Top five best therapy animals around the world

Simply put, therapy animals are animals used in certain stressful situations and environments such as in hospitals, nursing homes, schools and disaster areas in order to provide therapeutic support to people who suffer from some form of mental stress.

Well-trained therapy animals are becoming increasingly popular these days.

From dogs to horses, these are the five best therapy animals around the world.

Dogs: They help calm and relax people

Man's best friend, dog makes for an ideal therapy animal.

In fact, they are most commonly seen serving as therapy animals in facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, detention centers, and other public places.

Several studies have shown that dogs help calm and relax people suffering from stressful situations.

Usually, larger breeds, such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers are used as therapy animals.

Cats: Great for serving in indoor facilities

Just like dogs, cats are also easy to bring into indoor facilities, and thus serve as great therapy animals in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and other such areas.

Cats have shown to bring calming effect on children in schools and the elderly in assisted living facilities.

They also work great for people who might have a fear of dogs.

Horses: For assisting mental health patients

Although much larger than dogs and cats, horses still make great therapy animals, especially for mental health patients.

They are widely used in facilities such as addiction treatment centers, veteran groups, and others.

Moreover, horses are known to help teach people a variety of things, such as trust building, work ethics, and even dealing with difficult emotions.

Rabbits and Birds to the rescue

Rabbits: In some cases, a smaller, quieter animal that doesn't bark or meow or demand as much attention or care as a dog or a cat might work great as a therapy animal. Rabbit is one such animal.

Birds: Similarly, some birds such as parrots have also shown to have therapeutic effects on patients and other groups in need of support.