Here at 1 FUR 1, we support programs that help animals and people alike. Two terms we often use for these programs are animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activities (AAA). Both have been shown to be very beneficial for animals and humans alike, but there is little information out there about the difference between the two, and it’s an important distinction. Let’s look first at AAT.

According to National Institutes of Health, “Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is the science that employs the merit of
human-animal interaction to alleviate mental and physical problems of persons with disabilities.” AAT focuses on how animals can fit into a comprehensive therapy program. According to PetPartners.org, AAT programs set goals for the patient and measure progress of the patient. For example, while both AAA and AAT programs might take a dog to a nursing home to cheer up patients, the AAT program will have a licensed therapist working with the elderly patients, ensuring that they retain motor skills by brushing the dog’s fur and tracking the patients’ behavior to see if the presence of the dog lifts their mood.

While, as Morrison (2007) says,  “[This] healing modality is not widely integrated into mainstream health care,” therapists who use AAT as a part of their therapy programs have nothing but praise for it. Study after study has shown that the presence of an animal in a therapy program reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and releases happiness and relaxation chemicals in the patient’s brain. Patients find AAT to be more calming than traditional therapy, as therapy animals are gentle and nonjudgmental. This is especially important for people who suffer from social anxiety, autism, or other conditions or traumas that prevent them from fully opening up to a human therapist. From a patient’s perspective, who works with mini horses at Heats and Hooves Therapy said that “I would highly recommend [equine AAT], especially if you have trouble verbally expressing yourself.”

In part 2 of this blog, we will delve into Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) programs. While AAA programs have been shown to be just as beneficial as AAT programs, they are different in some surprising ways. For instance, cats are absent from AAT programs, despite their popularity as pets and well-documented calming presences. Why is this? Find out in Part 2: AAA.

Memorial Day is celebrated all throughout the United States to pay homage to those who have served in the armed forces. These celebrations honor the men and women who have fallen, but what about the dogs that have served? They seem to have been forgotten.  I’d like to take a few minutes to appreciate some of the noble dogs that gave their lives in service to their country.

Many, many dogs have assisted soldiers in times of war, all of whom deserve a thank you. There are a few dogs that stand out, and have become infamous for their contributions. Dogs of war have performed many duties in times of conflict. They have worked as attack dogs, message carriers, trackers, scouts, but most often, they were sentries. Sentry dogs have been used to alert soldiers of the presence of strangers since the Cold War. The most decorated dog of WWII was Chips, who was trained as a sentry, but in combat, broke away from his handler and began to attack the enemy. He caused their surrender to the American forces and was given the Silver Star and Purple Heart. Although Chips went against orders, his actions saved many lives.

The relationship with the handler is the most important part of their lives. They are trained by these men and women and follow their orders to the letter. They remain loyal to their handler, oftentimes saving their lives. Lex, a German Shepherd, stayed by his handler’s side, Lee, when he was mortally wounded, while Lex sustained shrapnel wounds. Despite his own wounds, Lex refused to leave Lee and had to be dragged away for corpsmen and other medics to attempt treatment.  Lex was later adopted by Lee’s parents and worked for years at the VA hospital where he comforted wounded veterans.  He shared a loving bond with his handler, which was reflected in his loyalty to Lee and determination to help those in need.

Dogs also work as mascots, who help to keep up the spirits of the soldiers they live with. During the American Civil War, Sallie, a Pitbull Terrier, was raised by Lt. William Terry of the 11th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. She followed her soldiers everywhere and was always on the front lines with them. She was beloved by many, including President Lincoln, who gave her his famous salute when he met her. She spent her last days guarding the bodies of injured and dead soldiers from her squadron. She was later commemorated by a statue located on Oak Ridge, where the right flank of the First Corps was positioned on July 1, 1863, and where Sallie later stood watch over the wounded and dead. She gave the soldiers around her hope in the most dire of times.

Dogs of war have also been instrumental in many captures and battles. Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, assisted the Navy SEALs in Operation Neptune Spear, which resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden. Cairo tracked anyone who tried to escape and alerted the Navy SEALs. Cairo scouted the area around the compound, which made the job of the SEALs easier.

In each war, dogs have been helpful, whether it be to attack the enemy, carry messages, or keep up the morale of their squadron. The service of war dogs is invaluable and has saved so many lives in times of combat. There is no way to thank these dogs enough. 1 FUR 1 urges you to share the stories of these noble dogs with your loved ones.

We have previously covered popular animals helping humans such as dogs, cats, and horses and the parts they play in animal assisted therapy and activity (AAT and AAA, respectively). Now we delve into more unconventional therapy animals: elephants, dolphins, parrots, and alpacas.

Elephants are widely revered for their intelligence and friendliness, so they are popular AAT animals in their native Africa. Psychologist Dr. Swanepoel works with elephants in South Africa and says they have remarkable emotional intelligence. “Elephants are gentle with their young, protective, and seem to sense when they are near a child or disabled individual,” he said. One of Dr. Swanepoel’s patients is Rentia, a 10-year-old girl born without eyes. When he first introduced her to Boelie the elephant, he noticed that Rentia liked the feel of Boelie’s rough skin and the sounds Boelie made. Dr. Swanepoel worked with Rentia in conventional therapy, and when Rentia reached a goal in conventional therapy, she would get to visit Boelie. Before visits with Boelie, Rentia did not have the confidence to learn Braille or dress herself, but after, Rentia felt confident in both of those daily activities as well as more adventurous activities such as camping. Dr. Swanepoel says that Boelie and other elephants are good therapy animals because of their patience and that their size is a “‘wow’ factor” with children. “Many children with disabilities need therapy and behavior interventions that may not be conventional,” says Dr. Swanepoel. “Animals work magic with these children. It is my hope that I will be able to share this success with other children who might benefit from Elephant Assisted Therapy.”

Dr. Swanepoel originally got his start in AAT programs featuring dolphins. Dolphins have emotional intelligence similar to elephants and have playful personalities that are accessible to children. Since dolphins are marine animals, dolphin AAT, called Dolphin Human Therapy, has a heavy focus on patients gaining the motor skills that come with swimming as well as social interaction with dolphins. Skeptics of dolphin human therapy ask what patients can get from it that they couldn’t from a land animal, but studies have shown that as with other AAT programs, interacting with dolphins has shown to increase relaxation chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, but with dolphins there is also the added benefit of increased T-cells in the patient’s blood, which strengthens their immune system.

Parrots, the first non-mammal creature in this series, are also highly empathetic animals who are just as likely to ask you how you’re doing as they ask for crackers. In one famous case documented by the New York Times, a man with bipolar disorder named Jim Eggers has an African gray parrot named Sadie who talks him out of rage episodes by telling him, “It’s O.K., Jim. Calm down, Jim. You’re all right, Jim. I’m here, Jim.” He says she can tell when he’s about to have an episode before he can. Jim has a little backpack that he carries Sadie’s cage in when he goes out in public while Sadie rides on his shoulder. He cheekily calls this “giving people the bird.” Birds have also been beneficial in AAT programs that visit veterans, as reported on NPR, or go to nursing homes, such as the On A Wing and A Prayer program by Gifted Wings Ministry in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “In a nursing facility, one day runs into the next,” says program co-founder Maureen Horton-Legere “Sometimes, there isn’t a lot to look forward to. You go to the common area for mealtime or you go to your therapy, every day is the same. But every time they posted the announcement for our program, it brought so much hope and excitement. Word would get around that ‘the birds are coming!’ and with every visit there were more people.”

Finally, alpacas recently gained internet notoriety for how unusual of a choice they are for therapy animals. “The video is in German,” says a Guardian News article that shows a video of therapy alpacas working with German seniors, “but we all speak the language of squee, right?” And, though he’s not an alpaca, Rojo the Lama has a reputation for being the world’s most famous therapy llama. In addition to dressing up for parades in Portland, Oregon and visiting children in hospitals, Rojo runs a humorous social media feed. One of his recent tweets laments Reddit’s “discrimination” against llamas in why he couldn’t host a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Proponents of alpaca and llama therapy say their emotional intelligence is on par with elephants and dolphins and praise their “gentle” natures. Science backs this up, saying that, despite the fact that alpacas and llamas are an unusual choice for therapy animal, their presence brings a sense of normalcy for patients.

Equine animal-assisted therapy is beneficial in that horses are very good at mirroring the mood of the human they work with. Horses also need more grooming than cats or dogs, and patients find the repetitive motions of grooming to be calming. People in physical therapy who ride horses often find that the calm walking gait of a horse is like the walking gait of a human, so the rider’s balance and lower body strength improves. Riding a horse can also be great exercise for horse and rider alike.

Studies show that participants in equine AAT programs report less psychological distress after they complete the program and report more mental stability six months after the study than those who do traditional talk therapy. Lisa, a participant at Horsefeathers Therapeutic Riding, LLC, agrees that horses offer something that traditional therapy programs don’t. Lisa initially entered a residential treatment program for an eating disorder and first encountered equine therapy there. She found equine AAT to be so beneficial that she sought it out as an outpatient.

Below is my interview with Lisa about her experiences at Horsefeathers with a rescued horse named Captain:

What initially drew you to this program?

When I was in residential in 2013, we had equine therapy two days a week. I fell in love with it and have continued as outpatient. It has shown me truly how to be authentic and live my life towards my values.

What does this program offer that others don’t?

I have found that this program brings out my authenticity more so than talking to a therapist alone.

What is Captain’s story?

Captain was an abused horse until he was saved by the barn. He was extremely underweight and scarred.  Typical our session could include grooming, riding or just being present in his area.

To the extent at which you’re comfortable telling me, how has working with Captain helped you?

I relate a lot to Captain’s story of abuse and being left scarred and scared. Captain showed me how to overcome my body image and therefore I was able to gain the weight I needed to survive, just like him. It’s like we went through the journey together and slowly the scars are starting to not be as noticeable.

What would you tell people who are interesting in equine therapy?

I would highly recommend it, especially if you have trouble verbally expressing yourself. Horses know when you are present and authentic without saying a word. There’s a connection beyond words and all the horses want is you, not an expectation of who you think you should be!

Each day, 1 FUR 1 Foundation works to support animal assisted therapy and activity programs. Often, those programs involve familiar companion animals such as cats and dogs. But as animal-assisted therapies gain in popularity, we’re seeing more programs centered around exotic creatures and even marine life. We talked to Hannah Fraser, a model and dedicated marine-life activist, about how spending time with sea creatures can be therapeutic.

1 FUR 1 Foundation: You do a lot to help marine life. On the flip side, how has spending time with sea creatures helped you?

Fraser: I have had times in my life where things seemed overwhelming and emotionally turbulent. Being with animals during this time definitely calmed me and gave me a sense of purpose and a feeling a balance within the natural order of life itself.

1 FUR 1: What is it about spending time with animals that brings such healing?

Fraser: I feel like animals are extremely connected to the present moment.. the NOW. We as humans have this incredible faculty of forward thought and past memory, which has helped us to create and empower ourselves. However, it can also take us away from enjoying the present moment, and we become lost in thoughts of ‘what if’ or ‘should have done’. Being with animals creates an attention on the present moment that brings an immediate perspective to the magic of the NOW. Animals are generally inquisitive, interactive, and totally honest. It’s refreshing!

1 FUR 1: Tell us a bit about your experiences swimming with dolphins.

Fraser: I have swum with dolphins, and I can tell you that their energy is something very special! For some unknown reason, they emit such amazing amounts of joy and connectivity, playfulness and grace. I don’t know why we humans feel it so strongly, every person I’ve seen who swam with dolphins (that approached them with an open mind and heart) was totally blown away and excited by the encounter!

1 FUR 1: Do you think animal therapy programs will become more widely accepted in the next 10 years?

Fraser: I think as science continues to prove beyond a doubt that our interactions with animals are beneficial for our health and well-being, these programs will gain more support and acceptance.

1 FUR 1: We (1 FUR 1 Foundation) believe that animal-therapy programs have the potential to benefit animals as much as they help humans. Do you think that’s true?

Fraser: I don’t think animals should be kept in captivity to serve humans… I think the most beneficial encounters come when the animal and human meet on freedom of choice terms. Of course, if an animal is sick or injured, it is wonderful when humans can help and care for them and also benefit from the encounter. I also see that some animals are extremely happy to have close relationships with humans, such as dogs and cats who are well cared for in proper circumstances. I think humans are capable of intense love, and animals also feel that and thrive on it.

1 FUR 1: What specific conditions do you believe can be healed by spending time with marine creatures?

Fraser: I 100% believe that there are mental illnesses that can be alleviated by time spent with marine life… the physical act of swimming, being weightless in water, is good for the health and is pleasurable for humans. When we interact with amazing marine life, we create inspiring experiences that show us how we can make friends with even the most alien creatures on this planet, and live in harmony with our surroundings in a symbiotic relationship. This can change your perspective when you feel disconnected, alienated, alone, depressed, sad or overwhelmed.

At first, cats seem like unlikely therapy animals because they are fiercely independent and affectionate on their own terms. However, cats are gaining popularity in the animal assisted activity (hereafter known as AAA) world because of their ability to increase the attention spans of patients with ADHD, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease. Plus, petting a purring kitty has been shown to release relaxing chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin in the brain.

According to research and work done by 1 FUR 1 Foundation’s grant recipient Treehouse Humane Society, their mission is to teach people how they can rehabilitate homeless cats, but they also have volunteer programs where the cats and humans help each other out. They write on their website, “As the volunteers are educating residents on topics of animal welfare, and fostering organic social interactions with the residents, the AAT cats are also benefiting from these visits! Not only do these cats gain valuable experiences by having their nails trimmed before every visit, and being transported in a car, but the cats have the opportunity to be in novel situations where they may meet people that have little to no understanding of how to appropriately interact with a cat. All in all, it’s a win-win situation for the residents, the volunteers, and the cats.”

Now, an important thing to note with the cats’ hospital visits is that new guidelines state that cats cannot participate in animal assisted therapy (AAT) in hospitals because, according to LiveScience, “Cats should be excluded [. . . ] because they cannot be trained to reliably provide safe interactions with patients in the health care setting.” Even well-behaved and mild-mannered cats may bite and scratch the people they’re supposed to help, plus cats may carry more diseases such as toxoplasmosis. Furthermore, more people report allergies to cat dander rather than dog dander. Therefore therapy involving cats is referred to as AAA rather than AAT, because AAT programs involve hospitals.

Still, AAA involving cats have proved invaluable to patients such as Iris Grace, a five-year-old girl with autism. Her Maine Coon cat, Thula, helps Iris Grace strengthen her communication skills. According to the Buzzfeed Animals article about the pair’s bond, “Before Thula, Iris’ mother attempted to use the “gold star routine” to reward good behavior. Iris was horrified, though, when a gold star sticker would be removed from the paper. The stickers were stowed away in a safe place until one afternoon when Iris went in and pulled one off the paper, placing it on Thula’s forehead.” Thula also watches patiently as Iris Grace paints colorful abstract compositions. Iris Grace’s mother says that the combination of the therapy cat companion and art has helped Iris Grace improve leaps and bounds in her self-expression.

Cats also make good therapy animals for people with anxiety and depression. They are calm, compact animals that listen without judgment. As with Iris Grace above, people who have social anxiety or trouble communicating with other people find solace in a cat companion. According to a study coming from the United Kingdom, cat owners anthropomorphize their cats, which means that they assign human thoughts and feelings to their cats and feel that their cats are attuned to their emotions as well, which strengthens the bond between cat and owner. Additionally, despite the “crazy cat lady” stereotype, an Australian study found that female cat owners report higher levels of mental health satisfaction than non-pet owners.

Everyone knows dogs can’t eat chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, or household cleaning products. But the recent boom in gourmet doggy treats—from doggy bagels at Einstein Bros Bagels to doggy cake pops at PetCo—has blurred the line even further between what foods dogs can eat and which ones they cannot eat. Here’s the top 8 dog poison items in your household food pantry that dogs shouldn’t eat:

1. Onions and garlic: Onions and garlic break down a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Small doses seem to be okay, but recreating the famous spaghetti scene from “The Lady and the Tramp” on a regular basis will make your pooch lethargic and sluggish.
2. Medicine for People: You dog can’t pop painkillers like you might when you have a headache. Many human medicines contain caffeine, which can raise his heart rate to alarming levels, plus the liver damage human painkillers warn about increase tenfold for dogs. Get him to an animal clinic if he seems to be in pain.
3. Avocados: Avocados contain a chemical called persin, which can be toxic for dogs in large amounts. Make sure your dog doesn’t slurp the guacamole during your next Taco Tuesday.
4. Grapes or raisins: Some have offered this fruit as a healthy treat for dogs, but veterinarians warn against this due to grapes causing liver failure in dogs. Stick to carrots or apples for healthy treats.
5. Raw Meat: While wolves eat raw meat in the wild, your pup’s stomach doesn’t have the same digestive capabilities of her wild ancestors. Raw meat contains enzymes that block the absorption of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A in dogs, plus dogs are susceptible to foodborne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli.
6. Bones: Your average rawhide bone is a good treat for your dog to gnaw on, but real bones can splinter, giving him gum disease and poking his digestive track. Especially do not feed dogs chicken bones, as those bones are small enough to both splinter and for your dog to swallow whole, which can lead to choking.
7. Macademia or Brazil nuts: Macademia nuts contain a chemical that is as toxic as chocolate to dogs. This means white chocolate macademia nut cookies have double the danger for Fido!
8. Too Many Table Scraps: Cheese, peanut butter, and the occasional table scrap are tried and true treats for dogs. However, these three things are high in fat and can lead to heart problems in dogs. Exercise your dog regularly—you’ll feel the benefits of walking her or playing Frisbee in the park as well!

So what can you give your dog when he’s giving you the puppy eyes? Cooked meat and processed dog treats are a good bet, but it may surprise you to learn that dogs love crunchy fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apples, and cucumbers. The crunchy fruits and vegetables also scrub away plaque on his teeth, giving him pleasant breath! (Just make sure to remove the core of an apple before giving it to your dog.)

*Image credit: PlayTheTunes

Dogs are the most popular pets in the U.S. — 36.5% of U.S. households owning at least one dog. When asked why they own a dog, many people answer “for companionship” or “stress release.” Neuroscience studies supports these claims, showing that the presence of a pet correlates with increased release of beta-endorphins and oxytocin (“relaxing” and “bonding” chemicals, respectively) in the brain. In the face of this research, animal-assisted therapy is gaining traction as, in the words of Dr. Edward Creagan, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, “medication without side effects that has so many benefits.”

Though Quakers in eighteenth-century England, Florence Nightingale, and Sigmund Freud are documented to have used animal-assisted therapy (AAT), the man considered to be the pioneer of AAT is Dr. Boris Levinson, a child psychotherapist. According to Endenburg and Baarda (1995), Dr. Levinson fell into AAT by accident: “Levinson worked with a boy who had many problems associated with social contact. On one occasion Levinson happened to have his dog with him in the office. The dog was not usually permitted into the office when clients were expected, but on this day, the boy arrived earlier than expected for his appointment. The boy began to interact with the dog and to Levinson’s surprise spoke to the dog; Levinson had not been able to provoke speech during the previous month.”

Dr. Levinson’s research showed that AAT can be extremely beneficial for childhood development, helping kids to learn the emotional skills responsible for empathy and self esteem. Today, programs are popping up across the country in which children read to therapy dogs, strengthening both their academic and emotional skills. As their reading skills grow stronger, the children experience stronger self esteem. They no longer feel self-conscious when they read in front of others. The recent “Photo Doggies for Anthony” phenomenon shows the importance of therapy dogs for children with cancer and other diseases, providing bright spots in hospitals and care facilities.

Though Levinson’s research focused on AAT as related to childhood development, it also opened doors for studies showing how beneficial AAT can be for people of all ages. AAT has been shown to help seniors recover lost motor and social skills, for example. Therapists encourage seniors to brush dogs’ fur to prevent muscle atrophy and to ask questions about the dogs to improve social and cognitive skills. Alzheimer’s and dementia patients report feeling less lonely and depressed after a visit from a therapy dog.

For people of all ages, AAT lowers blood pressure and stress hormones such as cortisol, which can stave off stress-related health problems such as heart disease. Therapy dogs also help ease the anxiety of soldiers and other individuals who suffer from PTSD. In a study coming from the United Kingdom, pet owners reported a significant reduction in minor health problems within the first month after they acquired a pet. This was especially true for dog owners, who found that they exercised more often as they walked their dogs.

Dogs are often the first choice for service animals, crisis response animals, and therapy animals, because they have outgoing temperaments and are very obedient. They can move objects, flip light switches, and push buttons better than other animals can, and are easier to maneuver in public than other creatures. Therapy dogs are different from service dogs in that therapy dogs are trained to provide emotional or psychological comfort, while service or guide dogs provide physical assistance. Service dogs can also be therapy dogs, but not all therapy dogs can be service dogs. It is also an important distinction that therapy dogs can be petted in public, whereas service dogs cannot.

Cats are curious and get into small nooks and crannies in your home.  It may be surprised to find out which household foods are cat poison.  Most people know that you should keep cats away from chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, and household cleaning products. But it may surprise you to know that some seemingly innocuous “people foods” are actually quite harmful for pets.  Here’s a rundown list of cat poison foods you should keep kitty away from:

• Onions and garlic: No, your cat is not a vampire, despite how active she is at night. Onions and garlic break down a cat’s red blood cells, leading to anemia. Fortunately, onions and garlic are very pungent to cats, who have a low tolerance for spices, so she may turn her nose up at the offerings of Italian Night anyway.
• Grapes or raisins: Some have offered this fruit as a healthy treat for cats, but veterinarians warn against this due to grapes causing liver failure in cats. No one is really sure why this is, but stick to carrots or apples for healthy treats.
• Milk: Do the stray cats of the neighborhood rush to your house when you put out a dish of milk? You may unintentionally be giving them digestive problems. Adult cats are lactose intolerant and feeding them milk may cause them to vomit or have diarrhea.
• Raw Meat: Their ancestors ate raw meat and fish in the wild, so how harmful could it be, right? After all, Fluffy just brought you a “present” he hunted! However, raw meat contains enzymes that block your cat’s absorption of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, plus, just like humans, they are susceptible to food borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli. Fluffy may be eyeing your sashimi sushi, but feed him only cooked fish, please.
• Liver: Liver is definitely good for your cat, but too much liver may actually harm his liver, causing vitamin A poisoning. As with tuna, feed your cat a varied diet so he doesn’t get sick from “too much of a good thing.”
• Tuna or Salmon (Excessive) : Of course, the occasional can of tuna will make your kitty lick his chops. But tuna processed for human consumption lacks essential nutrients that can be found in tuna for cats, and too much tuna could give him mercury poisoning. The same goes for salmon, which, when originally prepared for humans, contains too much sodium for cats, especially if it’s of the smoked variety. Switch up fish dishes with chicken, liver, or beef dishes so he gets all the vitamins and minerals he needs.
• Medicine for People: If you can’t get to the vet, surely half a human Tylenol will be a good temporary fix? Not so fast. Many human medicines contain caffeine, which can raise your pet’s heart rate to alarming levels, plus the liver damage human painkillers warn about increase tenfold for cats, whose livers are less than a third of the size of human livers.

What is good for your cat? Cooked meats without a lot of seasoning or breading, raw fruits and veggies, and a diet that reflects that they’re natural carnivores. (You may be vegetarian or vegan, but your kitty has to eat meat in her kibble or risk nutritional deficiencies and hypoglycemia.) The occasional table scrap is fine, but as we humans tend to prepare food using lots of oils, fats, and starches, make sure Fluffy gets enough exercise to be happy and healthy!

With another successful Earth Day coming and going, we should all pat ourselves on the back for all the eco-friendly things we do such as conserving water and recycling. But we must also realize that we need to take additional steps in order to begin reversing global warming. I’d like to take this opportunity to write a hypothetical blog post (backed by facts, of course) about what would happen if our world continues to get hotter.

The signs of global warming are already abundantly clear. Weather is unpredictable, carbon dioxide is being released into the environment at a staggering rate of 1000 tons per second, and the ice caps are getting smaller and smaller each year. Global warming affects our world as a whole, but I’m going to zero in on a few animals—elephants and dolphins—both of which are used for animal-assisted therapies. Let’s explore how continued global warming would impact their lives.

Elephants are used in animal-assisted therapy in South Africa by Dr. Swanepoel. Dr. Swanepoel was interested in dolphin-assisted therapy, but since there is quite a shortage of dolphins in South Africa, he turned to elephants instead. “Elephants are gentle with their young, protective, and seem to sense when they are near a child or a disabled individual,” Dr. Swanepoel says. “Many children with disabilities need therapy and behavior interventions that may not be conventional… Animals work magic with these children. It is my hope that I will be able to share this success with other children who might benefit from Elephant Assisted Therapy.”

If global warming continues to worsen, elephants and other animals would suffer the consequences greatly (click here to read full reports). Large mammals in Africa migrate between wet- and dry-seasons in order to find the best places to graze at that time. Climate change will make these seasons more unpredictable, causing elephants to migrate at the wrong times because they think that a season has come early. If this happens, they will be to locations where food and necessary resources aren’t available. Even if they continue to migrate at the appropriate times, continued climate change will negatively impact the health of the plants they eat. Elephants need at least 300 pounds of food each day, so food must be readily available for them. Elephants are such kind, resilient animals, and they should be protected from extinction or further endangerment at all costs (click here to read further) .

One of the biggest problems our oceans face today is acidification. The amount of carbon dioxide released by people is absolutely astounding. This carbon dioxide is causing the oceans to become more acidic, as the ocean absorbs 1/4 of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Since dolphins are air-breathing mammals, increased levels of carbon dioxide are the last thing they need. Breathing will become harder and harder for them if the water continues to become more acidic. Dolphins are smart, happy animals who can make huge, positive changes in the lives of the children they work with.

This article was a bit more depressing than what we typically post, but that’s because climate change is a huge issue we all should be aware of. We can do small things to help reduce our carbon footprints. Try eating meat fewer days in the week, walking places with your pet when you would typically drive, turning off lights when you leave a room, and researching products before you buy them for your pets, making sure they are eco-friendly. Climate change as a whole is irreversible, but we can work together to lessen its negative impact.