Hospitals, courtrooms and care homes all use animals now. The obvious candidate is on this list, and so are several that turned out to work better with people the obvious one frightens.
1DogThe default therapy animal in hospitals, courts and airports, trained to stay calm in chaos.
2CatWorks by weight and purr rather than obedience, and suits people who find dogs too much.
3HorseCarries equine-therapy programmes for trauma, autism and physical rehabilitation.
4Miniature HorseSmall enough for a hospital corridor and steady enough to guide a blind handler.
5RabbitQuiet, warm and undemanding — the standard choice for classroom visits.
6Guinea PigReacts audibly to attention, which gives a nervous child instant feedback.
7AlpacaCurious, gentle and novel enough to break the ice in a care home.
8ChickenUsed in care homes for residents who grew up on farms and want to hold one again.
9ParrotTalks, which gets a response from people who have stopped talking to staff.
10DolphinThe famous and most contested therapy animal, with welfare costs its advocates rarely price in.
11GoatThe animal behind goat yoga, and reliably ridiculous enough to work.
12LlamaTall, calm and unbothered by wheelchairs, walkers and crowds.
13FishAn aquarium in a waiting room measurably lowers blood pressure without touching anyone.
14RatSmall, sociable and used in programmes where a dog would be too intimidating.
Comments 1
Miniature horses fit a hospital corridor and can guide a blind handler, alpacas start conversations in care homes, and the dolphin entry is the contested one: https://youpick.best/articles/dogs-vs-cats-ranked
YP
ypb-teamAug 21
