Leading PAWSitive Canine Connections

Colleen Anne Dell, PhD

Colleen Anne Dell, PhDColleen Anne Dell, PhDColleen Anne Dell, PhD
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    • Home
    • About
      • About Colleen Dell
      • One Health
      • Recognitions
      • The Team
      • Get Involved
    • Dog Initiatives
      • Learn About
    • Research Areas
      • Addiction
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Inmates
      • Patients
      • Service Providers
      • Students
      • Veterans
    • Research Outcomes
      • Academic Articles
      • Creative Works
      • Fact Sheets
      • Podcasts & Vidoes
      • Reports and Magazines
      • Training & Workshops
      • Toolkit & Courses
    • Teaching
      • Teaching Philosophy
      • In the Classroom
      • Student Supervision
    • News & Media
      • News Media
      • Social Media
      • Therapy Dog Blog
      • Service Dog Blog
      • Newsletter

Colleen Anne Dell, PhD

Colleen Anne Dell, PhDColleen Anne Dell, PhDColleen Anne Dell, PhD
  • Home
  • About
    • About Colleen Dell
    • One Health
    • Recognitions
    • The Team
    • Get Involved
  • Dog Initiatives
    • Learn About
  • Research Areas
    • Addiction
    • HIV/AIDS
    • Inmates
    • Patients
    • Service Providers
    • Students
    • Veterans
  • Research Outcomes
    • Academic Articles
    • Creative Works
    • Fact Sheets
    • Podcasts & Vidoes
    • Reports and Magazines
    • Training & Workshops
    • Toolkit & Courses
  • Teaching
    • Teaching Philosophy
    • In the Classroom
    • Student Supervision
  • News & Media
    • News Media
    • Social Media
    • Therapy Dog Blog
    • Service Dog Blog
    • Newsletter

things to know about the human-animal bond & substance use

There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn about evidence developed from our office on this important topic. 

1. Animals can be important to peoples’ health, including substance use.

Do you know the difference between a service dog, therapy dog, emotional support animal, and a pet? Learn about the differences!

Therapy Dogs

  • Some provide volunteer support and comfort to people when they do not have access to a dog
  • They are also known as comfort dogs
  • Some work with professionals during therapy sessions
  • Only allowed to go into places they are invited 

Meet some St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs here 

Service Dogs

  • Specially trained to assist a person with daily living challenges
  • Challenges can be visible or invisible
  • Allowed into nearly all public spaces, except where food is made 

Learn more about Service Dogs for Veterans diagnosed with PTSD and in recovery from substance use problems here. 

Emotional Support Animals

  • Main role is to provide emotional support through companionship 
  • May be prescribed by some health care providers 
  • Have limited public access  

Learn more about your provincial Human Rights Code (SK here). 

Companion Animals

  • Also known as pets
  • Only allowed in designated animal-friendly places (such as a restaurant patio, pet-friendly hotel, or store) 


Learn more about the beneficial role of animals in our lives by visiting our homepage

Download the Dog Definition Poster (pdf)Download

2. The bonds humans have with animals can support their healing from addiction.

  • Meet our therapy dogs and hear Dr. Colleen Dell discuss the power of the human-animal bond in her TedX Talk and journal article. 
  • Find out the history of the human-dog bond in Dr. Robert Losey’s webinar. 
  • Take our certificate course to be more informed about how the bond Veterans form with their Service Dogs helps them with their PTSD and recovery from substance use health concerns. 

3. Animals can help humans cope at stressful times, such as a pandemic, exams, and treatment.

Find out how animals can help during the pandemic in this inforgraphic, with university students during exams in these journal articles (1 & 2), and at inpatient treatment centres in these fact sheets: Calder Centre Residential Addictions Treatment Centre & Métis Addictions Council of SK Treatment Centre.

4. Visiting with a therapy dog can lower patient pain in a hospital emergency department.

Read about our latest study in the news or a 2 minute cartoon!

5. 88% of Canadians in recovery from substance use identify their relationship with an animal

Download a poster.

6. Service providers can become animal-informed in their practice in six simple steps.

Follow the 6 steps here! 

7. Animals can help people who are isolated feel like they matter.

Read a magazine about prisoners and their pets, view a poster about Veterans and their Service Dogs, and watch a video about students and therapy dogs. 

8. Therapy dogs help to create a calming environment for staff & clients

Read about it in the Canadian Nurse Journal.

9. Animals can support recovery from Opioid Use Disorder in ways that a human cannot.

Learn about our study findings on the impacts of a therapy dog, pets and service dogs.

10. Indigenous people have a holistic view of the connection between human, animal, planet health

Learn from team member Traditional Indigenous Knowledge Advocate, Kah Wah Chi Peit, Larry Laliberte! 

Download PDF

Colleen Anne Dell

University of Saskatchewan

(306) 966-5912 colleen.dell@usask.ca

Copyright © 2023 Colleen Anne Dell - All Rights Reserved.

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