By Alexis Southward
Service and emotional support animals have been on a vast incline since the unconventional strike of the COVID-19 Pandemic has sent our world into a new normal.
Interactions with these animals produce an array of physical and psychological aid for those who struggle with mental and physical disabilities.
Service and companion animals have already been a large part of the daily routine for some, but the shut down and dwindling of healthcare facilities are seeking a more aggressive amount of assistance to help carry out duties that they healthcare professionals are not able to tend to as often as before.
“Being a disabled person in general is incredibly stressful, and living through a global pandemic most certainly does not make for an easier transition. It is especially hard to think about the fact that you have to socially distance when at times you need people around for help,” said Dr. Chantrise Holliman.
Many disabled children and adults are heavily reliant on the help and care of healthcare professionals daily, especially those with physical disabilities that cause a need for in-home care or a professional to handle daily task like meals, medication and grocery/good delivery.
Because of this, service dogs have been a very imperative part of the healthcare aid community, as they are trained to assist in many of these various everyday tasks.
According to Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities, these animals are trained in crisis management, retrieval jobs for those with wheelchairs and prosthetics, medication reminders, and protection.
This training allows for people in the disabled community to stress less about having to follow social distancing guidelines because they now have a canine partner who can fulfill the same tasks.
With the stress of people and their loved ones contracting the COVID-19 virus, a lessened amount of job security, limited essential goods, and a constant isolation from peers, it is almost impossible for some to go without the help of a companion, and this is why the pandemic has caused a large increase of the need for emotional support animals.
According to The Journal of Medical Internet Research, 71% of participants who took place in the Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States Internet Survey indicated that their stress and anxiety increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One large group of people who are heavily affected by the commanding transition into the COVID world is children and adults with cognitive disabilities, especially children with autism or that are on the spectrum.
Children with autism rely on a constant routine, schooling that teach social skills, speech therapy, interaction and other things that allow for their daily lives to run smoothly and attempt to integrate them into the regular world as adults.
Emotional support animals have been able to create a feeling of grounding and comfort for autistic children whose lives being interrupted by a pandemic has caused a load of confusion.
“Working with autistic children everyday has given me a perspective I never knew I needed. This pandemic has caused immense stress for them and it shows when they come to the center. We can only do so much now, and I think the thought of incorporating service animals would relieve not only them but us of the constant daily stress,” said Bahria Jones, team member at Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center.
College and University students too have heightened levels of anxiety and stress and have been benefiting from the help of emotional support animals.
Higher education students stress regularly with lecture, constant due dates, and mastering material. When you add a pandemic to the mix, it adds a rise of anxiety and stress levels due to transitioning to remote learning, lack of companionship and interaction due to physical distancing, and an increase of mental health issues brought on by disassociation.
Georgia Southern’s campus has an organization that help train emotional support animals and educate those who are willing to learn what having an emotional support animal entails and how they can be beneficial to them or others who are in seek of stress relief.
“As cute and sweet as they are, being around these animals is serious for us. We must constantly make sure that we are on our P’s and Q’s so that the animals are behaving to the best of their abilities and are able to help those in need. During this pandemic, the world seems to need a buddy for support, especially college students. We do the best that we can to ensure that people are fully educated on the training and care of the animals. Their presence could mean a total breakthrough, and it will mean that we have done our jobs correctly,” said Madeline Smith, former Advocacy Chair for STEP: Service dog training and Education program.