Furry Caregivers

Animals and humans have a great bond, and this is being used to good effect in the zone of emotional well-being, says Jamuna Rangachari

- Jamuna Rangachari

Before I start speaking about animal therapy, I wish to share a few anecdotes from my life though I have not owned any pets myself. My uncle is very short-tempered but becomes a different person when he is with his dog, showing all the gentleness that is hidden within him. So, the path to get along well with him is through his dog. Since my husband is also a dog lover, he loves to be with one whenever he can. My son was extremely lazy while in school, and my greatest challenge was to wake him in the morning. When my friend came over and stayed with us with her dog, he became super active looking after all the dog's needs, including taking him for an early morning walk. My daughter bonded with a cat in our colony and would go to be with her before her exams to destress and, yes, this did help. A parrot, Mithu, was brought to my maid's house by her son when the bird was wounded. Mithu knew this and had a unique bond with him. She would never eat till her son did and would wait for him always. This resulted in the boy coming home early and never eating outside. Mithu was extremely popular in the colony and among all children and thus created a kind of democratic atmosphere for all. When Mithu passed away, there was a burial conducted for it that everyone, young and old, attended. These stories shared above are not about therapy but about loving and bonding.

The fact is that all animals have something to give us and the more we learn to bond with them, the more healthy we shall be. There has always been a bond between human beings and animals, as shown in many movies, particularly between dogs and their masters. An old Hindi movie Hathi Mere Saathi (1971) showed the unusual bond between an elephant and his master.