The virtues of therapy animals.

Students beating exam-time stress. Children on the autism spectrum experiencing a measure of relief. Sequestered victims finding the courage to testify in court. Lonely elderly people rediscovering what it's like to live. Ex-convicts whose reassimilation into life outside jail is eased. All this and more, thanks the presence of horses, guinea pigs, cats... even snakes! Laurence Paoli has met with men and women whose lives have been changed by animals, as well as scientists studying such encounters. These meetings of minds pave the way for new relationships between humans and nature.