The Making of: You Have a Visitor
By Renee Lamm Esordi

In the fall of 1998, I took my camera across the country to photograph dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits visiting and interacting with patients in hospitals and residents in nursing homes, among other facilities and schools. Always having a companion animal in my life, I always considered them just that. Pets seem to relieve us from a difficult day by greeting us with the same exuberance. Never placing conditions on us like people do, pets always receive our affection without fear of the way we look or if our love is good enough. People can pose many judgments and conditions on us, creating a vulnerability that disappears in the communication between animals and people. Have you ever walked a dog and noticed the people who pass by and how they smile or reach to pet the dog? That same response is so effective for people in places other than the comforts of home.

In assigning myself this project and after researching the benefits of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), I called or wrote letters to several organizations who offer AAT, asking them if I could come into their world and photograph their volunteers bringing pets into facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers to name a few. Initially, I was apprehensive to going into such places. The sterility of hospitals and other facilities and the thought of seeing people who are sick, in pain, or lonely made me feel uncomfortable. I had not had the experience of being in these places very often. Volunteers who offer their time to go to these facilities several times a month and visit with these people find the experience to be emotionally challenging at times and they never get "used" to it. Sometimes, volunteers need a break from visits or after a particularly emotional visit, talking to another volunteer who can relate can be very helpful. The animals enjoy this work, being with others, and receiving such affection, but they sometimes need a break too. The experience is augmented when both volunteer and pet have fun doing the visits. The remarkable aspect of taking a pet in to see patients or residents is that the animals are always respectful of the person they are visiting. The animal acts a facilitator of communication - breaking the ice. Smiles, stories, and experiences come to life from these people who don't get the opportunity to share with others often. They get a chance to nurture these animals for a few minutes, showing compassion, interest, and happiness. These are therapeutic events that healthcare workers, activities directors, and therapists hope to see in their patients, showing improvement and sometimes reducing the need for behavioral medications.

There are many physiological benefits to the visits: decreased blood pressure and anxiety and increased confidence. It is most interesting that the visits are instantly gratifying in the instance of a child who is sick or injured, whose fears of being in a hospital, away from home, are overwhelming. But the visit can be therapeutic, such as in a rehabilitation hospital where visits can be goal-oriented. Physical therapists use the animals in addition to standard physical therapy routines. With the added incentive of stroking a dog, an enjoyable experience, it can be an easier form of physical therapy by increasing the range of motion in one's arm and hand.

Watching these exchanges between people and animals made me put my fears aside when I saw the positive experiences that so many people get form this form of volunteering. One can spend more time with their pets, can help others, and meet many new people who may have similar interests. I often wonder in the grand scheme of things, how lucky we are that dogs, cats, and other small animals give us joy, loyalty, and above all, love.

Renee L. Esordi