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Marie Belew Wheatley's Blog

A Furry Friend to Lean On

Posted September 3, 2009

Imagine the fear and shame of a child who has been sexually abused by a trusted adult, perhaps even a parent, and who must now undergo a physical exam by another adult to collect evidence. Or the terror of an abused child who has to sit on the witness stand in a courtroom and re-live the horrific details of the abuse in order to testify not only in front of a judge and jury, but with the perpetrator sitting in plain sight.

I can’t begin to understand the fright and intimidation such children must feel -- but I can imagine the comfort that a familiar, loving dog or cat would bring, just by being at the child’s side in these difficult situations. That’s why I’m so excited about a truly innovative program that American Humane recently launched to benefit children like these.

Our new Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)™ Program was created to help criminal justice and child welfare professionals incorporate therapy animals into their work with children who have been abused or neglected or who have witnessed violence. When children have been traumatized, it can be hard for them to talk about what happened -- and yet, they are asked to do so, sometimes repeatedly, in interviews, doctor’s offices and courtrooms. That’s where therapy animals can play such an important role. By providing comfort, security and a gentle, loving presence, they can help children speak more freely and begin the healing process.

While there is plenty of research to back up the benefits of animal-assisted therapy with children who have been abused, you don’t need scientific studies to prove that a unique bond exists between children and animals. Watch any child whisper secrets or sorrows into a dog’s ear or curl up with a cat for comfort after a hard day at school, and you can see the connection. Animals have the wonderful ability to accept children exactly as they are -- and that unconditional acceptance is the key to increasing a child’s sense of safety and self esteem, both of which are crucial when working with children who have been abused.

I learned just how powerful and effective animal-assisted therapy can be when I heard the story of “Abby,” a 10-year-old girl in foster care who had been sexually abused. Abby spent several months working with Diana McQuarrie -- American Humane’s director of animal-assisted therapy and the co-creator of the TASK Program -- and Diana’s black Lab, Rigo, a trained therapy dog. During that time, Abby developed such a bond and level of trust with Rigo that she felt safe enough to disclose the details of her abuse to her therapist. She also learned to be more trusting, set appropriate boundaries, manage her anger and develop empathy, all because of her new furry friend.

The whole concept of therapy animals working with children is nothing new. In fact, so many people are interested in animal-assisted therapy that American Humane recognized the need to educate child welfare and criminal justice professionals about how to use it safely and effectively. That’s why we developed the American Humane TASK Program Manual in cooperation with Delta Society®, an organization dedicated to improving human health through therapy and service animals. We are making the TASK Manual available for free as a public service and to advance the field of animal-assisted therapy. I’m proud to say it’s the only publication in existence that addresses both the practical issues involved in setting up an animal-assisted therapy program and the legal implications of doing so.

As the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals, American Humane is in a unique position to help prevent child abuse and help provide groundbreaking programs and services to those who work with children when abuse does happen. The TASK Program is yet another way we’re coming full circle to make the world a better place for kids.

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This is not an open forum, but Marie and American Humane welcome all comments and points of view. We will post selected comments that are considerate and thought-provoking, and we may edit comments for brevity, grammar and/or inflammatory language.

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