Since this platform is densely fill with mental health and social service professionals, i might as well try my luck.
Since late last yr i have been trying to send emails to request for opportunities to volunteer with my dog to countless of VWOs, hospitals and even schools.
And most never reply back and some do, just reject with various excuses, and the top 3 excues i always get is religion, allergies and safety. So much so i actually memories it. And many rejection comes from people who is thinking the activity is for everyone. But the fact is i was hoping they will assess and select those who is keen. So, end of the day the 3 excuses dont sounds vaild to me.
And the only ones that accepts me is pretty much from Senior Care, 1 is a daycare for seniors and the other is a nursing home. i almost secure another 2 but fail too after 1 trial run, because one of them prefers the activity to be run by a well know org regsitered with a governing body for therapy dogs, which some how i dont know where that idea come from. for publicity sake, and the other mentioned they dont have time for it due to having too many senior to take care. So end of the day, i am happy i was atleast given a chance.
And i totally have no chance in mental health sector as well as schools.
Although, there are some well known therapy dog org that is running animal assisted activites, pretty much non of them is registered under a governing body, and those that is registered are actually providing paid service and most are under fundings.
And the fact is therapy dogs needs to be assessed for their temperament and be registered. While dogs for animals assisted activities are pretty much just normal pet dogs who love human interaction.
The only mental health related place that i know to have provide animal assisted activities is pretty much IMH and volunteer dogs from Therapy Dog Singapre visit their select long stay ward once a month. And i know they have this for the past 15 or so yrs.
And i ever wrote to IMH voicing insterest in providing animal interactions for their short stay patients and patients in the outpatient clinic, as i believe have a dog in the outpatient clinic will motivated patients to turn up for their appointment so that they can see and play with the dog. But this idea was turn down with religon and safety as a concern.
And the reasons why i always to push for mental health sector to have animal assisted activities is because:
- Many people use to keep pets but stop because they are not able to handle the grief of losing their pet.
- Not many people with mental health issues can afford to keep pets, even for me, on average keep a dog cost atleast $200 a month. And if they get sick, vet bills is normally in the hundreds up to 5 figures
- it s not easy to care of pets especially when the person is mentally strained or the caregivers needs to care for their love ones.
- Animal Assisted Activities help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as enhancing social skills and emotional stability.
- interacting with therapy animals releases oxytocin, lower cortisol and increase dopamine, which enhances mood and emotional stability.
- The interaction might help to reduce the amount of animal abuses within the community.
And below, i will show my dog Laufey in action at one of SASCO daycare. And i have the permission to use the share the pictures. Although Laufey he not a trained do for therapy work, he is my emotional support dog which he have learn how to live with a person with mental health issues. He has been rejected by many trainers due to his ADHD and have failed to join other therapy dog groups due to his inability to focus, but yet i from time to time have proof those people wrong about his capabilities.
