Pets are therapeutic. Whether it’s a dog’s wagging tail or a cat’s purring, pet therapy can help reduce stress and anxiety in humans. When someone receives emotional support from an animal, the bond they create is often stronger than those formed with other humans. This bonding may be part of why research shows that visits from therapy animals help people with mental health issues such as depression and PTSD.

Therapy pets can help people feel less lonely, stressed or anxious

Pets have been proven to be good for our health. They can help us feel less lonely, stressed or anxious. This is because pets bring joy and comfort to their owners. Pets provide companionship and unconditional love without judgement.

• People who suffer from loneliness often feel better after spending time with their pet.
• Pets can help people with anxiety disorders by providing a source of comfort during stressful situations.
• A study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology found that children who owned dogs were more likely to be protective of other children than those who didn’t own dogs.

How can animals help?

Socialisation: Therapy animals can help children learn appropriate behaviour around other people, particularly in younger ages. The animal’s presence is often helpful when children are learning to interact with other kids or adults.

Stress relief: Animals provide an outlet for stress relief through petting and cuddling them. This can help improve mental health by reducing anxiety and promoting a sense of calmness or happiness.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Some individuals with ASD may benefit from interacting with therapy dogs because the dogs help them focus on tasks such as playing games or walking through hallways without getting distracted by other people or things happening around them

Pet therapy is also effective for children with emotional disorders and developmental disabilities

It should go without saying that pet therapy is effective for children with emotional disorders, autism and developmental disabilities. Pet therapy can help children with these conditions feel less lonely, stressed and anxious. Pets are non-judgmental, so they provide unconditional love to their owners; even if the owner has a disability that prevents them from being able to talk back (such as autism), the animal will still respond to them in a loving way. This sense of companionship is important for these kids to have; it helps them feel less isolated from others.

Pet therapy is being studied as a way to help treat PTSD in veterans

Pets can provide comfort and companionship to people who have PTSD. Pets help with social interaction, physical activity, stress and anxiety, depression, and sleep.

A dog’s ability to form emotional bonds with people may help explain the effectiveness of pet therapy

Dogs are known for their emotional intelligence, which is the ability to sense and understand feelings. They can sense when you’re feeling down, stressed or anxious—and they’re also able to pick up on other emotions that might be influencing your mental state. This may explain why pet therapy has been shown to be effective at reducing stress and anxiety in humans: dogs seem to have an innate ability to recognize when someone needs help relaxing!