{"title":"Foster Puppies as Therapeutic Partners: A Model for Mutual Benefit","authors":"Melissa Trevathan-Minnis, Rebecca E. Platz","doi":"10.1163/15685306-bja10152","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Ample research points to the positive impact of nonhuman animals on humans and the benefits of animal-assisted therapy ( AAT ) on patients in multiple settings. However, AAT is often a one-sided enterprise, whereby the focus of concern for benefit and growth is centered on the human, and less, or not at all, on the nonhuman animal. We present a model that emphasizes approximate equal benefit for human and nonhuman animals. A treatment approach is described that combines socialization and training of homeless dogs and puppies to increase adoption rates and assess for suitability as therapy or working dogs, with rehabilitating and supporting clients. This model of mutual benefit demonstrates prosocial behavior for clients who participate in the socialization and preparation of homeless puppies for permanent homes in combination with their existing therapeutic goals and is rich territory for symbolic exploration. A case study is presented as an illustration of the model.","PeriodicalId":22000,"journal":{"name":"Society & Animals","volume":"75 3","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Society & Animals","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-bja10152","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"SOCIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract Ample research points to the positive impact of nonhuman animals on humans and the benefits of animal-assisted therapy ( AAT ) on patients in multiple settings. However, AAT is often a one-sided enterprise, whereby the focus of concern for benefit and growth is centered on the human, and less, or not at all, on the nonhuman animal. We present a model that emphasizes approximate equal benefit for human and nonhuman animals. A treatment approach is described that combines socialization and training of homeless dogs and puppies to increase adoption rates and assess for suitability as therapy or working dogs, with rehabilitating and supporting clients. This model of mutual benefit demonstrates prosocial behavior for clients who participate in the socialization and preparation of homeless puppies for permanent homes in combination with their existing therapeutic goals and is rich territory for symbolic exploration. A case study is presented as an illustration of the model.
期刊介绍:
Society & Animals publishes studies that describe and analyze our experiences of non-human animals from the perspective of various disciplines within both the Social Sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science) and the Humanities (e.g., history, literary criticism).
The journal specifically deals with subjects such as human-animal interactions in various settings (animal cruelty, the therapeutic uses of animals), the applied uses of animals (research, education, medicine and agriculture), the use of animals in popular culture (e.g. dog-fighting, circus, animal companion, animal research), attitudes toward animals as affected by different socializing agencies and strategies, representations of animals in literature, the history of the domestication of animals, the politics of animal welfare, and the constitution of the animal rights movement.