Animal assisted therapy

Question: I have been bringing my dog to visit with residents at a nursing home. I can see how therapeutic it is for the residents, and know that research has been done on the benefits of using animals in treatment. For example, I read an article about a psychological study that showed that animal-assisted therapy significantly reduced anxiety in hospitalized psychiatric patients. How can I gain specific training that will allow me to have a career as a pet therapist.

SUSAN W. MILLER, M.A

April 27, 2007