ABSTRACT
The use of a pet, a living tool, brings in new dimensions in child psychotherapy which, of necessity, must help crystallize new concepts and new ideas. Many child therapists accidentally discover that a pet is a valuable aid in child psychotherapy. There are two interrelated aspects of pet therapy. One, the pet's use as a therapy aid by the clinician in his office. The other, as aid to therapy; i.e., the directed introduction of the pet into a child's home. Adults ascribe human attributes to animals; children reverse the process and attribute animal qualities to human beings. Contrary to the widely held impression, it is easier for a child to identify with a human being than with an animal. The great virtue of pet therapy is that it permits identification on this intermediate level. Since most of the child's difficulties originate in the home environment, this is where they have to be resolved.
