Four ‘special
employees’ at the Meyer Paediatric Hospital in Florence celebrate 10 years on
the job. The employees, two Labradors and two mixed breeds, work in the pet
therapy department of the hospital, encouraging the young patients to smile
again. Theirs is a great responsibility: they must bring excitement, boost
self-esteem and a desire to continue.
Much success is due to the dogs’ owner and trainer,
Francesca Mugnai, who is president of the non-profit organization, Antropozoa,
the only institution in Italy of its kind operating within a public health
institute.
‘Often, traditional therapies, necessary and of
paramount importance,’ says Mugnai, ‘are to deal with little motivation or
interest of the patient to progress and keep going. The animal is often a
“motivational lever” that is important to a child. It is the
responsibility of the specialist to use this motivation for a detailed and
rigorous educational program or for rehabilitation purposes.’
The areas in which pet therapy is used and has shown
positive results are numerous: in the area of socialization (depression,
autism, developmental disorders generic), cognitive functioning (children with
psychiatric and neurological disorders), emotional factors (children with
difficulties in adapting, learning disabilities) and motor abilities. The Antropozoa
association works closely with professionals with specialized knowledge and
experience in the field of psychology and education, as well as rehabilitation
specialists in the animal world.
‘Our work at the Meyer takes place two days a week.
The dogs are trained with a particular method for interacting with children and
playing with them. They enter the waiting rooms but also in the wards,
including the intensive care and haematology wards. The children pet them, walk
them around on a leash, and interact with them. They then produce drawings of
their new four-legged friends. And they smile, restoring confidence in
themselves,’ Mugnai added.
For more information, see www.antropozoa.it
