The role of pets in Therapeutic Communities

They are cute, they are cuddly and to many an essential part of life. To others, they bring mess, noise, smell and disruption. Individual opinions differ, so how can we understand the role they play in our residential communities, and should we encourage residents to keep and have pets?

Many of CHT’s communities have residents with pets of their own or community pets, including hamsters, fish, cats and dogs. Some residents move into our communities with pets, whilst others acquire them during their placement.

It is obvious that many of our residents have an emotional bond to the animals, and they mean a lot to them:

“She gives me unconditional love, which gives me a reason to get up in the morning” CHT resident

But why?

As humans, we are pre-determined to form emotional attachment with our caregivers; it is essential for our survival.  Infants seek proximity, physical contact and emotional connection with their attachment figures, and ideally, being able to use this connection to feel safe enough to explore the world around them.

The relationship between dogs and their owners has been suggested to resemble that between a child and its mother, with the dog considered the attached individual in the relationship and the owner acting as the attachment figure. There is research suggesting these bonds can support and or enhance the physical and emotional wellbeing of both.

“A lot of us have noticed that animals bring out certain positive characteristics in our residents, " said a CHT staff member.

Further, there is growing evidence that pets may play an important role in the development and wellbeing of those who do not have stable and secure attachments to their human caregivers.

“I learnt how to care for something” CHT resident

The above quote represents a common theme experienced by many of our residents who have a pet. Having not experienced care from their human caregivers, they learn that the love they feel for their pet makes them want to adopt a role that was lacking throughout their childhood. This creates a connection, one that is based on a mutual need and appreciation, which deepens the bond between resident and pet.

Having, looking after and properly caring for a pet does mean taking responsibility. Pets need to be fed, exercised, their health needs to be looked after, and they need to be insured. What happens if a resident wants to go on holiday or move into alternative accommodation where a landlord will not allow pets?

Further, there is research that suggests that those with greater attachment anxiety will also exhibit more difficulty with regulating emotions during the loss of an attachment figure. It is worth noting that despite experiencing this grief, most owners did not regret the bond they had enjoyed with their pet.

Clearly, there is much to consider for both the resident wanting a pet and the wider community. What if one of our residents suffers from a relevant allergy or a phobia? What if everyone within the same community expresses a desire to have a pet? How many pets can one community support?

As long as the above risks and responsibilities are properly thought about, there is certainly much therapeutic value in having a pet, both for the individual resident as well as the community as a whole.