Science has demonstrated the healing power of our feline companions: They are good for our physical and emotional health, they comfort us and give us a sense of well-being, and they can assist in therapy for those in need. Cats now are taking on a new role: helping our veterans heal from their emotional war wounds.
“An assistance animal is an animal that a person owns and that helps the person with a specific task,” says Larry Norvell, president and CEO of Delta Society, an organization that helps individuals acquire assistance animals. “There are animals that act as seeing eye dogs. If a person is hearing impaired, the animal can alert the person to the doorbell. If somebody uses a wheelchair and drops something, their assistance dog can pick up the item. An emotional assistance animal can provide security to a person with a psychological illness. Our country is going to see a significant increase in the need for service animals, primarily due to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.”
Click here to read CatChannel’s exclusive story on the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
**Get the May 2009 issue of CAT FANCY to read the full article.**