The Sophie Fund

People and dogs. Living together for some 40,000 years. Inextricably linked. “Man’s best friend.”

Dogs are a part of our daily lives, of human joy. We now know that dogs can also effectively combat mental illness. They are known as emotional support animals and therapy animals. Research confirms how well dogs operate in this sense. I concur. I grew up with dogs, first Charlotte, then after she passed, Rose. And while my mother provided most of the quotidian maintenance, I enjoyed having them around, taking a quick break here and there to pet them, an effective means to de-stress.

Jazzy

When I visited the SPCA for my very own emotional support animal, I was in for a surprise. It had been my mother’s idea, a means of mitigating my isolation. Dealing with mental illness by oneself promises a cruel existence. Thus, I accepted. I saw and walked two dogs before I met Jazzy. The SPCA worker pinpointed the match as my future husky and hound dog mix waltzed into the enclosure. Meeting her at first, she strolled up and rubbed against me. Cue loving smile, cue the worker pointing at me: “There!”

What does the research say about dogs assisting mental illness recovery? One meta-analysis found reductions in heart rate, anxiety, and stress. Other research determined that canine-assisted therapy attenuates anxiety, but also improves a wide range of internalizing and externalizing disorders and global function. Another study supported findings on wellbeing, emotional function, self-esteem, and vitality.

Other varieties of pets, such as cats, may also give their owners greater social support, life satisfaction, happiness, mood, and self-regulation, along with less loneliness. One study considered all manner of companion animals, and though dogs were paramount, positive effects were noted on acceptance, stigma management, social interactions, and emotional sustenance. Researchers have found that even farm animals and horses may aid many emotional conditions.

Emotional support animals (ESAs) are normal pets, not trained for a specific task, that provide comfort, calm, and composure to people with mental disorders. Service animals, by contrast, have a specific task that directly assists their owner with the owner’s disability; a service dog may remind its owner to take their medication or kiss them when they’re having a panic attack. Therapy animals are specifically trained to provide emotional support to others in an institutional setting.  

Therapy dogs can assist the elderly. A study found them to improve quality of life and symptoms of dementia, with lesser, but clear, benefits on depression and anxiety; this was partly mediated by increased exercise. A meta-analysis discovered benefits in dementia symptoms, mostly regarding mood and agitation. Another study found reduction in depression caused by dementia. Finally, in those with severe cognitive disorders, researchers found improvements in health, well-being, depression, and quality of life.

Every year, the Tompkins County SPCA facilitates 1,400 animal adoptions, 100 of which are for prospective emotional support animals, according to SPCA adoptions manager Doug Scott. Furthermore, he said 90 percent of the animals adopted as emotional support animals are cats, and 10 percent are dogs.

Scott estimates that 95 percent of people who adopt emotional support animals are under age 30, 66 percent of them students from Cornell University and Ithaca College. Neither school was able to provide a number of support animals on their campuses.

Having a dog is like gazing into a campfire, smores on demand, having a mano-a-mano with someone who’s so alien from you and so similar to you in all the best ways. Jazzy and I complete each other. It’s a bit like having a child rather than a roommate (aka a cat). I am first in Jazzy’s world. My deep paternal affection for her, without effort—it is intoxicating to this day and moment.

By Ben Komor

Ben Komor has been a certified peer specialist for over eight years and, among other functions in the mental health realm, served as an advisor to the Tompkins County Crisis Negotiation Team. He is a graduate of Ithaca High School, and holds a BA in Human Development and an MS in Health.