Written by Tara Luther, Promega

I’d had dogs before, but I swore to myself that this dog was going to be different. Shortly after the 2018 ISHI conference in Phoenix, I brought home a lovable, wiggly, fluff ball of an English Golden Retriever named Max. My husband and I decided almost immediately that we wanted Max to be a therapy dog, and thankfully Max seemed to agree to this plan. We found a great training organization just minutes from our house that would allow us to join the Madison, WI chapter of the Go Team Therapy Dogs, and we spent most of 2019 getting ready for the following year’s certification. In fact, we had just submitted our application to join when a little thing called COVID-19 started making headlines.

So, instead of testing one dog to become a therapy dog, we doubled down and brought home a (stubborn) Newfoundland named Sully and we started over with training intending to certify both of them. In July of 2021, both Max and Sully received their vests, and we started volunteering.

To be honest, I had no idea of what to expect as a volunteer, but we began visiting senior living facilities and all of us (the two-legged and the four-legged) fell in love with the work. Residents who never came out of their room were excited to come into the common area to pet the dogs and regale us with stories of dogs they had once loved. Stressed college students flock to the dogs when they see them, and you can see the tension in their body melt. Many people live with their own pets, including dogs, but there is something uniquely special about a dog being somewhere unexpected at the moment they are needed most.

Therapy dogs are specially trained pets that provide comfort, affection, and emotional support in various public settings. Unlike service dogs, whose training focuses on specific tasks to assist their handers, therapy dogs interact with a wide range of people to offer therapeutic benefits. This interaction aims to improve both the mental and physical health of individuals they engage with.

Therapy dogs are known for their calm demeanors and friendly, approachable personalities, making them ideal visitors in places like schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and senior living facilities. To become a therapy dog, the animal must undergo training by their owner, who is usually a volunteer committed to animal-assisted therapy. The training ensures that the dog can handle diverse environments calmly and interact with various individuals positively.

The certification process for therapy dogs involves meeting specific age requirements—typically at least one year old—and passing a set of evaluations. These evaluations assess the dog’s obedience, temperament, and ability to handle unexpected situations gracefully. The goal is to confirm that the dog can provide safe, effective comfort and support in their role as a therapy animal.

Working in forensic science is profoundly rewarding. Professionals who’ve spoken at previous ISHI conferences echo a shared sentiment [1]: they value the opportunity to make a significant impact—not just within their fields, but also within their communities.

However, this field is not without significant challenges. As explored in one of our earlier articles [2], forensic scientists routinely face the darker aspects of humanity, analyzing evidence from disturbing crime scenes that can lead to vicarious trauma. The psychological toll of daily confronting these realities is a heavy burden to bear.

We recently reached out to you, our ISHI community, to hear about the hurdles you encounter in your roles. The feedback highlighted a spectrum of challenges: from resource constraints—both in terms of funding and staffing—to the pressures of keeping pace with and validating emerging technologies amidst regular casework. Many of you also mentioned the complexities of navigating probabilistic systems, the demands of courtroom testimony, and the relentless task of clearing case backlogs.

Therapy dogs have been providing emotional support and comfort since the 1960s, beginning with the pioneering work of Dr. Boris Levinson [5], who noticed the positive effects his dog had on his young patients with mental impairments. Recognizing the potential of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs), the Delta Society was formed in 1989, establishing a certification program to formalize and enhance the effectiveness of animals in therapeutic settings. Over the years, the popularity of therapy dogs has surged, particularly in the last few decades, reflecting a growing acknowledgment of their benefits.

Emily LR Thelwell's 2019 study [6] specifically investigates how therapy dogs could alleviate stress among university students—a group notably more prone to psychological distress compared to the general population. The study measured the effects of direct interaction with a dog versus merely watching videos of dogs on students' mood and anxiety. This study involved 82 participants who were assessed both before and after interacting with a dog or watching dog videos, using standardized psychological tools like the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Expanded Form (PANAS-X). The findings revealed that students who physically interacted with the dogs experienced significantly more profound reductions in anxiety and enhancements in mood compared to those who watched videos.

In a separate study, Freya L. L. Green & John-Tyler Binfet [7] explored the use of CAIs within a law enforcement environment to assess their effectiveness in stress reduction among police officers. The qualitative study was conducted on members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who reported experiencing high levels of occupational stress.

Introducing therapy dogs into environments such as forensic labs can be a simple yet effective way to improve mental health and overall workplace morale. For those interested in integrating therapy dogs into their professional settings, numerous organizations offer resources and guidelines for setting up visits, often at little to no cost, thanks to many volunteers dedicated to this cause. Engaging with these programs can lead to significant benefits, contributing to a more positive and productive work atmosphere.

For a list of organizations recognized by the American Kennel Club, visit their website. *As a note, Go Team Therapy Dogs has chapters throughout the US and not just Colorado Springs.