Introduction

In august, congress passed the pause act puppies assisting wounded service members. It's a reflection of an emerging field of research that is finding that trained service dogs can help people cope with post dramatic stress disorder. But emotional support animals have become a favorite butt of late night t v jokes. So what does the research say about the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy? When can animals help reduce distress and improve our mental health? And what about regular household pets? How do our companion animals affect our health and well being? Do our pets make us healthier and happier? Welcome to speaking of psychology, the flagship podcast of the american psychological association - kim mills.