Do you experience feelings of pure joy and excitement when you are around dogs? Do you feel spending time with a dog is a significant stress buster? If yes, animal-assisted therapy might interest you.

Dog therapy, or animal-assisted therapy (AAT), is a form of psychotherapeutic treatment that believes in the power of the human-animal connection and utilizes this connection to facilitate healing, with dogs being one of the most commonly used therapy animals. The dogs used in therapy sessions are specifically trained for the same. In this article, we ’ll look at dog therapy providers in Delhi

Does Dog Therapy Work?

The answer to this question is a solid yes. Research suggests that interacting with animals, such as dogs, can be helpful in therapy and outside therapy-related situations. Let’s look at some benefits of interacting with dogs.

    • Dogs can offer unconditional support, which can help reduce feelings of loneliness. 
    • They also increase dopamine and oxytocin levels, leading to increased feelings of happiness. A study conducted in 2021 during the pandemic found that people with pets experienced higher levels of well-being
    • Playing with dogs can reduce anxiety and stress
    • Playing with dogs provides a good form of physical exercise, leading to  better physical health

Dog Therapy In Delhi

As dog therapy is a relatively new approach, there are only a few places providing dog therapy services in Delhi. They are:

  • Last Journey

The Last Journey is an organization based in New Delhi that provides funeral services. However, they also provide counselling and dog therapy services to help people overcome the grief of losing a loved one or any other form of stress that they might be experiencing in their life. 

What makes their dog therapy services unique is that they can send therapy dogs directly to your home or any other location, such as schools, hospitals, old age homes, etc  Additionally, they have multiple breeds of dogs from which you can choose a therapy dog based on your comfort. Their therapy dogs come with trained dog handlers as well. 

Link: https://www.lastjourney.in/dog-therapy-services/

  • Kutumb Rehab

Kutumb Rehab is a de-addiction centre located in Delhi, NCR. They provide counselling and therapy services for substance abuse and addictions, alongside family counselling and counselling for anxiety and depression. As a part of their rehabilitation program, they also provide animal-assisted therapy with the help of dogs. They believe that friendly dogs provide comfort to clients, aiding the recovery process.

Link: https://www.kutumbrehab.com/animal-therapy

  • Fur Ball Story

The Fur Ball Story is an organization that aims to make pet ownership fun and hassle-free for pet owners. They provide various services, such as pet boarding, pet training, and pet and dog therapy, along with pet medicines and supplements. 

They currently provide dog therapy services in the Delhi NCR region for homes, corporations, schools, NGOs, and other similar organizations. Each of their therapy dogs is trained and accompanied by experienced dog handlers, with a session lasting about 2 hours, while a corporate dog therapy session lasts around 4 hours.

Link: https://furballstory.com/pages/dog-therapy-fur-ball-story?_

Dog-Friendly Cafes In Delhi

While there are only a few centres providing dog therapy, you can always visit dog-friendly cafes and places to interact with your furry friends. As discussed earlier, playing or interacting with dogs outside of therapy settings may not be as beneficial as therapy, but it has its benefits. Let’s look at a few Dog-friendly cafes in Delhi

  • Diggin Cafe

Located in New Delhi, the Diggin Cafe offers a variety of snacks, along with a dose of cute interactions with their pet dogs. You can also interact with the dogs of other pet owners.

Link: https://www.instagram.com/diggincafe/?hl=en

  • Cafe Dori

Cafe Dori located in Vasant Vihar, is another pet-friendly cafe where you can interact with dogs and other pets.

Link :https://www.nappadori.com/pages/cafe-dori

Disclaimer:

It is important to note that the above information is based on our research, and we do not have any association or personal experience with the above-mentioned organizations and places. Thus, it is advisable to conduct your own research before visiting any place or organisation.

References

  1. 10 Pet-Friendly Cafés In Delhi NCR To Chill At For A Pawsome Time! | LBB. (n.d.). LBB, Delhi-NCR. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from https://lbb.in/delhi/dog-friendly-cafes-delhi/
  2. Best Animal Therapy in Delhi NCR | Kutumb Retreat. (n.d.). Kutumb. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from https://www.kutumbrehab.com/animal-therapy
  3. Dog Therapy at Fur Ball Story: Healing Through Love. (n.d.). Fur Ball Story. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from https://furballstory.com/pages/dog-therapy-fur-ball-story
  4. Dog Therapy Services. (n.d.). Last Journey. Retrieved January 6, 2025, from https://www.lastjourney.in/dog-therapy-services/
  5. Animal therapy: How it works, benefits, and more. (2020, July 10). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/animal-therapy
Dhruva Koranne

Dhruva Koranne has completed his Masters in Applied Psychology from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, BALM. He has been practicing as a counsellor since 2020 and works to create a safe space for clients where they can open up. In addition to this, Dhruva loves researching and studying about upcoming theories in the field of Psychology. Connect with him on Linkedin