Pet Health Coach

Struggling with dementia and trying to make sense of where he was, a gentleman came alive during a visit from a Pet Par†ners team of a handler and her mini horse. Hear what happened and why. This is the tip of the iceberg. For decades, Pet Partners has been the training and advocacy group for pet therapy teams around the country. Everyday people and their animals have changed lives or, at the very least, brightened the day for thousands and thousands of those in need. What does it take to be a pet therapy team? Could you and your animals be good candidates? What is the Animal Assisted Crisis Response and how can it possibly help someone you know? Discover all of this and more from Pet Partners’ Chief Mission Officer, Mary Margaret Callahan, as we chat about this important service. 

Listen to Episode #25 Now:

BIO:

Mary Margaret Callahan is the Chief Mission Officer for Pet Partners, where she is responsible for leading mission delivery including the therapy animal program and grassroots advocacy program. As an animal lover with a background spanning education and health care, Mary Margaret couldn’t be more delighted to find herself at the nexus of her interests and experience working to improve human health and well-being through the power of the human-animal bond.

The daughter of a veterinarian, Mary Margaret grew up surrounded by pets and has a deep appreciation for the strength of the human-animal bond. She joined Pet Partners in 2013 and has worked to establish the organization as both an influencer and a resource within the animal-assisted intervention (AAI) and human-animal bond (HAB) community. In 2018 she was named one of PetAge Magazine’s Women of Influence. 

Mary Margaret lives on a small farm outside Seattle with her husband, daughter and menagerie of animals including dogs, cats, chickens, goats, sheep, miniature donkeys and a rabbit.

Transcript:

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Announcer: Pet Life Radio. Let's talk pets.

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Jody Teiche: The Delta Society.

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Jody Teiche: That's what it was called when my new puppy Sophie and I enrolled so we can become a therapy animal team.

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Jody Teiche: And this was way back in 2010.

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Jody Teiche: But today, after changing its name to Pet Par†ners several years ago to more clearly communicate its mission, it is the leading therapy animal recognized training program, as well as an advocacy group and much, much more.

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Jody Teiche: So I'm really, really delighted to welcome its chief mission officer, Mary Margaret Callahan.

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Jody Teiche: She's here today on the program.

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Jody Teiche: And we're going to talk about how this wonderful organization came about, the work that it does, and some really great tidbits that you may not know about therapy animals, about a big national holiday coming up, and about the things that Pet Partners does.

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Jody Teiche: So we already know how powerful the human animal bond is to help us heal.

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Jody Teiche: Both of us heal in body, mind and spirit.

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Jody Teiche: What some of us may not know is the difference between what a therapy animal is versus an emotional support animal versus a service animal.

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Jody Teiche: And we're going to go into that as well.

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Jody Teiche: Pet Partners is sort of at the nexus of that concept and providing those in need with visits from companion animals and their caring people in all walks of life.

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Jody Teiche: Welcome to The Pet Health Coach on Pet Life Radio.

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Jody Teiche: I am Jody L.

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Jody Teiche: Teiche, your host.

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Jody Teiche: And we are going to dive into all of this, but first we're going to take a short break from our sponsor.

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Jody Teiche: That's how we keep the lights on here at Pet Life Radio.

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Jody Teiche: So grab that healthy favorite beverage, get cozy, and we'll be back.

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Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.

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Jody Teiche: Welcome back.

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Jody Teiche: You're listening to The Pet Health Coach on Pet Life Radio.

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Jody Teiche: I'm Jody Teiche, your host.

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Jody Teiche: Mary Margaret Callahan is the Chief Mission Officer of the wonderful Pet Par†ners Pet Therapy Organization.

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Jody Teiche: What is a therapy animal?

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Jody Teiche: We are going to go over that because not everybody is clear.

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Jody Teiche: So, we're going to go behind the scenes with Mary Margaret to talk about what happens at a national organization like Pet Par†ners, the different things they do and how they do it, just in time for National Therapy Animal Day on April 30th.

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Jody Teiche: Welcome, Mary Margaret.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Thanks for having me, Jody.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It's a pleasure to be here.

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Jody Teiche: It is a pleasure to have you.

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Jody Teiche: So, to kick us off, would you explain the difference between a therapy animal, an emotional support animal, a service animal, so everybody's clear?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And let's be clear, these are three categories of animals that make huge differences in people's lives.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They're all amazing, but they are easy to confuse.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So, my favorite way of describing this, the difference between them is that both service animals and emotional support animals, those are a one-to-one relationship.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: One animal really serving to benefit one person, whether it's through helping them through their daily activities of living or whether it's to help with a mental health problem, unbelievably important, but that one animal really supports one individual.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Therapy animals, on the other hand, that's a one-to-many relationship.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: You've got one animal who's going out and interacting with maybe lots of different people over the course of time, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Maybe they go visit a classroom and they get to interact with 20 kids who are learning phonics and practicing their reading with a dog.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Or maybe it's one therapy animal and their handler who are going into a hospital and visiting from room to room to give those patients in recovery a little boost.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Could be lots of different things, but the big one there is the animal is interacting with lots of different people.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It's there to benefit lots of different folks, not just one other person.

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Jody Teiche: Perfect.

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Jody Teiche: And with a service animal, their job is to protect their person because their person is challenged with something, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Yes.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Service animals are there to help promote activities of daily living.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So it might be that that animal reminds the person to take their medication, or it could be that they know how to open a door, turn on and off a light switch, or maybe they alert their handler who may not have all their hearing that the doorbell is wrong or something like that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They do lots of very practical tasks and it's great, but they also provide wonderful companionship too.

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Jody Teiche: Exactly.

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Jody Teiche: So tell us how Pet Partners came about.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Pet Par†ners has an interesting story.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So more than 40 years ago, what we had were two brothers, the McCullochs, and one was a veterinarian, the other one worked in psychology.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And what they were talking about is that they realized that the presence of an animal was really benefiting the patients of the one brother.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so these two brothers in concert with Leo Bustad, who was also a veterinarian, developed what was called at that time the Delta Society, which wanted to shine a light on this idea that animals can enhance people's health and their health outcomes.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And at that time it was kind of a revolutionary idea, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: If we think back to how animals were perceived 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, 50 years ago, people didn't treat their dogs the way we do now, almost as children, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: People who are taking care of them, taking them to veterinary have insurance for them, taking classes, doing enrichment.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: There's so many wonderful activities you can do.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But for a long time, pets were really viewed as property.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It's something you hadn't and didn't have the same connection now that many people do.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So they really wanted to collect research, both anecdotal and evidence-based research that showed that these animals enhanced our lives, and that's what the Delta Society was founded on, this idea.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: From that, they then developed what was called the Pet Par†ners Program at the time, which was how do we make this happen?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: How do we facilitate this?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And that was the very beginnings of that visiting animal program.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Back in 2012, we decided to switch our name to Pet Partners because that really had been the core, became the core activity of what we were doing.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: We're facilitating therapy animal visits all across the country for people in all sorts of different settings, where maybe they couldn't have their pet with them, or maybe they don't have a pet of their own.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And what we found is that the people who have the opportunity to volunteer with their pet find it just as enriching and wonderful as the people who are receiving those visits.

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Jody Teiche: Absolutely.

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Jody Teiche: And I can second that some incredible experiences that Sophie and I had together.

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Jody Teiche: How did you come to Pet Par†ners, Mary Margaret?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Well, about a decade ago, I was looking to transition and finding new jobs.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And I stumbled upon Pet Par†ners.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And to me, it was like this perfect moment of all sorts of things in my life coming together and overlapping.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: My father was a veterinarian.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I grew up in a household with lots of animals, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And really new and appreciated and loved animals.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I also had a background in education.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I had been a classroom teacher for a while.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And then I had done some program education on the state level for health care workers.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I also had this crazy background in a little bit of health and medicine.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so Pet Partners was like this perfect combination.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Education, volunteerism, health care and animals.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Where does it get any better?

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Jody Teiche: Yeah, perfect fit, it sounds like, for you and your background.

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Jody Teiche: So when you think of Pet Partners and its mission, what are the first thoughts that come up into your head?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I think one of the things that's so amazing is that this opportunity to share a beloved pet can enrich so many people's lives all at the same time from different angles, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Obviously, we talked about the person who's receiving that visit.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That could be a life-changing visit for someone, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: We hear stories all the time about families who are comforted in a time of terrible distress or patients who are motivated to comply with their treatment plans and start to get better because an animal's become involved in their treatment.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But we also know that the volunteer receives a lot from that, an opportunity to give back to their community, an opportunity to build an even stronger relationship with their animal, and then, of course, the animal.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And this is the thing I love the most about Pet Par†ners, is that this deep commitment to animal welfare, and not just animal welfare as we think about at the highest levels, like animals have shelter, animals have food, animals have veterinary care, but truly this commitment to the idea that therapy animals are choosing to do this.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's okay if your animal chooses not to do this.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It does not mean you're a bad pet parent.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Not every animal is going to enjoy interacting with people they don't know.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I had my beloved dog Mimi.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: She was a Chihuahua, had her for years and years and years.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she loved me, but she wasn't even convinced my husband should stick around.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Like really, but it was it was her and me, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: She wasn't really even interested in it, really interested in anyone else.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I was her person and she was fine with that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: She would have been miserable being a therapy animal and I would have never asked her to do that, because I know she wouldn't have enjoyed it.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's one of the things I love about Pet Par†ners is this idea that the people who are really great handlers, like I'm sure you were with your dog, like you're doing this because your animal also enjoys it.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They find fulfillment in being with you and interacting with other people.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so when it's done right, everybody benefits.

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Jody Teiche: My Annie would be a liability as a therapy animal.

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Jody Teiche: I would be worried.

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Jody Teiche: So we know at this point how many benefits there are to us and the animals who are the right kind of animals for being a therapy animal, body, mind and spirit, the benefits.

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Jody Teiche: There is plenty of empirical data.

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Jody Teiche: There are scientific studies and we're going to talk a little later about your partnership with Hapri.

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Jody Teiche: Tell us a little bit like a few bullet points of what's come out of studies in terms of the benefits that animals have on our lives.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So, no, I think a lot of us who are pet parents can relate, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That when we spend time with our animals, we reduce our own stress, right?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: We know that the cortisone is impacted.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Our heart rate is elevated, our blood pressure drops.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: There are true physical benefits to spending time with animals.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So we know that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I think one of the things that's been very interesting that's come out, you know, there's been more and more talk over the last few years about this sort of epidemic of isolation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: People feeling like they're not connected with people, having not enough connection with others, and they feel isolated.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And therapy animals is one of those things that we've really seen.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: The presence of a therapy animal can facilitate interaction with people and really help people feel less isolated.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: When you think about individuals in assisted living or extended nursing care and things like that, the opportunity to come in and pet an animal, but also maybe socially engage with the handler who's brought that animal in, the great things that benefit that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: The stress relief that we see, one of the areas where therapy animals is really taken off is on college campuses and even high schools during finals weeks and things like that.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: High stress academic situations really help students to de-stress and focus on what they need to focus.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That's a great benefit too.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And then one of the other things that I love is the motivation that animals can provide in participating in your own care.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So one of my favorite stories was a little girl who in so much pain didn't want to get up and walk, didn't want to participate in her physical therapy.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: But when a therapy animal was there, she was the first one in line to get up and help walk that dog with a second leash.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And that became her physical there because that was something she wanted to do.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so that kind of motivation couldn't have been found anywhere else, I don't think, for her and it helped her recover.

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Jody Teiche: Absolutely.

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Jody Teiche: You touched on high schools and college campuses.

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Jody Teiche: Gen Z has many, many struggles in epidemic proportions with their mental health.

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Jody Teiche: And animals, for those of the population who love animals, are such a wonderful bridge for better mental health, to feel less isolated, to feel less anxious, to feel more connected.

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Jody Teiche: And for those that can be a pet parent, it's a great way to learn responsibility, get exercise, et cetera, so forth.

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Jody Teiche: So it is for our largest population, an incredible way to help them with their mental health.

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Jody Teiche: So that's just another one.

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Jody Teiche: Absolutely.

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Jody Teiche: I love that.

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Jody Teiche: And seniors, seniors too.

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Jody Teiche: The materials that you sent me absolutely touched on seniors as well as another population that therapy animals have been very, very instrumental in helping emotionally.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Without question.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Yeah.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I have a wonderful handler who has a miniature horse that she brings into an assisted living care facility on a weekly basis.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she was coming in for a visit and they sort of walked into the large sort of common room where they tended to visit and she kind of looked around and there was a gentleman who made eye contact.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And so they started to walk over there.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And, you know, as she walked up and, you know, he said, Oh, that doesn't look like any horse I've ever seen.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And they had this lovely exchange.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: It turns out he had grown up on a ranch surrounded by full sized horses almost his entire life.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: They talked about horses and horse care and the different breeds they knew and had this lovely conversation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she thanked him for his time and said, I hope you have a lovely lunch.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Maybe we'll see you the next time we're here.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she started to move across the room to another group of people.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And one of the nurses ran up to her and she said, You were talking to him.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: What were you talking?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: I saw you talking to him.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Did he say something?

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she said, Yes, we had a lovely conversation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: Such a nice gentleman.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And she said, He just joined us two days ago and he has advancing dementia, and he hasn't spoken to anyone because he's been so confused about where he is.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And these were the first words he had spoken in a lucid capacity while he had been there.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And it was because he could connect to the presence of a horse and he had this wonderful, fulfilling conversation.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And now they get to go back and visit him.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's just one of those other examples about how you never know what kind of impact an animal might have on someone until they have the opportunity.

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Jody Teiche: That, I have goosebumps.

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Jody Teiche: I mean, that is a beautiful, so powerful story.

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Jody Teiche: That short visit, who knows what the rippling effects could have been and the subsequent, hopefully subsequent visits in prolonging this man's sanity and ability to enjoy life.

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Jody Teiche: So I just love that.

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Jody Teiche: That's a beautiful, beautiful thing.

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Jody Teiche: Thank you for sharing that.

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Jody Teiche: So it's my recollection, Mary Margaret, the training to become a Pet Par†ners team is pretty rigorous.

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Jody Teiche: Tell my listeners a bit about what's expected when you take the course through Pet Partners and what they should look out for if they're looking for a way to become a team outside of Pet Par†ners, because I know that you've developed a code of standards, if you will.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: That's right.

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Mary Margaret Callahan: So I would say that the number one mistake, if I can even call it that, that people make is they put all the emphasis on their animal and none of the emphasis on them.

00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:38.060
Mary Margaret Callahan: So people are worried about what kind of obedient skills do I need and does my dog need to know how to do tricks and all these things.

00:17:38.080 --> 00:17:41.020
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so they hyper-focus on making sure their animal is prepared.

00:17:41.020 --> 00:17:44.100
Mary Margaret Callahan: And let's be clear, you do want your animal to be prepared.

00:17:44.120 --> 00:17:48.200
Mary Margaret Callahan: They need core obedience skills, nothing crazy and fancy, right?

00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:54.600
Mary Margaret Callahan: But they should really have this trusting bond with you and sort of you guys act together as a team.

00:17:54.660 --> 00:17:57.360
Mary Margaret Callahan: So there's some of that that has to happen.

00:17:57.380 --> 00:18:03.240
Mary Margaret Callahan: But the fact of the matter is you, the handler, the human, the person holding the leash, right?

00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:07.160
Mary Margaret Callahan: In the background, you're subtly facilitating all of this, right?

00:18:07.760 --> 00:18:13.680
Mary Margaret Callahan: We always say at Pet Par†ners, your number one job as a handler is to be your animal's best advocate.

00:18:14.040 --> 00:18:19.380
Mary Margaret Callahan: So what you're doing is you're trying to preemptively anticipate things that may happen.

00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:24.060
Mary Margaret Callahan: You know in your mind, ooh, my dog hates thunderstorms.

00:18:24.280 --> 00:18:25.680
Mary Margaret Callahan: They really get anxious.

00:18:25.740 --> 00:18:35.780
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so if it's in the middle of a giant thunderstorm and you have a visit scheduled, maybe you rethink that visit and you think to reschedule it because you know that's not in your animal's best interest.

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.800
Mary Margaret Callahan: There's things like that that you can do to really set everyone up for success.

00:18:39.820 --> 00:18:43.900
Mary Margaret Callahan: And sometimes until you've really thought through those, you don't realize them.

00:18:44.180 --> 00:18:45.600
Mary Margaret Callahan: Some people do them naturally.

00:18:45.620 --> 00:18:51.800
Mary Margaret Callahan: So our training, our handler course or workshop really focuses on what's your job as the handler?

00:18:51.980 --> 00:18:53.540
Mary Margaret Callahan: What are the things you can do?

00:18:53.900 --> 00:18:55.840
Mary Margaret Callahan: How are you going to facilitate this?

00:18:56.200 --> 00:19:05.300
Mary Margaret Callahan: And when you notice your dog is done for whatever reason, maybe they are tired, maybe they need a potty break, maybe they just don't like something and you don't even know what.

00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:06.800
Mary Margaret Callahan: It doesn't really matter.

00:19:07.120 --> 00:19:14.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: Your job is to gracefully find a way to facilitate an exit so that it doesn't become a bad interaction for your animal.

00:19:14.980 --> 00:19:19.700
Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's really what we're focusing on making sure you're prepared for and ready to do.

00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:23.920
Mary Margaret Callahan: So all that animal training, it's great, it's fabulous.

00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:28.680
Mary Margaret Callahan: And I think one of the great ways to build a bond with your animals, to do some classes, right?

00:19:29.040 --> 00:19:32.720
Mary Margaret Callahan: Help understand how the two of you are going to communicate effectively together.

00:19:33.080 --> 00:19:37.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: But don't overlook the stuff that you too need to know as the human.

00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:38.440
Jody Teiche: Absolutely.

00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:40.420
Jody Teiche: And that's great, great point to bring out.

00:19:40.720 --> 00:19:49.760
Jody Teiche: Because I remember when we took the training all those years ago, number one, it was wonderful because they set up scenarios that could happen.

00:19:50.180 --> 00:20:03.300
Jody Teiche: Maybe they never happen, but they could happen where there's loud talking or loud noises or someone in a wheelchair or some other scenario that may be.

00:20:03.780 --> 00:20:14.240
Jody Teiche: Well, the point is that they want you to see if it triggers a reaction in your dog so that you know what your dog can handle, doesn't like to handle.

00:20:14.800 --> 00:20:18.960
Jody Teiche: You can learn ways to preempt just like you said, because it's all about preempting.

00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:34.520
Jody Teiche: So I loved that and it was very focused on being the person to be your dog's advocate, your cat's advocate to set them up for success.

00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:35.820
Jody Teiche: So I loved that.

00:20:36.060 --> 00:21:01.760
Jody Teiche: And then the other thing that I loved was based on how your animal, they perceived your animal and your interaction with your animal by the end of the course, there were opportunities and options to be in a low stress environment, to be in a medium or okay to be in a higher stress environment if your dog is just like a da, you know, happy, go lucky for anything.

00:21:02.580 --> 00:21:18.080
Jody Teiche: So you also have the ability through Pet Par†ners and possibly through other programs to be in an environment and be certified in an environment, not certified, but you know, greenlit for an environment that your pet can handle.

00:21:18.520 --> 00:21:25.900
Jody Teiche: In terms of people looking elsewhere, what should they look out for in researching a program to make sure it's a good one?

00:21:26.120 --> 00:21:34.380
Mary Margaret Callahan: Well, a great place to start is to familiarize yourself with what are called the standards of practice for animal assisted interventions, right?

00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:40.180
Mary Margaret Callahan: So if you Google therapy dog standards or therapy dog standards dot org, right?

00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:48.360
Mary Margaret Callahan: You'll get this free document, evidence based, and it really outlines sort of the bare minimum of what you should be expecting.

00:21:48.380 --> 00:22:00.860
Mary Margaret Callahan: So as you as a consumer, if you're a pet parent and you're like, oh, I'm excited, I want to try this, I'm looking into programs around me, that could be a place to start to make sure that whatever program you're considering is meeting some of those benchmarks.

00:22:01.640 --> 00:22:07.340
Mary Margaret Callahan: In this day and age in the United States, I'm really going to suggest you make sure you ask questions about insurance.

00:22:07.760 --> 00:22:12.120
Mary Margaret Callahan: You should have insurance as a volunteer, and you shouldn't be asked to provide it to yourself.

00:22:12.580 --> 00:22:16.000
Mary Margaret Callahan: You know, people oftentimes go, oh, yeah, I'm probably covered.

00:22:16.020 --> 00:22:17.360
Mary Margaret Callahan: I'm not going to worry too much about that.

00:22:17.540 --> 00:22:18.620
Mary Margaret Callahan: Don't make that mistake.

00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:22.520
Mary Margaret Callahan: So make sure there's a solid insurance plan in place.

00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:28.720
Mary Margaret Callahan: Make sure if something accidental did happen, you'd have the backing of your organization to support you.

00:22:29.020 --> 00:22:37.320
Mary Margaret Callahan: The other thing that's part of standards of practice, and I couldn't recommend it more, is that you should have some form of recurring evaluation.

00:22:37.340 --> 00:22:47.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: Like you said, right, you're doing these exercises and someone's watching how your animal interacts when a wheelchair goes by or when someone maybe raises their voice.

00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:52.440
Mary Margaret Callahan: And these are all things that are important, obviously, as you interact with the public.

00:22:52.460 --> 00:22:58.620
Mary Margaret Callahan: But I think that the thing that's so fascinating is everybody realizes at the beginning, they should do that.

00:22:59.080 --> 00:23:05.800
Mary Margaret Callahan: But you become less capable of interpreting that for yourself and this animal that you love.

00:23:05.820 --> 00:23:11.840
Mary Margaret Callahan: And having someone else help you look at those things every couple years, really important, right?

00:23:12.040 --> 00:23:15.500
Mary Margaret Callahan: Because the other thing, remember, you're asking your animal to do this.

00:23:15.520 --> 00:23:19.780
Mary Margaret Callahan: They don't get in the car and go, come on, Jody, let's go or head into the hospital.

00:23:19.980 --> 00:23:23.340
Mary Margaret Callahan: You're the one that's getting them ready and setting it up and taking them there.

00:23:24.160 --> 00:23:28.440
Mary Margaret Callahan: So let's make sure that we're acting in their best interest.

00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:36.640
Mary Margaret Callahan: And an evaluation really can't help determine that, because sometimes it takes that independent third party to go, are you sure that this is what your animal wants to do?

00:23:36.660 --> 00:23:39.120
Mary Margaret Callahan: Because I see you're enthusiastic about it.

00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:44.860
Mary Margaret Callahan: But when I see your animal interacting with people, the body language they're showing doesn't indicate that to me.

00:23:45.060 --> 00:23:48.160
Mary Margaret Callahan: And sometimes having someone else see that can be really helpful.

00:23:48.740 --> 00:23:49.160
Jody Teiche: Absolutely.

00:23:49.600 --> 00:23:54.500
Jody Teiche: You know, in 2010, we never thought about insurance and things have changed a lot.

00:23:54.520 --> 00:23:55.740
Jody Teiche: So that's a wonderful point.

00:23:56.140 --> 00:24:02.340
Jody Teiche: And with Pet Partners, I do remember that every two years, I think it was, we had to get reevaluated.

00:24:02.840 --> 00:24:05.760
Jody Teiche: So that absolutely makes sense.

00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:10.100
Jody Teiche: We are going to take a quick break for our sponsor.

00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:20.020
Jody Teiche: But don't go away because when we come back, we're going to find out from Mary Margaret about Animal Assisted Crisis Response.

00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:20.960
Jody Teiche: What is that?

00:24:21.980 --> 00:24:29.780
Jody Teiche: And some very touching, more touching, and powerful stories of therapy animals and the work they do.

00:24:29.800 --> 00:24:33.800
Jody Teiche: So refresh that favorite beverage, get cozy, and we'll be right back.

00:24:35.260 --> 00:24:37.320
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00:24:37.860 --> 00:24:41.100
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00:24:41.120 --> 00:24:46.240
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00:24:46.400 --> 00:24:49.440
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00:24:49.540 --> 00:24:54.380
Announcer: Let's talk pets, live and on demand only from Pet Life Radio.

00:25:10.800 --> 00:25:11.480
Jody Teiche: Welcome back.

00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:17.060
Jody Teiche: If you've just joined, you're listening to The Pet Health Coach on Pet Life Radio and I am Jody Teiche, your host.

00:25:17.460 --> 00:25:34.260
Jody Teiche: We're here today with Mary Margaret Callahan of Pet Par†ners, the organization that is the champion of, behind the movement of pet therapy animals and pet partners with our animals.

00:25:34.680 --> 00:25:41.120
Jody Teiche: Mary Margaret, what is the animal assisted crisis response that Pet Partners launched in 2019?

00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:48.420
Mary Margaret Callahan: So I think we all are aware that sometimes in our society, terrible crises happen.

00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:54.680
Mary Margaret Callahan: And maybe their natural disasters, maybe their manmade disasters, maybe their acts of violence.

00:25:55.160 --> 00:26:00.160
Mary Margaret Callahan: We know that therapy animals can be really beneficial in a lot of different situations.

00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:17.860
Mary Margaret Callahan: We also recognize that in situations like that, those crisis situations, therapy animals can really make a difference, particularly while people are sort of waiting to get help or get treatment or in this period of limbo that's really taxing emotionally and psychologically.

00:26:18.860 --> 00:26:26.320
Mary Margaret Callahan: So, what we also recognize is that those situations are elevated for everyone, the handler and the animal too, right?

00:26:26.660 --> 00:26:43.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: So what we wanted to do was for people who thought that they would like to serve their community in that capacity, we wanted to provide some additional training that would prepare them to be in settings like that, things not to say, things to say, how to take care of yourself, right?

00:26:44.120 --> 00:26:45.420
Mary Margaret Callahan: What does that look like for you?

00:26:45.600 --> 00:26:48.520
Mary Margaret Callahan: How to ensure that your animal has been taken care of.

00:26:48.900 --> 00:26:55.580
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we launched a crisis response credential, additional training for our existing registered pet partners handlers.

00:26:55.980 --> 00:27:03.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: And let's be clear, crisis response is not for everyone, but for some people, it feels really good to be giving back to their communities in that way.

00:27:04.180 --> 00:27:08.780
Mary Margaret Callahan: And our program really is designed to be this neighbors helping neighbors kind of idea.

00:27:09.160 --> 00:27:13.720
Mary Margaret Callahan: Sometimes you'll see on TV people flying dogs across the country and things like that.

00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:18.900
Mary Margaret Callahan: When we stop to ask ourselves from an animal welfare perspective, is that really in the best interest of the animal?

00:27:19.540 --> 00:27:21.060
Mary Margaret Callahan: Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.

00:27:21.560 --> 00:27:28.000
Mary Margaret Callahan: But really, when we think about what helps rebuild communities after a disaster, it's neighbors helping neighbors.

00:27:28.800 --> 00:27:37.560
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's people who are there for the long haul, not just for a day, not just for a week, but it's people who maybe you get to build a relationship with, right?

00:27:37.760 --> 00:27:40.480
Mary Margaret Callahan: People who visit at the same place over and over again.

00:27:40.720 --> 00:27:43.300
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so that's really where our crisis response shines.

00:27:43.760 --> 00:27:55.200
Mary Margaret Callahan: And I think one of the things that's been so lovely about our crisis response program is the number of our volunteer teams who have developed a relationship and an ongoing visit with first responders.

00:27:55.620 --> 00:28:05.120
Mary Margaret Callahan: We think about people who work as firefighters, as EMTs, as people who are constantly dealing with a high level of stress in their jobs.

00:28:05.640 --> 00:28:08.320
Mary Margaret Callahan: This is a great break for them, right?

00:28:08.680 --> 00:28:13.480
Mary Margaret Callahan: To have a therapy animal team come in and de-stress in their workplace, amazing.

00:28:13.900 --> 00:28:16.280
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so it really can run the gamut.

00:28:16.300 --> 00:28:20.160
Mary Margaret Callahan: Do we have teams who visit schools after a school shooting?

00:28:20.540 --> 00:28:21.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

00:28:21.520 --> 00:28:25.980
Mary Margaret Callahan: Do we have teams who are at the Red Cross tent after a hurricane?

00:28:26.760 --> 00:28:27.520
Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:33.640
Mary Margaret Callahan: But do we also have teams who just visit their local sheriff's department on Wednesdays to cheer everyone else and reduce their stress?

00:28:34.080 --> 00:28:35.060
Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

00:28:35.740 --> 00:28:36.820
Jody Teiche: I love that.

00:28:37.140 --> 00:28:40.000
Jody Teiche: And, yes, it could make such a huge difference.

00:28:40.580 --> 00:28:42.540
Jody Teiche: You also have a program called Read With Me.

00:28:42.940 --> 00:28:44.140
Jody Teiche: Tell listeners about that.

00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:44.740
Mary Margaret Callahan: Absolutely.

00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:55.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: So I think that one of the things that we see, and there's some beautiful stories out there, right, is that children who are reluctant readers need to practice.

00:28:55.220 --> 00:28:58.060
Mary Margaret Callahan: And practicing orally is oftentimes the way that's happened.

00:28:58.080 --> 00:29:01.300
Mary Margaret Callahan: But that can feel threatening, right?

00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:06.600
Mary Margaret Callahan: Someone who's listening to you may be poised to catch your mistakes or correct you.

00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:10.840
Mary Margaret Callahan: The beauty of that is a therapy animal is never going to correct your pronunciation.

00:29:10.860 --> 00:29:22.200
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we've seen just a ton of interest in schools, libraries, community centers, all these programs where they facilitate having therapy animals come in for children to practice their reading.

00:29:22.740 --> 00:29:24.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's been terrific.

00:29:24.600 --> 00:29:25.600
Mary Margaret Callahan: What a fun thing.

00:29:25.980 --> 00:29:29.840
Mary Margaret Callahan: So lots of dogs think of that as just perfect nap time.

00:29:29.860 --> 00:29:32.540
Mary Margaret Callahan: They come up on a blanket, somebody's reading to them.

00:29:32.800 --> 00:29:34.860
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's great non-judgmental practice.

00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:38.520
Mary Margaret Callahan: But one of the things I also like is other species can participate in this too.

00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:41.960
Mary Margaret Callahan: Pet Par†ners registers actually nine different species of animals.

00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:47.000
Mary Margaret Callahan: By far and away, the most popular species we register obviously is dogs.

00:29:47.460 --> 00:29:49.960
Mary Margaret Callahan: But we have some less common species too.

00:29:50.400 --> 00:29:55.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: And one of my very favorite read with me therapy animals is actually a parrot.

00:29:56.320 --> 00:29:59.860
Mary Margaret Callahan: And this wonderful parrot goes to an elementary school and does programs.

00:29:59.880 --> 00:30:04.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: But one of the things that's so fascinating about birds is that they're highly visually acute, right?

00:30:04.840 --> 00:30:06.260
Mary Margaret Callahan: They're a prey species.

00:30:06.280 --> 00:30:08.720
Mary Margaret Callahan: They always are looking around to see what's happening.

00:30:09.080 --> 00:30:21.560
Mary Margaret Callahan: And these pictures of this bird who looks at the pictures as the child turns the pages because they're visually acute gives the sense that the bird is trying to follow along as they're being read to.

00:30:22.120 --> 00:30:23.360
Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's just stunning.

00:30:23.380 --> 00:30:25.780
Jody Teiche: Oh, I love that.

00:30:26.300 --> 00:30:40.200
Jody Teiche: I've seen video of children, you know, seven, six, seven, eight, reading to a dog and like they're reading to their baby, right?

00:30:40.340 --> 00:30:42.260
Jody Teiche: Or to their best friend.

00:30:43.300 --> 00:30:57.340
Jody Teiche: And it is such a charming, heartwarming thing to see, to experience because it absolutely stimulates something that nothing else really can in the same way in that child.

00:30:57.420 --> 00:30:59.580
Jody Teiche: So yes, it is a very beautiful thing.

00:30:59.600 --> 00:31:01.780
Jody Teiche: And that parrot story is priceless.

00:31:01.800 --> 00:31:03.340
Jody Teiche: I would love video on that.

00:31:03.780 --> 00:31:05.120
Jody Teiche: That must be hilarious.

00:31:05.860 --> 00:31:09.300
Jody Teiche: Okay, let's talk a little bit about HABRI.

00:31:09.740 --> 00:31:27.260
Jody Teiche: And for those of you listening who don't know what HABRI is, it is the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute and it's another wonderful organization and they spearhead research into the power of the human-animal bond in health, wellness and really across all lanes.

00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:29.180
Jody Teiche: You have a partnership with them.

00:31:29.180 --> 00:31:30.300
Jody Teiche: Tell us what that looks like.

00:31:30.600 --> 00:31:33.840
Mary Margaret Callahan: This is really proud to be an evidence-based program, right?

00:31:33.860 --> 00:31:37.240
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's not just that we sort of have a sense that things might be a good idea.

00:31:37.260 --> 00:31:45.300
Mary Margaret Callahan: We really do want to see that there's data that supports the decisions we make about what drives our program and how we prepare handlers to be successful.

00:31:46.040 --> 00:31:52.080
Mary Margaret Callahan: So we have a partnership or HABRI where we help fund research specific to therapy animals.

00:31:52.480 --> 00:31:55.880
Mary Margaret Callahan: The human-animal bond is a very, very broad topic.

00:31:55.880 --> 00:32:02.100
Mary Margaret Callahan: And there's lots of fascinating work out there that's been done and so much more that needs to be done.

00:32:02.540 --> 00:32:10.160
Mary Margaret Callahan: But what we really wanted to do was make sure that research was happening that really was specific to therapy animals.

00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:13.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's one of our where our partnership with HABRI comes in.

00:32:13.240 --> 00:32:17.940
Mary Margaret Callahan: We've had some wonderful studies that have been funded through that program and going on.

00:32:18.340 --> 00:32:19.880
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's unbelievably valuable.

00:32:20.220 --> 00:32:28.340
Mary Margaret Callahan: HABRI has got a tremendous website, a great resource for looking up articles in all sorts of things having to do with the human-animal bond.

00:32:28.460 --> 00:32:30.520
Mary Margaret Callahan: We value them so much.

00:32:30.980 --> 00:32:31.660
Jody Teiche: Fantastic.

00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:33.260
Jody Teiche: They are a wonderful organization.

00:32:33.280 --> 00:32:37.980
Jody Teiche: And the work that they've funded has been brilliant in terms of health.

00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:43.420
Jody Teiche: So National Therapy Animal Day is coming up at the end of the month, April 30th every year.

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:48.900
Jody Teiche: It is a national holiday that Pet Par†ners developed, started.

00:32:49.080 --> 00:32:51.100
Jody Teiche: What do you have in store this year?

00:32:51.360 --> 00:33:05.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: Well, you know, National Therapy Animal Day was really meant to shine the spotlight on who the true stars of the show are, which are these fabulous animals and their handlers who facilitate this happening in every community across the country, right?

00:33:05.800 --> 00:33:16.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: So, we really wanted to make sure that we could just stop for a moment and call out and thank and appreciate all these folks who do so much for everyone else.

00:33:16.900 --> 00:33:19.780
Mary Margaret Callahan: So, April 30th comes by every year.

00:33:20.120 --> 00:33:22.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: Every year we celebrate National Therapy Animal Day.

00:33:22.680 --> 00:33:32.580
Mary Margaret Callahan: One of the things that we have done as part of our advocacy work is that we work to get proclamations in all sorts of different cities, states and counties across the country.

00:33:33.120 --> 00:33:35.180
Mary Margaret Callahan: So, we're currently collecting those.

00:33:35.380 --> 00:33:41.580
Mary Margaret Callahan: Great fun to have different cities recognize the amazing volunteers that come from each of those areas.

00:33:42.200 --> 00:33:49.980
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's just such a fun, wonderful day to stop and celebrate all of these fabulous therapy animals, past and present.

00:33:50.360 --> 00:33:51.120
Jody Teiche: I love that.

00:33:51.240 --> 00:33:55.040
Jody Teiche: Unfortunately, we've come up to time to the end of our interview.

00:33:55.480 --> 00:34:10.400
Jody Teiche: But if there is a story, you've given us a couple of beautiful ones that you would like to end with about a therapy animal experience in whatever type of facility, please share it with us.

00:34:10.820 --> 00:34:11.700
Mary Margaret Callahan: Oh, my goodness.

00:34:12.100 --> 00:34:13.960
Mary Margaret Callahan: I should have saved all my good stories for later.

00:34:13.980 --> 00:34:16.540
Mary Margaret Callahan: But really, there are so many.

00:34:16.920 --> 00:34:18.720
Mary Margaret Callahan: That's what I think is so amazing.

00:34:18.720 --> 00:34:21.880
Mary Margaret Callahan: So this one actually, I think is a little different.

00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:30.400
Mary Margaret Callahan: So so many stories that are, as you would think, sort of traditionally like this amazing benefit to the recipient of the visit.

00:34:31.060 --> 00:34:44.640
Mary Margaret Callahan: And in this particular situation, we had a handler with their dog going out and visiting, and they had the opportunity to interact with someone who was really kind of in a state of crisis, a lot of distress, right?

00:34:45.120 --> 00:34:51.140
Mary Margaret Callahan: And sometimes visits are very like conversational, there's talk that happens.

00:34:51.600 --> 00:34:53.460
Mary Margaret Callahan: Sometimes they're very, very silent.

00:34:53.720 --> 00:35:01.980
Mary Margaret Callahan: And I think what was so fascinating to me is this one felt really powerful to the handler, even though the handler never said anything.

00:35:02.260 --> 00:35:06.980
Mary Margaret Callahan: So they walk in, they've been asked to go visit this individual who's sort of in a waiting room.

00:35:07.940 --> 00:35:13.480
Mary Margaret Callahan: And the handler comes in, I have my therapy dog with me, maybe come in, person sort of nods.

00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:14.920
Mary Margaret Callahan: So they walked in.

00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:21.320
Mary Margaret Callahan: And many therapy animals are great at sort of feeling emotion in a room, right?

00:35:21.780 --> 00:35:25.760
Mary Margaret Callahan: And so the dog looks at this individual and walks over.

00:35:26.520 --> 00:35:31.740
Mary Margaret Callahan: And immediately she starts sort of petting this wonderful dog, and oh, the dog's into it.

00:35:31.880 --> 00:35:34.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: It's leaning into it, getting petted.

00:35:35.400 --> 00:35:36.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: And she starts to cry.

00:35:37.140 --> 00:35:38.300
Mary Margaret Callahan: She's crying a lot.

00:35:39.000 --> 00:35:40.340
Mary Margaret Callahan: The handler doesn't say anything.

00:35:40.640 --> 00:35:43.420
Mary Margaret Callahan: She knows it's been a stressful situation, she's just standing there.

00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:46.820
Mary Margaret Callahan: She's keeping an eye on her dog who is doing fine, right?

00:35:46.840 --> 00:35:49.180
Mary Margaret Callahan: Just sort of absorbing some of that emotion.

00:35:49.340 --> 00:35:54.240
Mary Margaret Callahan: She stands there as this woman pets her dog and just openly weeps.

00:35:55.480 --> 00:36:02.660
Mary Margaret Callahan: And after what felt like a long time, because you're thinking standing there quietly while someone cries, even a couple minutes feels like a long time.

00:36:02.680 --> 00:36:11.280
Mary Margaret Callahan: But after five, six, seven minutes, the woman sort of starts to regain some of her emotion and composure.

00:36:11.800 --> 00:36:19.280
Mary Margaret Callahan: And she sort of finishes petting the dog and she says to the dog, thank you so much for knowing what I needed.

00:36:19.660 --> 00:36:20.800
Mary Margaret Callahan: And then she got up and left.

00:36:22.320 --> 00:36:27.220
Mary Margaret Callahan: And it's not perhaps a traditional visit in the way that lots of volunteers think about, right?

00:36:27.240 --> 00:36:34.740
Mary Margaret Callahan: You think about going to your elementary school or going to the children's hospital or visiting someone who's waiting for chemotherapy in the oncology center.

00:36:35.220 --> 00:36:39.420
Mary Margaret Callahan: And it just goes to show your presence is sometimes enough.

00:36:39.740 --> 00:36:43.120
Mary Margaret Callahan: And that's the opportunity you have if you choose to be a therapy animal team.

00:36:43.580 --> 00:36:46.860
Jody Teiche: That is a beautiful way to finish anybody listening.

00:36:47.340 --> 00:36:52.120
Jody Teiche: If you have an animal that you feel could be a good fit, you can make a difference.

00:36:52.140 --> 00:36:56.980
Jody Teiche: Your animal can make a difference, such a difference in the lives of these people.

00:36:57.060 --> 00:37:02.760
Jody Teiche: So Mary Margaret, tell people where they can find you if they'd like to explore that or learn more.

00:37:03.180 --> 00:37:07.460
Mary Margaret Callahan: We'd love for you to come and learn more at petpartners.org.

00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:24.040
Mary Margaret Callahan: And if you happen to be a practitioner, someone who would like to incorporate a therapy animal into your practice, you're an occupational therapist, a nurse, a counselor, check out our sister organization, AAAIP, which does the same thing, but for professionals.

00:37:24.560 --> 00:37:25.240
Jody Teiche: I love that.

00:37:25.240 --> 00:37:43.020
Jody Teiche: Thank you so much for your time today, Mary Margaret, and filling us in on a deeper level as to what Pet Par†ners does and the incredible power that these teams have to help people feel better body, mind and spirit.

00:37:43.120 --> 00:37:45.400
Jody Teiche: Really appreciate you, Jody.

00:37:45.420 --> 00:37:45.920
Mary Margaret Callahan: Thank you.

00:37:46.700 --> 00:37:49.060
Jody Teiche: Okay, and thank you all for listening.

00:37:49.580 --> 00:37:58.480
Jody Teiche: As a pet health coach, my mission is to share holistic healing options for pets and their parents seeking a natural approach to wellness.

00:37:59.000 --> 00:38:08.860
Jody Teiche: A pet health coach empowers you through knowledge, resources, accountability and support, and helps you achieve your health goals for your pet.

00:38:09.360 --> 00:38:20.260
Jody Teiche: So tune in next time for information, expert interviews and tips to give the animals we love the longest and most vibrant lives we can.

00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.480
Jody Teiche: I'm Jody L.

00:38:21.500 --> 00:38:24.980
Jody Teiche: Teiche, and this is The Pet Health Coach.

00:38:26.180 --> 00:38:32.260
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