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Reporter Chen Yi / Taipei Report
Furry boys are so cute and cute, it makes people look at them and forget about their bad mood. Furry children have the power to calm people’s hearts, and many foreign medical units have shown that pet therapy is really helpful. This group of trained and certified animals can often match their stable and familiar personality traits, enter hospitals, schools, or other nursing institutions to interact with clients, even in front of strangers. They are not only furry children, but also “treatment dogs” and “treatment cats.”
▲ The treatment dog has been trained and certified, and will not be nervous entering the nursing facility to interact with strangers. (Photo / provided by Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Professional Development Association)
“Animal-assisted therapy” has been practiced at home and abroad for many years. There are over 50,000 therapeutic dogs in the United States alone, which is very popular in Europe and the United States. In Taiwan, the “Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Professional Development Association” has been committed to promoting this service for many years. It pioneered the “Golden Triangle” service model consisting of mobilization assistants, mobilization assistants (dog and cat owners) and treatment of dogs and cats. According to the needs of the individual case, the physiology assistant designs the treatment activities in combination with the characteristics of the association-certified dogs and cats, so that the cases participating in the animal-assisted treatment activities can be improved. in various aspects such as cognition, emotion, social interaction and physical rehabilitation.
Most of these certified treatment dogs and cats are spontaneously trained by their owners, and can only become independent after being certified by the association and practicing. Xia Lingna, the founder of Stinky Gun, is also an assistant to the association. The standard poodle “Tian Tian” in the family is the treatment dog, and the puppet cat “Hao Hao” is the only treatment cat in Taiwan.
▲ Xia Lingna (first from left), founder of Stinky Gun, takes her own treatment dog every day and often serves in various institutions in the central and southern regions with the Association’s assistant assistants. (Photo / provided by Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Professional Development Association)
Take, for example, the Shifang Kaineng Center in the Beitun District of Xia Lingna in Taichung. There are many children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities and cerebral palsy. Interaction with the treatment of dogs and cats not only improves brain stimulation, but even the originally closed heart is also covered by furry children. Open it, it’s rare to smile.
“Do you also have furry children in your family? Do not underestimate their innate healing power, maybe they will be the next treatment dog, the treatment cat,” said He Jiayun, an assistant veterinarian, the number of dogs and cats in Taiwan The city Taipei is the largest city. In contrast, the central and southern regions have a great shortage of supply. However, there are many units in demand.
▲ Children improve brain stimulation by interacting with the treatment dog. (Photo / provided by Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Professional Development Association)
The association organizes the treatment dog certification exam in June and December of each year. Generally, owner-trained dogs and cats can sign up for the test. Besides testing the socialization and stability of the dog and cat, it also tests the trust between the furry child and the owner. And tacit understanding. The total score of the assessment test is 110 points, and the certification is considered to be 90 points or more. After completing the internship, special education institutions, long-term care and other institutions to serve will be introduced.
▲ Currently the only Haohao treatment cat in Taiwan. (Photo / provided by Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Professional Development Association)
