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Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), also known as pet therapy, utilizes
trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, and emotional goals with clients.
Some of the earliest uses of animal-assisted healing in the United States were for psychiatric patients. The presence of the
therapy animals produced a beneficial effect on both children and adults with mental health issues. It is only in the last
few decades that AAT has been more formally applied in a variety of therapeutic settings, including schools and prisons, as
well as hospitals, hospices,nursing homes, and outpatient care programs.
Currently, Fergie is the first
animal friend of New Gateways. Fergie is a black and brown hound mix and is almost 3 years old. Our animal
friend visits New Gateways 2x each month on average.
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