The Gifts We Receive from Animals Stories to Warm the Heart

The Gifts We Receive from Animals is a book guaranteed to brighten a reader’s day. Professionals engaged in therapy work as well as those who have companion animals at home will enjoy learning about the many ways in which animals impact people’s lives. Through a series of short, true-life stories, written by professionals engaged in animal assisted interventions, The Gifts We Receive from Animals reminds readers of the core essence of the human animal bond and the reason behind the growing phenomenon of animal assisted interventions. Readers will learn, for example, about the young child who shares her inner most thoughts with a dog and, as a result, learns how to talk with people; the soldier who feels comfortable and safe with a dog, a feeling he has been lacking since active duty; and the elderly adult who works through difficult physical therapy because of his therapy dog. The Gifts We Receive from Animals takes readers on a delightful journey, offering insights into the unique impact animals have in the lives of those they help.

Part 1. Large Animals 1. Freedom Hilary Adams 2. A Children's Riding Lesson: How Therapautric Riding Helped a Boy to Find His Voice Anne M. C. Barnfield 3. The Sundance Center Erica Jex Gergely 4. My Mare, My Meditation Teacher Emily Knitter 5. Savannah and the Cowgirl Ms. B Arieahn Matamonasa Bennett 6. The Farm Was My Sun Carol Rathmann and Sabrina Schmidt 7. When the Cutre Factor Becomes Something More: How a Mini Donkey Taught Me the Power of the Human-Animal Bond Christina Moore 8. Meet Roger, the Blind Sheep Helping Children Heal Brenda Rynders Part 2. Small Animals 9. Guinea Pigs Are Great! Patti Anderson 10. The Bunnies Are In Jennifer A. Coleman 11. Wait—My Therapy Animal Is a…Rat? Angela K. Fournier 12. A Crystallized Connection Julie Ann Nettifee 13.Sullivan Anne: From Abandoned Rabbit to Beloved Campus Pet Therapy Animal Clarissa M. Palmer 14. Can I take Chophie Home? The Simple Joys of Having Animal Co-Therapists Georgitta Valiyamattam 15. The Rabbit Who Knew No Rules Patti Anderson 16. Who Are You? Niki Vettel Part 3. Crisis 17. Boston in Coal City Julie Bereckis 18. HOPE AACR Responds to Devastating Mudslide Bette Caldwell 19. Providing Comfort to Flood Victims of Rural West Virginia Sheila Consaul 20. Magical Moments with Maggie Yvonne Eaton-Stull 21. Can Dogs Sense Stress? Sue Herman 22. Challenging the Assumption of Who Needs Help Batya G. Jaffe 23. The Washington Navy Yard Ned W. Polan 24. The Dog That Brought Hope and Brightness to a Challenging Christmas Season Yahaira Segarra-González 25. Sometimes Silver Linings Have Tails: Sandy Hook Heather White Part 4: Unique Settings 26. Assessment and Therapeutic Advancement Through Human-Animal Interactions Eileen Bona 27. Charley the Bulldog and Her Visits with Incarcerated Youth Taylor Chastain Griffin 28. Jude and Letty Sarah Deering 29. The Life of a Strong and Caring Therapy Dog in the Canadian Prairies Colleen Anne Dell 30. Animal Therapy in a Hospice Setting Caryn Friedlander 31. In Sickness and in Health: What Dogs Teach Us About Life and Death Rachel Hogg 32. "Steven" and Shannon Amy Johnson and Melissa Potts Kutchek 33. Comfort During Crisis Angela Moe 34. Regaining Memories with the Help of Jaime Anna K.E. Schneider Part 5. Children, Young Adults and College Students 35. The Gift of Comfort Sue Burlatschenko 36. Beignet and the Class of 2021 Kate Drescher 37. Teletherapy Dogs Adam Duberstein 38. The Power of Prince William Patricia Flaherty-Fischette 39. Mickey Mouse and Lyn Tara Harevey-Gros 40. Compassion Through Canines: A Boy and a Dog Laura Hey and Mary Jo Powers 41. I Can Listen Like Indy Terri, Copper and Shay Hlava 42. Aksel to the Rescue Elizabeth A. Letson 43. Gentle Giant and an Anxious Teen Jane Jenkins 44. Therapy Dogs Help Adoption Succeed Gary P. Cournoyer 45. Leo Awakens to the World Shira Smilovici Part 6. Adults 46.Jaeger's Gifts Shannan Anderson 47. The Whirlwind That Chamged My Life... Ursula Aragunde-Kohl 48. My Therapy Dogs Saved My Life Megan C. W. Bridges 49. Miss Emmie: A Big 'Braveheart' in a Tiny Package Donna Clarke 50. Being and Becoming: The Transformative Power and Resilience of Person-Canine Bonds Cassandra Hanrahan 51. Pinella's Purpose Tiana Kelly 52. A Golden Tail of Inter-Generational Bonds Jean Kirnan and Patrick Kirnan 53. You Are Here Elizabeth Lynch 54. Humanimal Connection in the Counseling Room: Where Lester the Dachshund Partner Weaves an Interspecies Bond Emmanuelle Fournier Chouinard

Lori R. Kogan, PhD, is a professor of clinical sciences at Colorado State University. She has published numerous journal articles and edited several books related to human-animal interactions.