Love Is A 4-Legged Word: Power Of Pets To Heal, Love Unconditionally

BRANFORD, CT — Dogs know if you're hurting, lonely, anxious, depressed, or just in need of love. They feel it and want to help.

"They know how to sit there and be loving,” physician and researcher at the NIH Clinical Center Dr. Ann Berger said. “Dogs are very present. If someone is struggling with something, they know how to sit there and be loving. Their attention is focused on the person all the time.”

Therapy dogs, cats, and any number of various pets owners rely on for soothing and comfort, are common. During the height of the pandemic, for example, pet adoption increased.

According to an NIH and Mars Corporation’s WALTHAM Centre study, "interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood."

At Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter, for the past 12 years-plus, staff and pets, including dogs, cats, even bunnies, have been visiting nursing homes, hospices, senior living facilities, and schools, director Laura Burban told Patch. And, employees in various town departments, too.

Artis Senior Living of Branford and Evergreen Woods Retirement & Assisted Living Community are among the places DCAS pets visit.

"We both take requests and also have long-standing relationships with many places, so we are scheduled to go there. People are so excited to have us there. At the senior living facilities, both the residents and staff are filled with joy from the moment we get there," Burban said.

"You can tell if people are struggling whether with depression, memory loss or aches and pains and other illnesses," she said, adding, "These visits allow them to forget about those issues for a while."

Burban recalled one very memorable reaction at a senior living facility. A disabled senior resident, and a disabled dog, a three-legged one, there enjoyed each other's company "on the ground," something that stunned staff.

The disabled woman "went to the ground with such zest, joy, and excitement that the staff stood there in amazement. It was the happiest they said this woman had been."

But it's not just senior and assisted living or nursing centers that shelter staff and animal visit.

"We started visiting town departments quite some time ago. But it has definitely been more frequent recently. Just like everyone else, town employees are stressed from work and everything that has been going on in the world," Burban said. "These visits allow the town staff to decompress for a while. It allows us to evaluate the animals in different settings as well."

Burban said that Branford First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove and town human resources director Margaret Luberta have been not only "extremely supportive," but encouraging.

"(Cosgrove) understands the benefits to the seniors and the town employees," Burban said. "And Luberta also really encourages us to provide therapy to town employees."

Shelter animals also "provide therapy" at myriad other organizations, Burban said, including boy and girl scouts and church groups.

"We invite people to come to us as well," she said. For those with disabilities, for example.

"They come to the shelter and learn about independent living skills such as doing laundry, feeding animals, cleaning, etcetera, all while socializing animals and allowing us to see how the animals interact in those types of situations too," Burban said.

In addition to helping people, people are helping the animals, too. Socialization as well as demystifying the notion that "shelter pets" are somehow flawed.

"The other benefit is showing the world that shelter pets are just like other animals. Sometimes people think shelter pets must have something wrong with them since they are at a shelter, when in fact they are just lovable babies looking for their forever families," Burban said.

Win. And win.