From inside the community Essex Therapy Dogs Essex Therapy Dogs sprang into life just a year ago on the 21st November 2021. The brainchild of Founder and Chair, Tina Jullings, the not-for-profit organisation currently has over 100 members (and 115 dogs), with the numbers continuing to grow. Essex Therapy Dogs was launched by a handful of passionate members who believe that therapy dogs can bring significant benefits to a range of emotionally challenging situations. The simplicity is that the dogs bring comfort, help, and support to people who need it. What are the benefits of dog therapy for mental & physical wellbeing? There is considerable research that shows dogs can help people feel calmer; provide comfort and soothe emotions; reduce boredom; lower anxiety levels; decrease agitation in people experiencing dementia; reduce loneliness; bridge communication gaps (everyone loves talking to their pets); as well as decreasing the feelings of depression. The research also outlines many benefits for physical health. Petting a dog can help people to physically relax; it stabilises blood pressure; it can also reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. Stroking a dog can also help improve cardiovascular health, slowing the breathing of people who may be anxious, diminishing physical pain, which may also reduce the need for pain killers. Dogs can also help people release many mood boosting hormones and decrease the harmful stress hormone, cortisol. 31
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