Most people are familiar with service dogs and have seen them in action. Animal-assisted therapy is similar to service animals in that an animal-human healing partnership is created. However, the difference is that therapy pets are generally used to treat a mental disability, while people with physical disabilities use service dogs to help them in many ways. Therapy animals are used in a wide variety of places, such as hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, therapy sessions, mental health facilities, and even in people's homes. These amazing animals are used for a wide variety of different ailments, but are primarily used by people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For people with these mental health disorders, everything in life can be difficult and challenging, however with the help of animal-assisted therapy, their mood, motivation and life can improve dramatically. Anyone who hears about these brave and loving animals quickly falls in love with them. From a medical perspective, there have been many successful studies, and support for animal-assisted therapy still continues to grow among doctors and therapists across the nation. In 1961, Dr. Boris Levinson, a child psychologist, became the “accidental” pioneer of animal therapy. One day he left his dog, Jingles, alone with one of his young, uncommunicative patients. When Dr. Levinson returned, the child was smiling and talking to the dog (Altschiller 3). This shows how rapid and monumental an animal's effect can be. She believed that therapy animals provided “unconditional acceptance and love” and offered “a safe, warm environment for children and other patients, increasing their ability to better adapt psychologically to other people”… middle of paper.. . ...poorly assisted therapy. However, the research that has been conducted shows positive signs that animal-assisted therapy works. Animal-assisted therapy deserves our attention now and in the future, because as Dr. Michael McCulloch, another researcher in the field of animal therapy, once said: “If pet therapy offers hope for alleviating human suffering, it is our professional obligation explore every avenue for its use” (Altschiller 5). Works Cited “Animal-Assisted Therapy.” Animal-assisted therapy, exploring the therapeutic bond between animals and humans. American Humane Association, 2013. Web. March 13, 2014. .Altschiller, Donald. Animal-assisted therapy. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2011. Print.Turner, Judith. “Pet therapy”. The Encyclopedia of Gale Medicine. 4th edition. 2011. Print.