Animals 'fur'-ther many types of therapy

When Risa Hoag was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was devastated. She recalled crying on her couch, inconsolable, with her husband at her side. It was at that moment that their dog, Annie, came to the rescue.

Annie put each of her front paws on Hoag's shoulders and rested her head there.

"She basically gave me a hug," Hoag said. "She could sense human emotion and react. That day I swore that if I made it, I would use her ability to give back."

Now, almost two years later, Hoag and Annie are a therapy team. They visit local schools and libraries and assist children in learning to read. Teaching, Hoag said, has been a dream of hers since she could remember. Fulfilling it has been more than gratifying.

She recalled an incident at a library with the mother of a child who "hated reading" and how the excitement of reading to Annie created a desire in the girl that the mother had never seen before.

"For the first time she (the mother) saw her child was reading. ... To see something so simple spark something in a child is incredible," Hoag said. "Whatever it takes to spark a child to learn is worth it."

Hoag is visiting Utah from New York City. She was invited by her pet therapy group in New York to attend the Intermountain Therapy Animals conference this weekend at the University of Utah.

In its 14th year, ITA, a nonprofit organization, has more than 300 pet partners, teams of pets and humans who are certified to provide therapy in many parts of the public sector, including hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities and schools. According to Therapy

animals.org, the organization's Web site, their mission is, "enhancing the quality of life through the human-animal bond."

Paula Dalby and her dog, Max, a Yorkie and Shih Tzu mix, have been working with the organization for three years. Dalby finds the work she and Max do to be beneficial not only to those they visit, but to her as well.

"When you are with an animal, you are more calm," Dalby said. "People enjoy animals. They see the benefit that they provide and want to share that with others. But this is something that is also empowering for us."

Many of the other pet partners agreed that the pets also provide a soothing salve for those who own them. Peggy Chudd has been with the group for seven years and said she has a difficult time not taking her basset hounds, Waldo and Grace, everywhere with her. She finds they make her more comfortable when she speaks in front of large groups of people, because they draw the attentions away from her, allowing her to relax.

Animals in the therapy organization are not limited to dogs. The group boasts many cats, rabbits, a miniature horse and a llama in its ranks.