The Fascinating History of Animal-Assisted Therapy

Source: Turgay Yildiz/Pexels

Dogs are not our nearest relatives in the animal kingdom, but they are our oldest friends. Scientific evidence suggests that, at least 10,000 years ago, early humans gradually domesticated wild dogs, who proved their value as companions, trackers, hunters, guards, and guides.

Eventually, dogs were selectively bred for specific attributes, such as size and temperament; task skills, such as hunting small game or guarding livestock; and social behaviors, such as friendliness or aloofness.

By the Middle Ages, domestic dogs had secured a solid foothold in the homes of commoners and nobility alike. Documentation from the 14th century reveals that canine enthusiasts considered the dog's comparatively short lifespan its most significant flaw. The noun “pet”—referring primarily to dogs—was recorded for the first time in an English dictionary in 1604.

Our ancient alliance with canids has shaped their evolution, resulting in modern dogs’ sensitivity and responsiveness to human behaviors, emotions, eye contact, and other forms of communicative expression. It has also informed our perception of canines as friends and companions who provide comfort, improve our physical and emotional health, and reduce loneliness and social isolation.

Numerous milestones have marked the progress of animal-assisted therapy across the centuries.

The York Retreat

Modern implementation of animal-assisted therapy for people struggling with mental illness follows a long tradition. Domesticated animals were introduced to the treatment milieu in 1796 at The York Retreat in England. This asylum was notable because it was one of the first in the world to offer "moral treatment" to people with mental illness.

Other institutions of that era submitted patients to degrading, debilitating interventions such as prolonged physical restraint and isolation, bloodletting through the application of leeches to the skin, and immersion in icy baths.

Moral treatment, by contrast, emphasized benevolence and humanitarianism as principal elements of a wholesome, pleasant therapeutic environment. Early documentation from The York Retreat suggested that the presence of small, domesticated animals in the public rooms and on the grounds of the facility reduced agitation and distress among the patients while drawing them closer to nature, which was thought to have healing properties.

Florence Nightingale

Sixty years after The York Retreat introduced animals as therapeutic agents, Florence Nightingale wrote that small pets in hospital wards and sick rooms were excellent companions to ill patients, noting the beneficial effects patients derived from the human-animal bond.

The Pawling Air Force Convalescent Hospital

The Pawling Air Force Convalescent Hospital in New York was a rehabilitation center for World War II airmen with flying fatigue, which would likely be understood today as posttraumatic stress disorder. After a few patients requested dogs to aid their recovery, the animal-assisted rehabilitation program became so popular and effective that it eventually "housed almost as many dogs as people" (Rusk, 1972).

Boris Levinson

Boris Levinson, a child psychologist, is credited with formalizing and naming "pet therapy" in the 1950s. While working with patients in his home office, Levinson discovered that a withdrawn child responded positively to an accidental encounter with Jingles, Levinson's pet dog. He encouraged Jingles to join the boy's sessions, gradually theorizing that Jingles helped facilitate the child's participation in psychotherapy.

Levinson expanded Jingles' involvement in his practice for years, eventually writing about his experiences in "The Dog as 'Co-therapist'" (1962). This seminal article about canine-assisted therapy was the first publication by a licensed mental health provider to examine the benefits of the human-animal bond in psychotherapy. Unfortunately, other psychologists criticized and denounced it, leaving Levinson with little support from the professional mental health community.

Therapy Essential Reads

The Transformative Power of Questions in Psychotherapy

Presence in Therapy: Feeling Safe and Challenged to Grow

Nonetheless, he persevered in the study and practice of animal-assisted interventions. Levinson wrote other articles and books about its benefits, including Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy (1969) and Pets and Human Development (1972). The body of Levinson's work had an incalculable influence on the development and acceptance of animal-assisted therapy throughout the Western world.

Contemporary Literature

Little animal-assisted therapy research was conducted in the final two decades of the 20th century. However, starting in the early 21st century, research interest in animal-assisted interventions has grown exponentially. Canine-assisted therapeutic interventions have been studied with children, adolescents, mid-life, and older adults in outpatient, acute inpatient, and long-term residential treatment settings.

Animal-assisted therapy has been used as an interventional strategy for people with varying diagnoses, including posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, mood and neurodevelopmental disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders, and dementia. Research has been conducted on animal-assisted interventions with incarcerated, mentally ill adolescents and adults to examine its effect on impulse regulation, parenting, and behavioral conduct. It has also been examined for adolescents and adults with substance use disorders.

Conclusion

Now you know. Although animal-assisted therapy is often described as a new modality, its roots extend back centuries. As we continue to explore the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in contemporary settings, it's worth remembering that this intervention taps into an age-old tradition of canine companionship. The resurgence in its popularity acknowledges its historical significance and celebrates the enduring connection we share with our canine partners.