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Page 4
THE BATTALION
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1981
Local
o
Pets help mental patients
Psychiatrist, veterinarian study human-pet bonds
By NANCY FLOECK University of Oregon told about
Battalion Staff 100 P eo P I( r at the College of Veter-
Pets can make life and com- inary Medicine Friday,
munication easier for the ill, im- Dr. Michael McCulloch is an
prisoned, elderly and mentally associate clinical professor of
unstable, a psychiatrist from the psychiatry in veterinary medicine
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and brother of Dr. William
McColloch, Texas A&M professor
of veterinary public health. The
brothers have spent several years
researching emotional bonds be
tween humans and pets.
McCulloch said using pets in
therapy often promotes humor,
playfulness and confidence in pa
tients. It also acts as a catalyst for
communication in patients, espe
cially with withdrawn children, he
said.
This is because animals can
comfort patients and provide an
uncritical and unthreatening
friend, McCulloch said. They
make people feel needed and offer
distraction from physical and emo
tional worries, he said.
Pets can also act as “social lubri
cants,” he said. Once people
establish a relationship with an
animal, McCulloch said, they
often find it easier to relate to
people.
This also helps doctors in diag
nosing . and treating patients.
McCulloch said doctors often
understand a patient better after
observing how the patient in
teracts with animals and by asking
the patient about his pets.
He said facilities where patients
were able to interact with animals
often report reduced incidents of
suicide attempts, violence, medi
cation requirements and a greater
willingness on the part of patients
to conform to acceptable be
havior. Studies have shown that
using time with animals as a re
ward motivates patients more
than promises of television time or
plant ownership, McCulloch said.
Employees in such facilities
often can benefit from this, he
said. Improved morale, increased
contact with patients and inmates
and increased optimism often
characterize the staff of these faci-
lites, McCulloch said.
However, pet therapy isn’t
effective in all cases, he said, and
must be used appropriately and
not forced on patients or facilities.
Animals must be appropiately
matched with those individuals
who would benefit from them and
must be coordinated with other
forms of therapy, McCulloch said.
He also said pets shouldn’t be
used in facilities where the staff is
not receptive to the idea, since
non-compliance by employees
could prevent positive effects.
And animals may cause rivalry
and feelings of rejection among
patients, as well as bother those
with allergies, McCulloch said.
Pet therapy also raises questions
about humane laws, building sani
tation and health problems, he
added.
But the biggest threat to pet
therapy is that it won’t be taken
seriously, McCulloch said. This
type of therapy is not a fad that will
peak in popularity and then dis
appear, he said. The comfort
offered by pets is the basic obliga
tion of the helping professions, he
said, and is sometimes the only
help these professions can pro
vide.
*4
Dr. Michael McCulloch, from the University
of Oregon, discusses the use of pets in
emotional therapy in
of Veterinary
Staff photo by F
a speech at the (
Medicine Ere
use
CAMERA
MSC Council
to meet tonight
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By NANCY WEATHERLEY
Battalion Staff
MSC Council members will
hear the MSC Arts Committee
budget proposal for upcoming
events tonight at 8 in the MSC
Council Conference Room, Stu
dent Programs Office.
The Arts Committee budget
proposal calls for financing a con
cert with classical guitarist David
Grims, a jury arts and craft show
and a Gallery exhibit.
Doug Dedeker, MSC Council
president, said the committee’s
budget is subject to Council
approval because last year the
committee’s budgetary process
was not satisfactory, and members
were not spending funds prop
erly.
Until the Arts Committee
works out its problems, it is re
quired to submit a program-by
program budget proposal to the
MSC Council.
Some problems the Arts Com
mittee had last year included low
attendance at the group’s prog
rams and poor promotions, Dede
ker said.
This year the Arts Committee
has done a good job, he added,
and the Budget Review Commit
tee probably will look at its record
in the spring to see if the commit
tee can go back to approving its
own budgets.
The Council Building Studies
Committee will presentitsn
approving an application froul
Graduate Council for a cum
the Student Programs Oicf j
like all motions passed by theM
mittee, the proposal is sub;
Council approval.
Complaints concerning j
Society of Creative Anai
isms, a University organiz
will also be included in tl
Building Studies Committeej
port.
Contplaints filed against
include overcrowding their
cle space, using phones other!
those designated toitandlondi
boisterous behavior by SCAi
bers, Dedeker said.
Paul Fisher, vice president!
MSC Council Operations,
ported to the committee
ceived a letter asking for tbej
moval of SC A from the Si
Programs Office.
Even though SCA is not
MSC Committee, it is gives 1
space in the SPO, he said, Apf
cations for spaces, which rent!
about $10 per semester, area':
able during the spring semestel
The committee has deride*
pending approval tonight, alM
ters pertaining to SCA’s rent?*
be sent to the SCA and thatoit!|
all members must attend the
Building Studies Committeebj
questioning.
.-argot!
least 10
[the pn
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CO-OP OPPORTUNITY IN
CANCER RESEARCH
On Tuesday, November 10, and Wednesday,
November 11, representatives from the Stehlin Cancer
Research Foundation (associated with St. Joseph's
Hospital in Houston) will interview students interested
in beginning Co-op with them in the Spring semester.
They want to interview students majoring in any of the
Sciences (including pre-med), BICH, BIMS, ANSC.or
Food Science Technology; and plan to hire four stu
dents to begin work in January in their formal alternat
ing semester Cooperative Education Program in
Houston.
A minimum grade point average of 2.7 and U.S.
Citizenship are required. You must call the Director of
Cooperative Education’s Office at 845-7725 or come
by Room 107, Harrington Tower to sign up for an
interview with Stehlin Foundation, an orientation to co
op, and to complete your application PRIOR TO YOUR
INTERVIEW.
The ei
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