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Therapaws build trust and help people overcome negative thoughts

Surrounded by a lively group of primary school children eager to pet her, So So, a six-and-a-half-year-old Shih Tzu, radiates warmth and comfort. Known for her calm and empathetic nature, she has become a source of comfort for individuals experiencing emotional distress.

So So is a qualified therapy dog and doctor pet. Her owner, Arale Leung, said her dog always enjoys helping people in need. “So So is not timid but accommodating,” she said. 

Recalling the moments when some kids reacted intensely during therapy sessions, Leung said So So was confident in handling the situation. “Her eyes were very determined like she seemed to say, ‘Don’t be afraid, I’ll help you’,” said Leung. 

Research by a group of animal science and biotechnology experts, published in the 2015 issue of the journal Science, found that interacting with animals can boost the release of oxytocin in the human body—a hormone associated with feelings of love, healing and social motivation. 

Arale Leung finds So So docile and friendly and comes up with the idea of training her as a therapy dog.

So So has been working as a therapaw at the Hong Kong Animal Assisted Therapy Association (HKAATA) for four years. Debbie Ngai Hui-fai founded the organization in 2013.

She said during treatment, a handler, who usually owns the service dog, or ‘therapaw’, first guides the animal to help patients tear down their walls so that they are open to treatment. A therapist will observe the interaction between the patient and the animal, then find a suitable treatment plan to guide and intervene in the patient’s emotions.

Government figures show that Hong Kong people’s depression index reached a new high in 2024, and the number of psychiatric patients has doubled over the past decade. 

In 2023-2024, there were 305,700 people with mental illness, leading to increased demand for outpatient services provided by specialist outpatient clinics, according to a government report

“We can see a rising trend of people looking for animal-assisted therapy over traditional human social workers,” said Ngai, who has worked as a therapist for more than 20 years. She said there are currently 12 therapists and 120 pairs of certified therapaws and trained handlers in the organization. 

Ngai mainly serves marginalized youth, children and needy groups. She recalled one case in which a secondary school student had many deviant behaviours because he was dissatisfied with the school system.

The student was reluctant to talk to the school social worker because he saw them as symbols of authority. Therefore, the school reached out to her group for assistance.

“At first, the student was very distrustful and barely talked during therapy. But when our therapaw approached him warmly and friendly,  he noticed the bond between the therepaw and therapist and began to believe that dogs never lie. Eventually, he opened up,” she said. 

Ngai said therapaws play a crucial role in building trust between patients and therapists. Therapists often need time to connect with each patient and design an appropriate treatment plan, which requires much patience and strategy.

“Many people mistakenly believe that the therapaw is the one conducting the therapy, but in fact, it is the therapist who leads the sessions,” said Ngai.

Debbie Ngai and her“Wingman”, Pearl Pearl, who has served HKAATA for eight years.

An effective therapy also relies heavily on the bond between handlers and therapaws. Leung, the owner of So So, is also a handler in therapy. “As a therapaw handler, it’s my responsibility to ensure my dog remains emotionally stable,” Leung said.

“When someone is crying, So So will quietly come over and lay beside them. This shows she is okay and can sense their distress and try to comfort you,” she said. “I understand her every reaction.”

Leung said therapaws will communicate their discomfort through subtle signals, such as turning their head, ticking lips and looking at the patient. “These signs indicate that the therapaw is feeling nervous and needs space for their well-being,” she added. 

Dogs confront their emotions more directly than humans do. “We’re often taught to suppress feelings of unhappiness and anger, which makes our lives difficult,” Ngai said, “I’ve learned from my dog, Pearl Pearl, how to better perceive and express my emotions.”

Compared to a pet dog, Leung said a therapy dog is no more expensive. “The decision to train So So as a therapaw was only based on her health conditions, characteristics and sentiments toward humans,” she said.

So So is qualified as a therapaw in 2020, with her “parents” witnessing the moment.

“So So has her own ideas of what she wants to do. I support her unconditionally and wish her the best,” Leung said.

 Yeshma Sawlani, a 55-year-old animal communicator, said that animal-human communication can heal mental illness on a heart-to-heart level, addressing its root causes.

“Love is needed between people and animals to communicate and connect,” he said. “They use intuition to read us, take over our negative energy and release it in their own way, for example by shaking.” 

Universities in Hong Kong also organize animal-assisted therapy sessions for students to relax and unwind from the hustle and bustle. On Nov. 18, Hong Kong Baptist University hosted a session featuring therapy dogs. One participant, 22-year-old student Hayley Kuang, said she didn’t know much about therapy dogs but was eager to engage with them. “They are so enthusiastic and it feels good to pet them,” she said. 

“Although each session only lasts 15 minutes, it is enough for me because we still have to consider the condition of the therapy dog,” Kuang said. She added that sometimes therapy dogs may feel nervous so it’s important for participants to be considerate.

Therapy dog Dau Dau, aged 7, interacts with participants around him.

“There is a concern that people may view animals as easy to acquire or merely eye-catching, which can lead to a lack of attention to their needs,” said Ngai. She emphasized that being a therapaw requires a lot of effort. She hopes the public recognises the commitments involved in caring for a therapaw.

《The Young Reporter》

The Young Reporter (TYR) started as a newspaper in 1969. Today, it is published across multiple media platforms and updated constantly to bring the latest news and analyses to its readers.

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