The Companion Animal Partnership Program, a movement aimed at brightening up the lives of people in nursing homes and other facilities through contact with pets, is taking root in Japan and is growing. Since the program was launched nine years ago by the Japanese Animal Hospital Association, approximately 10,000 dogs and 3,000 cats have accompanied volunteers on more than 10,000 visits.
Twenty of the most outstanding dogs became the first CAPP-certified canines in a ceremony held at the end of October. The qualifications included sound mental and physical health; the ability to remain calm with strangers and other animals; the ability to wait, sit, and lie down on command from one's owner; and a minimum of three visits a year to homes.
Among the 20 was a four-year-old husky named Kanna, who began making monthly visits to a home in Kanagawa Prefecture for the severely disabled two years ago. Kanna has become popular with the residents, who enjoy petting her, taking naps with her, and even using her as a pillow.
Until it established CAPP, the Japanese Animal Hospital Association focused its efforts on organizing academic seminars for veterinarians. The decision to inaugurate CAPP came after hearing about similar activities in Europe and the United States. Under the program, volunteers team up with veterinarians and bring along their pet dogs and cats to homes for the elderly and other facilities to cheer up the residents and encourage their rehabilitation.
Since its establishment, 3,000 veterinarians and 11,000 volunteers have made a total of more than 10,000 visits to 80 nursing homes, 30 homes for children, 20 homes for the disabled, and 20 day-care centers and kindergartens throughout the country.
The reaction has been extremely positive. Some elderly people who had become withdrawn started talking again when the animals visited them, and a number of people with physical disabilities decided to practice walking so that they could walk the dogs.
The association says it hopes more people will realize that with training, any pet dog or cat can contribute to society. Volunteer programs like CAPP have been around for a long time in the United States and Europe, and the association says that a growing number of facilities there welcome visits by what they call "therapy dogs" in recognition of their contribution to the physical and mental rehabilitation of residents.
Although most Japanese hospitals do not permit visitors to bring pets, some, mainly hospices for the terminally ill, now encourage them. CAPP volunteers and association officials hope to gain the cooperation of places where visits by pets are still banned so they can expand the scope of their activities.
(The above article, edited by Japan Echo Inc., is based on domestic Japanese news sources. It is offered for reference purposes and does not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government.)