Poster #38 - Healing through Four Paws: Utilizing Therapy Dogs in Child Victim Support Services

• In Event: Poster Session I (posters 1 - 79)

Abstract

Therapy dogs are specially socialized, trained, and tested canines that provide comfort and support to people in various settings. Their work falls under the broader category of animal-assisted services, which encompasses various modalities in which animals support and contribute to human well-being. Over the past couple of decades, utilizing therapy dogs in victim support services for child victims has grown exponentially, being codified via a blend of legislation and case law as an acceptable means of victim support within the criminal justice system. Research indicates various benefits, including emotional regulation, social support, and personal empowerment. Since its inception in 2021, Western Michigan University’s Therapy Dog Clinic has supported hundreds of youth survivors through developmental trauma evaluations, ongoing mental health and occupational therapy treatment, and system advocacy and accompaniment. This poster presents the range of services offered by the WMU Therapy Dog Clinic and the evidence-based impacts of these services.

Author

• Angela Marie Moe, Western Michigan University