Pet Therapy

I'm Jeff, and I'm doggone crazy about my two pooches, Jasmine and Nova. From my own experience with cancer, I know that they always make me smile, even on my toughest days. Now I want to know if pets can help other kids who have to fight off pain and stress. My question: Can interacting with a furry friend help lessen or eliminate pain in kids undergoing a medical procedure?

How would you investigate this question?
Conducting investigations with human subjects can be tricky. Where would you find a number of kids who you know are facing pain? At the doctor or dentist office, perhaps? How would you get permission to have them participate in your study? Decide what sorts of variables you would keep constant, such as age of the test subject, or what kind of therapy animal you are going to use. Come up with a way to "measure" the amount of pain the subjects are feeling. Describe your ideas in your notebook. Then discuss them with your teacher, or go to Pet Therapy to learn how Jeff did his pet therapy investigation.