The Gifts We Receive from Animals

The Gifts We Receive from Animals is a book guaranteed to brighten a reader's day. Professionals engaged in therapy work as well as those who have companion animals at home will enjoy learning about the many ways in which animals impact people's lives. Through a series of short, true-life stories, written by professionals engaged in animal assisted interventions, The Gifts We Receive from Animals reminds readers of the core essence of the human animal bond and the reason behind the growing phenomenon of animal assisted interventions. Readers will learn, for example, about the young child who shares her inner most thoughts with a dog and, as a result, learns how to talk with people; the soldier who feels comfortable and safe with a dog, a feeling he has been lacking since active duty; and the elderly adult who works through difficult physical therapy because of his therapy dog. The Gifts We Receive from Animals takes readers on a delightful journey, offering insights into the unique impact animals have in the lives of those they help.

Lori R. Kogan, PhD, is a professor of clinical sciences at Colorado State University. She has published numerous journal articles and edited several books related to human-animal interactions.

Part 1. Large Animals 1. Freedom 2. A Children's Riding Lesson: How Therapautric Riding Helped a Boy to Find His Voice 3. The Sundance Center 4. My Mare, My Meditation Teacher 5. Savannah and the Cowgirl Ms. B 6. The Farm Was My Sun 7. When the Cutre Factor Becomes Something More: How a Mini Donkey Taught Me the Power of the Human-Animal Bond 8. Meet Roger, the Blind Sheep Helping Children Heal Part 2. Small Animals 9. Guinea Pigs Are Great! 10. The Bunnies Are In 11. Wait-My Therapy Animal Is a...Rat? 12. A Crystallized Connection 13. Sullivan Anne: From Abandoned Rabbit to Beloved Campus Pet Therapy Animal 14. Can I take Chophie Home? The Simple Joys of Having Animal Co-Therapists 15. The Rabbit Who Knew No Rules 16. Who Are You? Part 3. Crisis 17. Boston in Coal City 18. HOPE AACR Responds to Devastating Mudslide 19. Providing Comfort to Flood Victims of Rural West Virginia 20. Magical Moments with Maggie 21. Can Dogs Sense Stress? 22. Challenging the Assumption of Who Needs Help 23. The Washington Navy Yard 24. The Dog That Brought Hope and Brightness to a Challenging Christmas Season 25. Sometimes Silver Linings Have Tails: Sandy Hook Part 4: Unique Settings 26. Assessment and Therapeutic Advancement Through Human-Animal Interactions 27. Charley the Bulldog and Her Visits with Incarcerated Youth 28. Jude and Letty 29. The Life of a Strong and Caring Therapy Dog in the Canadian Prairies 30. Animal Therapy in a Hospice Setting 31. In Sickness and in Health: What Dogs Teach Us About Life and Death 32. "Steven" and Shannon 33. Comfort During Crisis 34. Regaining Memories with the Help of Jaime Part 5. Children, Young Adults and College Students 35. The Gift of Comfort 36. Beignet and the Class of 2021 37. Teletherapy Dogs 38. The Power of Prince William 39. Mickey Mouse and Lyn 40. Compassion Through Canines: A Boy and a Dog 41. I Can Listen Like Indy 42. Aksel to the Rescue 43. Gentle Giant and an Anxious Teen 44. Therapy Dogs Help Adoption Succeed 45. Leo Awakens to the World Part 6. Adults 46. Jaeger's Gifts 47. The Whirlwind That Chamged My Life... 48. My Therapy Dogs Saved My Life 49. Miss Emmie: A Big 'Braveheart' in a Tiny Package 50. Being and Becoming: The Transformative Power and Resilience of Person-Canine Bonds 51. Pinella's Purpose 52. A Golden Tail of Inter-Generational Bonds 53. You Are Here 54. Humanimal Connection in the Counseling Room: Where Lester the Dachshund Partner Weaves an Interspecies Bond