How the Human Animal Bond Supports Healing Loneliness, illness, and long days inside medical facilities are realities many Appalachian families know well. In places where community once filled the gaps, isolation can creep in quietly. Sometimes, what makes the greatest difference isn’t a treatment plan or a tightly scheduled program, but the steady presence of another living being and the simple feeling of being seen. One such program is HABIT, a volunteer-based initiative th
