Cienna and Her Service Dogs' Impact on Her Mental Health
Cienna, known as @chronicallyperserving, uses her platform to spread awareness about service dogs and chronic illnesses. Here's what Cienna says about her service dogs improving her mental health: "Although my service dogs are for physical health, they have greatly benefited my mental health. Knowing that they will let me know before I have a health emergency and sometimes knowing with enough time to prevent it has given me my independence back. They have given me and my family peace of mind." Watch the video Cienna made for us on debunking service dog myths.
A study by Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine shows service dogs can have measurable positive effects on the health and wellbeing of individuals with physical disabilities.
Source: Rodriguez KE, Bibbo J, O'Haire ME. The effects of service dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing for individuals with physical disabilities or chronic conditions.
Pet Influencer and her TikTok Famous Pig on Mental Health
Mina Alali has almost 2 million social media followers and uses her platform to educate people on how to properly care for pets. Mina is also a huge advocate for mental health. Her pets have helped her mental health through caring for them, receiving their love, and even bonding with them through training. Watch Mina’s video she made for Global Strays Pets for Mental Wellbeing Month.
Service Dog vs Emotional Support Animal vs Therapy Animal
These terms are often used interchangeably, however, they all define different roles that animals can play in our lives, and different ways they can impact our mental wellbeing.
A Service Dog - Any animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that benefit an individual with a disability.
An Emotional Support Animal - An animal that provides comfort or support for a person with a disability but does NOT have training to work or perform tasks.
A Therapy Animal - An animal that partners with its human handler to bring comfort, joy, and companionship to people at events or in facilities.
Learn more about Global Strays Pets for Mental Wellbeing month:
As an international animal welfare organization, we know animals play a critical role in our daily lives. Beyond providing companionship and comfort to pet owners, they also provide mental health benefits. An estimated 74% of pet owners report mental health improvements from pet ownership. This staggering statistic is why we are sharing impactful stories from our community to facilitate conversations about mental health. Next month, we will cover topics from Animal Assisted Therapy to Service and Emotional Support Animals, and dispel commonly held myths. Backed by research, scientific studies, and personal accounts, we aim to increase support for the importance of pets on our mental health.
