
Pet therapy, or animal-assisted therapy, is a relatively new form of therapy that involves using dogs as the treatment. This method is being used in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, and in schools and college campuses. The idea behind pet therapy is that simply petting a puppy could relieve stress or help an ill patient cope with a disease or mental illness. The interaction between humans and a friendly animal can be beneficial in aiding physical or psychological issues. Dogs can provide a sense of comfort and affection to patients in need. Danielle Tuzzio shows the reader pet therapy in the first three images of her photographic essay, “Pet Therapy.” The visual text appeals to the reader’s emotions by revealing a feeling of happiness. Tuzzio uses lighting and color, intensity, and close up shots to capture the cheerful emotion behind the people depicted in these images when interacting with dogs. 

Animal assisted therapy is becoming prominent in hospitals as a way of helping patients with a vast variety of disabilities by allowing them to interact and have close contact with dogs. Patients who are stuck in a hospital for long periods of time may feel lonely, and the interaction with a service pet can help relieve that feeling for them. Image one of “Pet Therapy” shows an elderly woman in a hospital setting with a therapy dog lying close to her on her bed. The author chose to use a close up style for this photograph. The close proximity allows a more intense feeling for the reader and makes it more capable for them to see what is occurring. From the picture, it is evident that the woman is happy and eager to be interacting with the dog. Being that the picture is taken so up close, the reader can see the level of comfort that she is feeling. This is observed through the way her hands are both rested on the dog, and she is laidback resting on a pillow. The dog is in her bed and she is leaning in towards the dog to get closer to it, showing that she is not afraid and wants to reach out to it. The reader can also grasp the delighted emotions that the woman is feeling by the look on her face. She has an ear-to-ear grin and her eyes are filled with adoration that reveals her happiness.  Another aspect that is exposed due to the closeness of the image is that the dog is wearing a nametag, appearing that it is an employee of some sort. The nametag in this picture represents that the dog is there for service purposes and is not just an average dog. The colors and lighting used in this photograph are another important element.  The color of the dog is neutral and many of the colors in the image are light, giving a sense of calmness and comfort. The small accents of bright color, such as the collar on the dog and the hospital gown on the woman create a happy feeling. The picture is illuminated by an outside light source that cannot be seen because it is close up, but the bright lighting allows a positive perspective.

Animal assisted therapy is also beneficial in pediatric wards because children in hospitals can form a connection with the animal. Being in a hospital can cause a feeling of despair and pet therapy can bring happiness by making the children feel less alone and help create nurturing skills. This is seen in image two of “Pet Therapy” where there is a young boy in a hospital being treated with a dog as a method of animal assisted therapy. The author uses close up to make the image seem more personal and the happy emotion of the little boy is easily portrayed. It appears that the child is not hesitant to be reaching out and petting the dog. He is sitting on the floor beside the dog and has his hand resting on the dog’s stomach in a comforting way. The expression on the little boy’s face is pure happiness and it is apparent how excited he is to be playing with the puppy by the huge smile on his face. The dog looks happy as well because it has its tongue out and is rolled over lying on its back looking at the child, which usually means that the dog is excited. This is important because it shows how pet therapy can have a positive effect on both the patients and the animals involved. Although it is seen that he is in a hospital setting by the IV stand and the hospital gown that the boy is wearing, the photograph is still brightly lit. The radiance of the photograph creates a happy mood, in comparison to the depressing darkness that is usually associated with hospitals. There are small accents of bold colors on the boy’s hospital gown and on the dog’s bandana that brighten the image as well.

Many college campuses have recently begun to bring in dogs as a use of pet therapy during midterms and finals weeks to allow students to interact with them. This “Pet a Puppy” program is available for students who are stressed out to go and relax by playing with and petting the puppies. The dogs that are being brought in are certified and approved service dogs. This can help to eliminate some stress and anxiety that a student may be facing during tough times in school. Photograph three of “Pet Therapy” portrays the use of animal assisted therapy in a college campus and how it works in a positive way. The main focus of this image is the dog sitting in the center, with students surrounding him. It is clear that there are a plethora of hands reaching out to pet the dog. This is powerful because it reveals how eager the students are to pet it. The image is close up so the faces of all of the individual students cannot be seen. This allows the reader to imagine what each of them are feeling because their facial expressions are not represented in the picture.  In the background, the viewer can see the eyes of some of the students looking at the dog fondly. There is one girl whose face is seen and she is smiling as she sits behind the dog petting it. The lighting of this picture is brightly lit, which represents a cheerful atmosphere. The background is colorful and the bright colors of the students’ clothing stand out against the light, neutral colors of the dog. 

The first three images of the photo essay, “Pet Therapy,” are used to create an overall theme of how cheerful animal assisted therapy makes the people involved feel. With the use of the bright lighting and fluorescent colors, intensity, and close up of the photographs Tuzzio is able to reflect on the happiness that is being felt. By examining the first three images of  “Pet Therapy” the reader is able to connect with his feeling of happiness because it can appeal to the reader’s emotions.
