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Leah Uridge

11/17/15
Summey

Annotated Bibliography

My topic relates to how dog therapy can be used to help people who are afflicted with
mental or physical ailments. I have decided to narrow my topic down to autism because dogs
helping children with autism and other mental ailments really moves me. I think children with
autism have a lot to offer and with the help of a dog they can learn and have their lives enriched
so much more than ever thought possible. I think that with a little TLC for both the dog and the
child, miracles can happen. I truly think that all dogs are amazing, but there is a perfect dog for
every person. Dogs offer the companionship that all of us crave and they do it with no strings
attached. Dog therapy is a very imperative part of helping with whatever someone is suffering
from. I feel like many animals such as horses, pigs, cats, and birds can serve as great therapy
animals, but dogs have a certain loyalty that is unmatched, though these other animals are great.
Since I always volunteer at the Great Plains SPCA animal shelter I am fully aware of how
effective animal therapy is. I can attest to that since I suffer from severe OCD and anxiety, I
know just how powerful the effects animals have on people are. It doesnt matter if youre old,
young, sick, healthy, black, or white dogs are always unconditional towards anyone who needs a
little therapy. I wanted to research this topic because I just love dogs and I love the joy that they
bring me, so I am happy to research this topic. I think there is so much more that we can learn
from dogs, myself included. I think with the huge amount of technology used today I used
different databases to help me find different sources, as well as using Amazon to help find books
to use as sources. I just looked at the key words and that helped me find what I was looking for. I
chose my sources based on relevance, timeliness, and credibility. The citation style I used was
MLA format because I find that is the most typical format to use when citing sources. I also think
that is the most standard form of citation. Overall, I think this a very extensive topic to choose
from, with more and more research developing every single day.

Source #1
Davis, Kathy Diamond. Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Help Others. Wenatchee, WA:
Dogwise Pub., 2002. Print.
This source gives the reader various information on how you can basically train your dog
to be a service dog without having to consult professional help. It is an effective source if youre
wanting to volunteer with your dog and help others. The book offers a lot of help and different
tips to ensure that your dog will become the best therapy dog he/she can be. Kathy Davis is
renowned for her dog-training experience and wants to help the average dog lover use their dogs
for good.

This book was written in 2002, so it isnt exactly timely information, but I feel like this
book is relevant for many reasons, which I will further explain. The information has not been
revised or updated since there were no follow up books. This book is relevant because it fulfills a
specific purpose and has a reputable source of information. The author of this book has owned
and trained five registered therapy dogs since 1985, so that definitely adds to her credibility. This
information provided is Davis own experience and advice, but her experience is reliable based
on her occupation. It is important for this information to exist because some people have trouble
training their dogs to become therapy animals. The publisher is Dogwise Publications, which
means the publisher most likely specializes in publishing animal books. I give the source a five
because it is reputable and the person who wrote it is a good authority on dog-training.

Source #2

Fung, Suk Chun. "The Role of Therapy Dog in Facilitating Social Interaction for Autistic
Children: An Experimental Study on Animal-Assisted Play Therapy." Order No. 3504709
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), 2011. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web.
10 Nov. 2015.
Autistic children have been known to be less stressed when having a dog around. Dogs
help calm autistic children and bring happiness in their lives. Dogs have been known to help ease
tension that people feel when they dont have a therapy dog around. The power that dogs have to
lessen nerves is becoming more and more researched every day.

This source was written in 2011 so its very relevant in terms of timeliness. The source
came from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and was written by Suk Chun Fung. Since the
article came from a University, it holds credibility and is peer-reviewed. The purpose of this
article is to inform people interested in animal therapy related to autistic children. The article
also references over 100 other sources to put this article together. I give the article a five because
it is very detailed and thoroughly explains everything in meticulous detail.

Source #3:
Christensen, Peter. "Getting Started with Pet Partners." Getting Started with Pet Partners. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

This website is great for people who want their dogs to become therapy
volunteers. The site is a basic resource guide to anyone who wants to have their dog visit nursing
homes, hospitals, or assisted living with their dog. The site is helpful because it offers very
extensive information pertaining to dog therapy. If you need a base line to start at, this site is
good.
This website is relevant because it gives anyone a basic guide on how someone can
become a volunteer with their pets to help people who are ailing. The website was updated in
2015 so it remains relevant. This information is reliable because the websites author is a certified
volunteer who uses his therapy dog to visit hospitals and nursing homes. He provides a lot of
information and resources so it is easy to navigate the site. I think his first-hand experience helps

give him credibility. I give the site a five because it is well thought out and the information is up
to date, as well as being useful.

Source #4
Sifferlan, Alexandra. "The Dog Will See You Now." Time 14 Feb. 2014: Web.
During the stress of a divorce, the comfort an animal brings can help lessen stress. A
therapist brought along her dog Sasha to a divorce therapy session and Sasha offered comfort
during times of stress. Emotional support animals are becoming more and more popular across
the globe, and offer therapeutic help to people. Newer research shows the benefits pets have with
their owners.
This article is very timely because it was published in 2014. The article is informative as
it discusses how dogs can be a useful form of medicine as more and more studies are coming
out about dogs being useful with the stress of divorce, using a divorcing couple as an example
and how their dog helped get them through it. Time magazine is a very useful and reputable
source for anyone looking for educational articles. I can always rely on Time as being a great
source. The source also cites doctors for getting information for the article. I give this article a
five because it is comprehensive and informative.

Source #5
Perkins, J, et al. "Dog-Assisted Therapy For Older People With Dementia: A Review."
Australasian Journal On Ageing 27.4 (2008): 177-182 6p. CINAHL with Full Text. Web.
10 Nov. 2015.
Dog-assisted therapy is very important for elderly people. It is especially
important for elderly people dealing with dementia. Elderly people are less likely to
suffer from depression and anxiety if they interact with animals. Dogs offer unconditional
support to people of all ages, but for elderly people suffering from any condition, that is
where dogs shine.

This article is from 2008 so it is not super timely but it provides useful
information for people wanting to know more about dog-assisted therapy when relating to
people with dementia. It comes from a specific journal relating to aging so you know its
legit. I give this article a five because it is reputable.

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