This thesis "Zootherapy and its utilization in practice" deals with zootherapy, its metods and using animals like healers and companions. The thesis it divided into two parts, theoretical and practical. In the first part I write about zootherapy as a whole and its forms. In the practical part you can find the survey. The main goal of this thesis is to provide informations about zootherapy and spread its findings to all who are interested in this issue. Further I would like to find out whether the zootherapy has a positive effect on people who use it. In annex you can find enclosed informations about communication with handicapped client and stories of clients who use the therapy.

Title: Autism and zootherapy In my thesis I deal with the topic of using different kinds of zootherapy for people with various autistic spectrum disorders. The thesis has a goal to find out diverse possibilities which zootherapy can offer to people with autistic spectrum disorders. I focused on exploration what kind of zootherapy is suitable for the specific diagnosis or the other way around, what kind of zootherapy is not a good fit for a concrete diagnosis. In the thesis I also describe a various subtypes of autistic spectrum disorders including Asperger's syndrome. I co-operate with organizations which are engaged in assistance for people with autism spectrum disorders, medical treatment and rehabilitation, zootherapy or professional animal assistance training. Zootherapy is in a constant expansion and suitability of various kinds of this therapeutic method for each autistic spectrum disorder, or mentally and physically disabled is still a matter of contemporary research. Key words: autism, autistic spectrum, zootherapy, Asperger's syndrome, assistance, canistherapy, hippotherapy

ABSTRACT The thesis called Health and Social Impacts of Human and Dog Co-existence is a paper describing the development of a human and a dog relationship since old times until present. It deals with the origin of a dog and describes the development of understanding between a human and a dog, which lasts up to the present day. The paper offers an integrated survey on the ways the dogs are used at present, especially in health and social areas. It informs the readers on the dog use possibilities, the care for dogs, and also the principles of communication, which enable quality and peaceful life of a human and a dog. The first objective was to find out what is the respondents´ knowledge on the dog use possibilities in the society. This objective was fulfilled and the hypothesis was proved. Respondents do not know even a half of possible dog use in co-existence with people. The second objective was to find out how respondents perceive the presence of dogs in their surroundings in relation to children. The objective was also fulfilled, however, the hypothesis that more than 75 per cent of respondents are careful during the contact of a child with a dog, was disproved. Quite a high percentage of people nderestimate the possible risk during the contact of a child with a dog. The third objective was focused on the awareness of respondents of the dog body signals. The hypothesis was proved in this case and out of the results it is evident that the people lack information on the signals sent by dogs. For finding out the needed data the questionnaire research was used. The questionnaire was composed of 24 questions and handed out to 350 respondents. The result of the research was the proving of three above mentioned hypotheses. One of them was disproved, the rest was proved. The awareness of respondents is not high. 44 per cent of owners are threatened by the risk of wound caused by their own dog. Everything is the result of insufficient education in the area. I see preventive programmes focused on the principles of proper co-existence of a human and a dog, which start in kindergarten, as a possibility to lower the risk of wounds or bites caused by dogs.

Using the dogs for the therapeutic purposes is not novelty anyway. Connection to the dog is, vice versa, one of the strongest fixations in the human society. It is know, that many people feel absence of somebody, who they could have a good chat from their joys and troubles of life or only the closeness of some living creature who would love them. Theoretical part of this thesis is focused on explanation of names as zootherapy, canistherapy and recovering actions. One chapter of this part is dedicated the introduction on the Training Centre of Canistherapy called Hafík, o.s. (non-profit civic association). Further, the author concerns explanation of issues with integration and inclusion. The last part of the theoretical section is focused on explanation of the term social skill. Aim of the practical part of thesis is based on describing of researching methods and one is own results of research work. Researching aim of it was describing of the change in the social sphere and social skills of children from the intact society in a course of stay action realization with focus on canistherapy. For realization of the researching part of thesis author chose qualitative way of research. For collection of dates the method of taking part was used. In practice, it was long-termed and systematical observation of children from the intact society directly during their stay action focused on canistherapy. The second used method for collection of the dates was depth interview with the children from the intact society, who took part in the stay action focused on canistherapy. During this interview children were inquired individually in advance prepared, open questions, concerning, above all, their opinion about the handicapped friends, who took part in this stay action together with them. The last method used for collection of the dates in my thesis is the method of structural examination, which was used with the parents of children from the intact society, who took part in the stay action focused on canistherapy. After its ending, among the parents of children, there was realized examination, endeavouring for opinion of them: influence of this stay action to their child. As complementary dates resource, there was used the method of photo documentation. The research was under way in the period from July to September 2012 with the children from intact society, who where participants of the stay action focused on canistherapy and their parents. Camp was arranged with the Training Centre of Canistherapy called Hafík, o.s. (non-profit civic association). Whole of a piece 12 respondents both males and females from the row of the children from intact society took part in this stay action together with 6 parents of them. Results of the researching proved forth coming changes in the social sphere and social skills of the intact children during their stay action focused on canistherapy. The children improved their communication, learnt to establish and keep contact with new people. They became more self-confident, independent and self-sufficient. Further, the children, thanks to the presence of handicapped one´s, have learnt both the correct access to them and the forms of manners with them. At the same time they have got new knowledge about some individual types of disabilities. During the program with present dogs children gained couples of knowledge and skills, concerning with behavior, care and training the dogs. They learnt, how safely and in a responsible way entry to this four-footed friends. Author believes results of her thesis could serve as material for canistherapy in practice and for canistherapy on scientific, researching and educational level too.

This thesis, which is titled "Application of feline therapy in retirement homes", deals with the application of therapy with the help of a cat in clients of retirement homes and the impact of this therapy on the quality of their lives. The aim of this thesis is to find out how much the clients' quality of life changed over the period of one year of regular feline therapy. The thesis consists of two parts; a theoretical and a practical one. The theoretical part is divided into four sections. The first one is focused on zootherapy. It offers basic information on zootherapy such as its division, forms and application. A sole focus on feline therapy follows. The first half of the section on feline therapy concentrates on general information on feline therapy and its impact on people. The second half deals with its practical aspects. Here It explains what kind of cats are suitable for feline therapy and give basic information on breeds most often used for feline therapy. Then follows an introduction of programmes and organizations of feline therapy in the Czech Republic. Some foreign organizations working in feline therapy are presented at the end of this section. The second section deals with the issue of age and ageing. It explains changes occurring during the ageing process of the human organism at all levels of personality followed by the description of seniors' needs. It also studies seniors' quality of life and the possibilities of research into it. The final part is focused on housing service for seniors. First the history of housing services and their current division in the Czech Republic are described. As the research was carried out in a retirement home, this institution is described more thoroughly. Since quality is an important element of a well-functioning facility, inspection of quality of these facilities is mentioned in this section too. Housing services are obliged to create an individual plan for each client and since feline therapy is often used as part of such plans the final part examines this issue in greater detail too. The qualitative research was chosen as a tool for this thesis. The research focuses on the quality of life of senior housing clients. The main tools of the research were a semi-structured interview and observation of the clients. A semi-structured interview with the staff of Pisek Retirement Home who are often in contact with these clients was used as an additional research. Feline therapy does not only help the clients of the facility but it also affects the staff and other members of the team. That is why It asked a few questions about the effect of feline therapy on the employees of the facility. The results of the research showed that feline therapy improves mainly the clients' mental state. Positive changes in mood as well as a positive view of the clients' future were noticeable. Feline therapy also improves the clients' physical state although not as significantly as the mental state. It is used as an element of support during physiotherapy or to motivate clients' exercise. The results are noticeable mainly in fine motor skills of hands. The research between the employees shows that feline therapy does not significantly improve the atmosphere in the workplace and is beneficial to individuals rather than the whole team. On the other hand the therapy helps the staff in working with the clients who are in a better mood, communicate better and thus cooperate more willingly. This thesis can be used as a methodical aid for beginners among professionals interested in feline therapy. The results of this thesis can be used to improve therapeutic activities with cats and the overall progress of feline therapy in the Czech Republic.

The diploma thesis focuses on the area of canine therapy as one of forms of the zoo-therapy, which is a part of comprehensive rehabilitation methods. Canine therapy serves as a support of the psychosocial health of clients from all age groups, where a presence of a dog is used. It is method widely used in social work, social rehabilitation and physiotherapy. The theoretical part if the diploma thesis has been divided into two parts. The first part deals with a field of the zoo-therapy and it focuses on a terminology in that field, its history or methods and forms of the zoo-therapy. It notices, however, also umbrella organizations in the zoo-therapy, Czech as well as international ones. The second part is devoted to the canine therapy from its beginning, i. e. since the beginning of a man´s coexistence with a dog. The theoretical part describes possibilities for providing the canine therapy in accordance with the current legislation. The author also devotes to a composition and training of a canine therapy team and to its preparation for passing of the canine therapy tests. Currently, there is missing a database of people who are engaged in the canine therapy in practice. An aim of the practical part of the diploma thesis is to design such a database structure that would allow an easier contact among these people and therefore an easier access to getting relevant information and experience. The database should contain information for people who are supposed to be interested in services of canine therapy teams. The author published a call in magazines Dog ? Man´s Friend and Dog´s World on websites. The call addressed people practising the canine therapy and it invited them to participate in the research. A technique of e-mail survey (CAMI) was used to collect the data. Further a questionnaire with open questions was used. The other used technique was a content analysis of documents. The database of people practising canine therapy in the Czech Republic has been created. At the same time the collected information has provided a basis to compare competences of these people. The database could be used in order to improve a communication, an exchange experience and a complex development of the field.

This diploma thesis focuses on possible application ways of the selected therapies (canistherapy, hippotherapy and music therapy) in particular institutions for disabled people. The therapies mentioned above have been seen as the methods of a compact rehabilitation process which use a positive influence of animals and music on one´s health. The thesis contains the theoretical part which introduces the summary of development and current terminology on the field of zootherapy, canistherapy, hippotherapy and music therapy. The selected topic has been dissected here in full details. It also introduces the problem regarding physical disabilities in general. The practical part of the thesis is a data survey which have been gained in the form of a qualitative research, being presented in two significant chapters. In the first one, the survey regarding the characteristics of the involved institutions can be found. The second chapter is an analysis and comparison of gained information. The aim of the survey is to introduce and sum up the possible ways of using and application of these special therapies in the selected institutions for physically disabled people within the south Bohemian region. The methods of qualitative research have been used. To reach the goal, data collection in a form of observation, semi-standartized interview and photodocumentation have been applied. The complete conclusion of the gained information can be found in the final part of the thesis. The supplements contain some photos regarding these particular therapies and the structure of semi-standartized interview. The thesis can be used as a source of information for both experts and amateurs.

The thesis was mainly aimed at the impact of canistherapy on the clients with behaviour and social anxiety disorders, their behaviour, social contacts and attitude to a living creature. The theoretical part of the thesis presents an overview of zootherapy and canistherapy terminology, outlines requisites of the practical part and defines behaviour and social anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. The outcome is represented by a multicase study on the basis of qualitative research technique. The multicase study offers a deep insight into three case studies, in details depicts particular techniques which are used in canistherapy, the process of canistherapy realised in children and adolescents with behaviour and social anxiety disorders. The findings of the research proved a positive impact of canistherapy, especially an AAT method, on the clients monitored. Based on these findings, canistherapy is highly recommended for this group of clients.

Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2016-08-11T11:45:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Hudson Rodrigues Teixeira.pdf: 898006 bytes, checksum: 9528c299e6f6e8c0ba6e2555285f6e68 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-11T11:45:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Hudson Rodrigues Teixeira.pdf: 898006 bytes, checksum: 9528c299e6f6e8c0ba6e2555285f6e68 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-07-26 / This study was conducted in a community located within Araripe National Forest (Floresta Nacional do Araripe – FLONA) was to verify and claim the attractive features of the birds that call the attention of local experts, the types of birds captured and types of use. Interviews were conducted with 19 informants experts who held knowledge about birds, between the months of September 2012 to May 2013, identified by the “snowball” technique. The interviews were semi-structured and recorded, and included identifying the birds by photos (Checklist). The appealing characteristics that most attract the informants are the birds’ singing, followed by the beauty of their plumage; their potential for being hunted was another characteristic that appealed to the informants. The participants cited 98 species of birds from 32 families, which constituted 50.7% of the species in that region. The birds are used in three ways: consumption, breeding and for medicinal purposes. Consumption is the activity most frequently mentioned by the informants, and which includes the greatest number of species, ten of which stand out with greater UV – those which possess the characteristic of a high potential for being hunted. In terms of breeding, three stand out with greater UV – those which possess a singing characteristic. Three species of birds were mentioned as being used for medicinal purposes: Cyanocorax cyanopogon, which is used whole for speech problems; the feathers of Crypturellus noctivagus, for snakebites; and Crotophaga ani, used whole for treating “heavy cough”. Thus, knowledge of the medicinal use of birds in the semi-arid region of Brazil provide a relevant contribution to the phenomenon of zootherapy, by providing opportunities for discussions on conservation biology and sustainable use of natural resources, and by defining the best strategies to be adopted by environmental agencies to ensure the survival both of the species of birds used and of the communities that depend on them. / Essa pesquisa foi realizada em uma comunidade localizada no entorno da Floresta Nacional do Araripe (FLONA) e teve como pretensão verificar as características atrativas das aves que chamam a atenção dos especialistas locais, os tipos de aves capturadas e os tipos de uso. Foram realizadas entrevistas com 19 informantes especialistas que detinham conhecimento sobre as aves, entre os meses de setembro de 2012 a maio de 2013, identificadas por meio da técnica “bola de neve”, sendo realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas e gravadas, além da identificação das aves através de pranchas com fotos (Chechlist). As características atrativas das aves que mais chamam a atenção dos informantes são o canto e a beleza das penas, em seguida o potencial cinegético. Foram citadas pelos informantes 98 espécies de aves de 32 famílias constituindo 50,7% das espécies da região. O uso das aves é feito de duas formas: consumo (alimentação e fins medicinais) e criação. O consumo é a atividade mais citada pelos informantes e que reúne o maior número de espécies, entre elas dez se destacam com maior VU, sendo aquelas que têm por característica o potencial de caça elevado, já na criação se destacam três com maior VU, as quais possuem características canoras. Foram mencionadas três espécies de aves para fins medicinais: Cyanocorax cyanopogon, usado inteiro para problemas relacionados à fala, as penas de Crypturellus noctivagus para acidentes ofídicos e Crotophaga ani sendo utilizado o corpo inteiro da ave para tratamento da “tosse braba”. Assim, o conhecimento da utilização medicinal das aves no semiárido do Brasil fornece uma contribuição relevante ao fenômeno da zooterapia, abrindo espaço para debates sobre biologia da conservação e manejo sustentável dos recursos naturais, definindo quais as melhores estratégias poderão ser adotadas pelos órgãos ambientais, de modo a garantir tanto a sobrevivência das espécies utilizadas quanto das comunidades que delas dependem.

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