To The Furry Ones

We talk often about the people who rally around us during life’s difficult moments. But so many of us know that people aren’t the only ones who bring comfort when we need it - let’s give a little recognition to the furry (or feathered, or scaly...) ones who bring so much to our lives! 

Animals can bring comfort and decrease feelings of isolation during times of distress, but it’s  well documented that the therapeutic effects of animals are physical, too. Studies done as early as 1980 put forth evidence that petting your dog can lower blood pressure and release calming endorphins. Pets can help to keep us moving, get us outside, make us laugh. During these pandemic months, pets have benefitted from many of us staying home with them more than usual, and they have repaid us by providing constant companionship during strange times. How many of us have had a chuckle watching someone’s cat walk across their owner’s keyboard during a Zoom call? These animals have become informal classmates and colleagues while connecting with each other virtually from our homes. 

As we’ve learned more about the benefits that animals can bring, the field of Animal Therapy has advanced greatly through the decades. Many hospitals have now added therapy animals as honorary staff members and formal Animal Therapy programs to their treatment offerings. We see this expanding to non-medical settings, too, with colleges and universities offering puppies and kittens to snuggle as a stress reliever during exam weeks. And Animal Therapy isn’t limited to just the dogs, equine therapy programs have grown in popularity, giving sick or grieving people quality time with some of nature’s gentle giants.  

At A Haven, we have often sought out ways to bring animals into our work of supporting grieving children and families. Whether bringing a friendly and social Bernese Mountain dog to help work our table at a community fair, or having a therapy dog on hand for a painful letter writing session during a school group, we value the way animals can bring people in, help let their guards down, and calm the distress of grief. 

As spring approaches this year, we’re leaning into the value of our furry friends more than ever. We’ve been asked by one of our partner schools to host a school group for a cluster of young students who were deeply grieving the loss of their family pets. Knowing the love and closeness that pets can provide in a family, and what comfort pets have provided during the pandemic, we were honored to develop new group curriculum to deliver for these students. We are grateful to be able to provide a space for them to connect with each other and grieve a loss that is often not fully acknowledged. And in April, we’re thrilled to be hosting a healing retreat day at Chester County’s Sugars Bridge Alpaca Farm. We know that this event will provide a serene setting with cuddly creatures, and we hope that it will bring feelings of peace for grieving families while also providing a change of scenery for them to build connections together. How lucky are we to have access to and partnership with such an amazing local resource?

We know that we are just at the beginning of our journey to utilize animals and our relationships with them to increase the comfort and healing that families can find at A Haven. Stay tuned as we continue finding new ways to support our community...maybe a staff dog? A bird who sings soothing tunes for families? A stable of A Haven ponies?? Is any animal dream too big? Stay tuned to find out!