Animals are interesting creatures. Animals, like humans, have unique personalities and abilities. Cody is one such dog that can make people relax. He's not a certified therapy animal, but you wouldn't know it. Lillie, a Chihuahua was attacked by a pit bull while walking with her owner. Apparently, the pit bull was only warning her to stay out of his territory because he had only received a puncture in his right ear. However, the mental damage was much worse. Lillie started to get shocked. Lillie's owner ran home with her in his arms and contacted a friend. The friend rushed over, bringing his dog, Cody, with him. Cody is a golden retriever and like most retrievers he is very social and can be hyperactive. This time it was different. This time, when he ran into the house, he noticed Lillie lying on the couch and must have known something was wrong. Cody walked over to her, smelled her, and sat down next to the couch. An amazing thing happened; Lillie began to relax after about ten minutes. The effect Cody had in relieving Lillie's stress is no different than the therapeutic effects animals have on humans. Animals have an amazing ability to calm other animals, but they have the ability to reduce stress hormones and increase endorphin levels in humans (Marcus, 2013). Although long-term studies are lacking, animal-assisted therapy continues to grow in popularity helping humans address many physical and psychological problems. Animals have close ties to humans that can be traced back centuries, which is why animals are a popular pet. choice for therapy. The relationship between animals and humans dates back to prehistoric drawings found in caves. The first documented case of Animal Assisted Therapy dates back to 1792 at a psychiatric facility......middle of paper......due to the presence of animals, but in this case fish could be used as part of a therapeutic program. Animals, just like people, can experience burnout if overworked without long periods of relaxation. The Delta Society has taken this ethical issue into consideration by establishing standards to protect animals used as part of a therapeutic program (Fine, 2006). Emotional problems can arise with animal-assisted therapy because some animals may become depressed by being in an environment with physical and mental illness on a frequent basis. Additionally, therapy animals show unconditional acceptance, regardless of the person's physical or mental challenges. Additionally, with so few downsides to animal-assisted therapy, it's understandable why this form of therapy has become a popular choice for comforting humans facing mental and physical challenges..