Article by: Vicky Alercia-Casella LPC
April 2025 article on Pet Therapy
“When I needed a hand, I found a Paw.”
For those of us that are animal lovers, we know that a dog is more than just a dog, he becomes a crucial part of your life and your family. It’s incredible how an animal has the ability to show us such unconditional love in so many little ways. For my family, our beloved border collie, Skeeter, completed our lives for 13 beautiful years until he left for puppy heaven almost 2 years ago. Grief has no timeline. I still have moments where sadness sporadically hits me because I can envision him laying next to me with his head on my lap, looking up at me with his soft brown eyes. He always seemed to know when I needed him, in moments of sadness, increased anxiety, and in moments of joy and laughter. I don’t need to be a therapist to know that animals can be amazing for our mental health.
Petting and playing with our pets can reduce stress related hormones. Pets can provide companionship and help us to feel less lonely. Their unconditional love can boost our self esteem. Our pets add structure to our day and help us to feel safe. They can fulfill our lives and add purpose to our day. It’s no wonder that over the years, pet therapy has become more common.
As a way to continue to spread the love that we have for Skeeter, we decided to begin volunteering at an animal shelter. The Center for Animal Health and Welfare is one of several local animal shelters in the Lehigh Valley. My oldest son and I would visit to spoil the cats with cuddles, play time, and treats. After the 1st visit, we already wanted to adopt. These precious animals just have a way of melting your heart. Other ways that we chose to help out was by donating items from their amazon wish list and making goodies for their bake sales to raise money.
This past week, I had the pleasure of speaking to Carolynn Southwick, the volunteer coordinator and Dawn Brosious, the Director of Development for the shelter. Carolynn believes that the staff and the volunteers make such a difference for the animals at their shelter. As some of the animals arrive afraid, the people around them have the ability to witness their beautiful transformation of their personalities coming out as they wait for their forever homes. The animals in their own way show how much they appreciate the socialization, walks, play time, love, and attention. Not only do these adorable animals receive our love but we also receive their unconditional love in return. Dawn shared her lovely journey of volunteering with the shelter 20 years ago to utilize her skills in helping them with public relations to give back to the community. Like with most of us, she took a break for a while, as lives get busy with work and family. However, once covid arrived and schedules slowed down, she felt led to come back to the shelter and began with dog walking. She believes that it provided a profound impact and not only did her family adopt a dog but she found herself applying for a job with the shelter to continue with her passion for animals. She still finds the stories amazing at how these animals have the ability to change peoples lives. For more information on volunteering with CAHW, log on to https://healthyanimalcenter.org and click on email or contact us.
If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of their beloved pet, search for our book on amazon entitled, “Skeeter saves the day.” My children and I wrote this book together to help guide other families through their grief. Proceeds from our book sales are used towards donations for the Center for Animal Health and Welfare. Skeeter Saves the Day: Holding on to Love While Letting Go of Your Beloved Pet: Alercia, Victoria: 9781958711804: Amazon.com: Books
April 11, 2025 is National Pet Day- consider making a donation to a local animal shelter to help
Sending you Light and Love,
Vicky Alercia-Casella LPC
Vicky Alercia-Casella has built a remarkable career dedicated to the mental health and well-being of her clients. Her passion for helping others is evident in her diverse range of therapeutic services, which have continually evolved to meet the needs of her community. To learn more about Vicky Alercia-Casella and her counseling services visit https://www.psychologytoday.com/
