Article archive / July 1, 2010
Originally published: . Volume 1, No. 11. Source pages: 14.
These are the first words out of the mouths of children visiting Dr. Alicia Pellegrin’s office in Baton Rouge, whose work consists largely of court-ordered child custody evaluations. Zach is a part of Dr. Pellegrin’s therapy team and on a typical day Zack is hugged, pulled, fussed over, dressed up, and given handmade treats, all without once ever showing any signs of impatience or irritation. Zach is a two-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who has become an integral member of Dr. Pellegrin’s approach for helping these youngsters who are dealing with varying degrees of distress.
Alicia first brought puppy Zack to the office two years ago because she couldn’t leave him alone all day. “His first encounter with a child made it clear as to Zach’s true calling,” she said. “On that day, a very apprehensive seven-year-old girl was waiting anxiously with her mother to be seen.” The mother had explained that her daughter had severe separation anxiety and would likely refuse to leave her side to be interviewed.
“When the child saw Zach being brought in from his walk, her face lit up,” Alicia said. “Then, this anxious child bounded from the waiting room right up to the front office window to ask the receptionist about the puppy. I asked her if it she would like to have the puppy present while we talked, and she excitedly agreed. She actually skipped to my office behind Zach. Not only did she gladly leave her mother, but also she was so excited about spending time with the puppy that she forgot her anxiety altogether. At the end of the visit, she asked if she could return the next day.”
Pet-facilitated therapy first emerged over forty years ago when child psychologist Boris Levinson used dogs as co- therapists. Over the years researchers have demonstrated a variety of physical and psychological benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, calming, reducing perceptions of threat, or reducing feelings of loneliness. “Of course, not every child is right for therapy with Zach,” she noted. “I always make sure to ask about a child’s comfort with animals, as well as about any possible pet allergies before considering Zach as part of the child’s experience. (See Handbook on Animal-assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice. A. H. Fine, ed. 2006)
“This special dog,” said Alicia, “seems to intuitively know what a particular child’s needs are on a given day. He can in turn, be silly and playful or quiet and somber, as the occasion calls for.”
She added, “One particularly moving session ended with a distressed little boy crying into Zach’s fur as he relayed the difficulty he had experienced as a direct result of his parent’s contentious divorce.”
This is just one of the many reasons why Dr. Alicia Pellegrin doesn’t feel in the least bit slighted when the children who come to see her start by asking, “Where’s Zach?!
Dr. Alicia Pellegrin with her therapy dog, Zach. She have found that pets in therapy may hold important benefits for anxious youngsters.
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