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Pets have long been heralded as great companions, but their role as man's best friendis just part of a growing body of research about the benefits of pets.

The Vircinia Commonwealth University School of Medicine established the Center for Human-Animal Interaction (CHAI) in 2001 to research human-animal interaction.

"There is a long history of animal-assisted therapy," says Dr. Sandra Barker, director of CHAI. "Interaction with dogs, cats, horses, dolphins, hamsters, gerbils and even aquariums have all shown positive results."

The center studies the health benefits on general pet owners, special needs children, palliative patients, and more.

"I've seen children afraid of a chemo treatment and then a dog walks in and they immediately relax. There's also a visible reaction in elderly patients, all ages and backgrounds benefit," says Dr. Barker. "A number of people, even non-pet owners, ask for pet visits."

Studies show pet owners make fewer doctor visits, lower physiological reactions to stress, blood pressure, cholesterol and are less likely to feel lonely or be overweight.

"There is a growing amount of research supporting the benefits of human-animal interaction and the physiological benefits of animals," Dr. Barker says. "But with all we know, the research is still in the early stages. There is a lot that's still being studied."

Ongoing CHAI studies include the effect of animal-assisted therapy on patients referred for pain and palliative care, research on brain wave activity in normal adults interacting with a therapy dog, and evaluation of animal-assisted therapy in pediatric medicine.

"Research is devoted to advancing the knowledge of human-animal interaction and our goal is to improve health and well-being through animal-assisted therapy and pet visitation," says Dr. Barker.

In addition to research, CHAI also has programs and services dedicated to enhancing human-animal relationships; Dogs on Call, pet loss support and professional consultation. Dogs on Call is a program that coordinates in-hospital patient visits by trained and certified dog-handler teams from the community. Pet loss support provides resources for those grieving the loss of a pet and professional consultation services assist and evaluate animal-assisted therapy programs.

Dr. Barker says all breeds are eligible for programs like the Dogs on Call program as long as they are well-socialized, good tempered, are predictable and reliable and have no aggressive tendencies. Before making visits, dogs must be registered with the Delta Society's Pet Partners Program, a national program that trains and screens volunteers and their pets for animal visitation programs. There are currently over 10,000 Pet Partners teams in 50 states and 14 countries.

The benefits of human-animal interaction for pet owners and through visiting animal programs is indisputable, and quantifying those benefits is a tall order. While CHAI continues its research, Dr. Barker says the real results can be seen in the smiles during visitations

"The reactions are really incredible. Animals have a calming and healing effect that's not just psychological but physiological," explains Dr. Barker. "They provide social support that's non-evaluative."

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