In August, Congress passed the Paws Act, puppies assisting wounded service members,

directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin a pilot program to fund service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

It's a reflection of an emerging field of research that is finding that trained service dogs can help people cope with

post-traumatic stress disorder. The VA is not the only place interested in the

power of animals to help heal and comfort humans. In recent years, therapy dogs

have shown up in hospitals, on college campuses at exam time, and even in offices,

where management is looking for ways to reduce

workers stress. At the same time though, emotional support animals have become a favorite butt

of late-night TV jokes, conjuring images of people boarding planes with peacocks and hamsters in tow.

So what does the research say about the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy?

When can animals help reduce distress and improve our mental health?

What's the difference among service animals, therapy animals, and emotional support animals?

What's backed by research and what is not?

And what about regular household pets?

How do our companion animals affect our health and well-being?

Do our pets make us healthier and happier?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills. Our guest today is Dr. Maggie O'Hare. Dr. O'Hare is a

psychologist and an associate professor of animal-human interaction at the Purdue University College

of Veterinary Medicine. Her research focuses on the ways that humans interact with animals, including

both household pets and highly trained service animals.

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