Public Health Student Explores Benefits of Using Pot-bellied Pigs in Animal Therapy

August 16, 2022 | News, Student Success, UToday, Alumni, Health and Human Services
By Laren Kowalczyk



Anastasia “Anya” Smith, a public health senior at The University of Toledo, fell in love with the two pot-bellied pigs her brother brought to the family’s farm in Monroe, Mich. Then, her mind shifted to her research project on the benefits of animal therapy.

“With how cute and friendly they were, I thought they’d be great to take places,” she said.

Smith

Smith is researching animal therapy as part of her public health internship at MemoryLane Care Services, an adult day center in Toledo for individuals with cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Animal therapy programs commonly use dogs, but Smith wanted to test what effect Wilbur, a four-month-old pot-bellied pig, would have on the participants. Wilbur’s companion, Charlotte, was too timid to bring into the center.

“They were very excited about Wilbur,” Smith said. “I didn’t have them touching Wilbur yet, but they were able to see him and put food down on the ground for him. Since this was his first time, I wanted to start it off simple so he’d want to come back.”

Smith conducted a small study as part of her research. MemoryLane staff members used a sliding scale to evaluate the participants’ mood, anxiety, socialness and talkativeness before and after they visited with Wilbur.

Smith saw improvement in each area.

“Animal therapy has been shown to help with common symptoms of dementia like irritability, anxiety, depression and loneliness,” she said. “Animals are often a big part of people’s lives, so being around them releases endorphins and calms down their anxiety.”

Anastasia “Anya” Smith, a public health senior at UToledo, fell in love with the two pot-bellied pigs her brother brought to the family’s farm in Monroe, Mich. Then, her mind shifted to her research project on the benefits of animal therapy.

Smith isn’t formally training Wilbur to be a therapy animal but is working to help him become more comfortable around people.

“They’re very social animals,” Smith said. “They enjoy being around people and other animals. Wilbur is really well behaved. He likes being hand-fed and given belly scratches.”

Smith plans to bring Wilbur back to MemoryLane and is training him to walk with a harness for easier transport.

In addition to her internship at MemoryLane, Smith works part time at the center as a dementia care specialist, fulfilling her passion for working with older adults. She helps participants at mealtime, with activities and makes sure they feel safe and comfortable.

“Anya is a great public health major who has known from the start that she wants to positively impact the health and wellness of our aging population,” said Dr. Joseph A. Dake, professor and chair of UToledo’s School of Population Health in the College of Health and Human Services. “Our program is so proud of majors like Anya who find a path to help others and work hard to make an impact in that area. I am confident that she will continue to make us proud as she continues this passion in her future endeavors.”

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