAN SEE COPPER IS STRESSED
OUT.>> I'M NOT SURE WHAT COPPER
IS UP TO RIGHT NOW.
>> WORKING PEOPLE GET MORE
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS?
>> VISIT PET PARTNERS ONLINE
AND YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THERAPY
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS.
ANIMALS. CONSIDER WHETHER YOUR ANIMALS
APPROPRIATE FOR A THERAPY
ANIMAL AND EVEN IF YOU DON'T
HAVE AN ANIMAL WHO IS SUITED
FOR THAT WORK YOU CAN BECOME AN
ADVOCATE FOR THE HUMAN ANIMAL