Dr. ‘Xiao-An’, the pet-assisted therapy dog

Early in the morning, pet-assisted therapy dog, Dr. Xiao-An (小安), travels from Taoyuan’s Daxi to St. Joseph Home (寧園安養院) in Hsinchu’s Hukou, where it accompanies residents with dementia and mental disabilities. Occupational therapist Zhou Zheng-wei (周政緯) said that occupational therapy utilizes purposeful activities to aid treatment and achieve a number of therapeutic aims. After a period of eight animal-assisted therapy sessions, it has been found that elderly residents and those with mental disabilities, show marked progress in the area of speech, as well as exhibiting a lot of positive emotions.

Xiao-An’s owner, who is also an occupational therapist at Taiwan Animal Assisted Therapy Association (台灣治療犬協會), said that Xiao An is a retired guide dog, and also part of the first batch of natively trained guide dogs in Taiwan. For the visually impaired, guide dogs are veritable angels, walking side-by-side with them through life. After retiring from the duty of serving the visually impaired, Xiao-An transferred to the pet-assisted therapy profession, and is continuing to help people in need.

Dr. ‘Xiao-An’, the pet-assisted therapy dog

URL：https://www.peopo.org/news/312001

(以下是中文對照)

輔助治療犬 Dr.小安

輔助治療犬 Dr.小安，一早由擔任動輔志工的主人開車，從桃園大溪載到位於新竹湖口的寧園安養院，陪同失智或精障的住民進行動物輔療。職能治療師周政緯表示，職能治療是透過有目的性的活動，去做一個介入的治療，希望透過活動，達到一些治療性的目的。經過為期8次的動物輔療的活動，會發現長輩及精障的住民們，在口語表達上都有蠻多的進步，並展現許多的正向情緒。

小安的主人、也是台灣治療犬協會的動輔員胡佩伶表示，小安是一隻退休的導盲犬，而且牠是台灣第一批本土培養的導盲犬。對視障者來說，導盲犬是走在左邊的天使，小安在卸下天使的責任後，又成為輔助治療犬，繼續幫助需要幫助的人。