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C.A.T. was founded by Wayne and Debra Berger and Joanne Jurgle, all lifelong dog lovers and first-hand witnesses to the transformational power of canine therapy. Wayne, Debra and Joanne started C.A.T. with the mission of providing a network of qualified, dependable and caring therapy teams. These teams are committed to delivering a therapeutic benefit through the use of dogs to both children and adults who need comfort, companionship and the unconditional love that only a dog can provide.
The Board of Directors of Canine Assisted Therapy is made up of individuals with a commitment to the organization and vast experience in the business world and includes board members with prior experience with other pet therapy organizations and dog training experience.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
During this short period of time, volunteers have logged over 15,000 volunteer hours serving the
community. C.A.T. currently has volunteer teams serving Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Sumter and St. Lucie Counties.
C.A.T. has evolved to meet the changing needs of the community to not only benefit the elderly, but all ages. We have developed the Pack Reader Program which helps children build reading skills; the Teen Corps gets teens involved with their dog, family and the community; the Senior Corps brings the volunteer opportunity to the seniors in nursing facilities; and the Continuing Education Program, which benefits our volunteers by providing knowledge on how to be of better service to those that they serve and also educates the medical community by offering the seminars for Continuing Education Credits.
C.A.T. has implemented testing standards for the dogs that are well beyond the testing done by other therapy organizations. Not all dogs are suitable for therapy work. Not all dogs are suitable for working with children and special needs. Our testing and procedures have been designed to place dogs and their handlers into facilities that best suit the personality and temperament of the dog. This not only makes therapy work more gratifying for the dog, but helps to insure the protection of those that are served,
especially children.
COMMUNITY NEED
In recent years, the therapeutic use of animals has increasingly gained attention, especially since more benefits of companionship animals are being discovered, and for a wider range of reasons than ever imagined. Take for example the therapy dog, whose mere presence uplifts people's spirits in retirement and nursing homes and even in schools.
Unlike people with their complex and unpredictable nature, dogs provide a more secure and constant source of comfort. They bring out the nurturing instinct in us, while representing safety and accepting us unconditionally, without prejudice. Those are some of the explanations as to why visiting dogs have such a positive effect on AIDS victims, cancer sufferers, seniors, and mentally challenged people.
Dogs top the list when it comes to picking an animal to assist in therapy. Obviously, not every dog is suited, and even the mild tempered ones will need special training to get used to dealing with strangers, loud noises and unfamiliar locations.
Canine Assisted Therapy utilizes dogs in order to help meet therapeutic goals and improve the physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive performances of patients. At the same time it can also provide motivational and educational improvements for the participants. Take for example an injured or sick child with muscle weakness in its arms. Regular physiotherapy may help strengthen the arm, but add some motivational and fun dog petting and the child’s arm, while lifting and exercising, will definitely recover a lot faster. Furthermore, the bond that children form with animals can be beneficial in other ways. Dog and horse interactions are often incorporated in therapy sessions of autistic children, because they are found to be calming and motivating. Studies have shown that a child’s literacy skills improve by reading to a dog. Click Here to learn about the Pack Reader’s Program.
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