Rx: One Dog, Daily – The Rise of Social Prescriptions
04/09/25 • 16 min
What if your next prescription didn’t come from a pharmacy—but from a shelter?
In this eye-opening episode, host Stacie explores the global rise of social prescriptions, a revolutionary shift in healthcare that trades pills for purpose. From the UK’s National Health Service to community health programs around the world, doctors are now “prescribing” activities like dog walking, volunteering, and time in nature to combat anxiety, depression, isolation, and more.
At the center of this movement? Dogs. 🐾
Learn how rescue dogs are becoming powerful agents of change—naturally delivering emotional support, structure, connection, and healing in ways traditional medicine can’t. We break down the science, the stats, and the stories behind this shift, and ask: Why isn’t the U.S. following suit?
This episode dives deep into how The Human-Canine Alliance is bridging that gap—with technology, training, and a vision to make “One Dog, Daily” a real prescription in America’s mental health toolkit.
If you’ve ever believed there’s more to healing than pills, this is your episode.
Resources used in this episode:
- NHS Social Prescribing Overview
- World Health Organization – Loneliness and Social Isolation
- U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Loneliness (2023)
- Journal of Public Health (Oxford Academic)
- Pet Partners – Therapy Animal Program & Research
- American Heart Association – Dog Ownership and Heart Health
- Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)
- University of British Columbia – Therapy Dog Study
What if your next prescription didn’t come from a pharmacy—but from a shelter?
In this eye-opening episode, host Stacie explores the global rise of social prescriptions, a revolutionary shift in healthcare that trades pills for purpose. From the UK’s National Health Service to community health programs around the world, doctors are now “prescribing” activities like dog walking, volunteering, and time in nature to combat anxiety, depression, isolation, and more.
At the center of this movement? Dogs. 🐾
Learn how rescue dogs are becoming powerful agents of change—naturally delivering emotional support, structure, connection, and healing in ways traditional medicine can’t. We break down the science, the stats, and the stories behind this shift, and ask: Why isn’t the U.S. following suit?
This episode dives deep into how The Human-Canine Alliance is bridging that gap—with technology, training, and a vision to make “One Dog, Daily” a real prescription in America’s mental health toolkit.
If you’ve ever believed there’s more to healing than pills, this is your episode.
Resources used in this episode:
- NHS Social Prescribing Overview
- World Health Organization – Loneliness and Social Isolation
- U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Loneliness (2023)
- Journal of Public Health (Oxford Academic)
- Pet Partners – Therapy Animal Program & Research
- American Heart Association – Dog Ownership and Heart Health
- Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)
- University of British Columbia – Therapy Dog Study
Previous Episode
Rescue Dogs: An Untapped Solution to America's Mental Health Crisis
In this Real Life Business episode of The Human-Canine Alliance Podcast, Stacie connects powerful data points to show that rescue dogs are more than just pets—they’re an undervalued asset in addressing America’s mental health crisis.
With 60 million adults struggling with mental illness, suicide rates at an all time high, and wait times for professional care stretching up to six months, what if doctors could prescribe a dog—trained for an individual’s specific needs—before reaching for a pill?
Stacie breaks down how dogs offer natural, side-effect-free benefits like social connection, routine, and emotional support, challenging the status quo of mental health treatment.
Tune-in to learn how THCA aims to create a pathway to transform two industries—mental health and dog rescue—while improving countless lives in the process.
Join the movement in shifting society from a Human-Pill Bond to a Human-Canine Bond.
Resources used for this episode:
Next Episode
The Mental Health Shift Everyone’s Talking About: Why Social Prescriptions Are Going Global
In this fired-up episode, Stacie dives into the incredible world of Social Prescribing—a powerful, doctor-backed movement in over 30 countries that’s already changing lives by prescribing community, connection, and non-medical solutions like gardening, hiking, and with our help...rescue dogs trained for a person's specific needs.
Learn how the UK’s Social Prescribing model has already helped millions tackle mental health, loneliness, and stress without meds, and meet the unsung heroes of the movement: Link Workers—the compassionate connectors filling in where doctors can’t.
Stacie breaks down:
- Real-time global snapshot of Social Prescriptions + why it's spreading rapidly
- Why the UK nationalized it in 2019 and 30+ countries are currently investing in it
- Where the U.S. stands and how we might be closer than we think to this kind of revolution
- How The Human-Canine Alliance Matchmaking App could become a prescribing tool for emotional wellness
This episode is a strong dose of education and a powerful look at global mental healthcare trends towards Social Prescriptions.
Help us lay the groundwork for Social Prescriptions in America. 🐾
Resources used in this episode:
- Social Prescribing Academy (UK)
- National Lottery Community Fund (UK)
- Elemental Software (UK)
- Jameel Arts and Health Lab
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- National Academy for Social Prescribing (UK)
- Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP)
- Social Prescribing USA
- Benjamin Goldberg Foundation
- ArtPharmacy.co
- Culture Rx
- Health Leads
- Wholesome Wave
- Park Rx
- The Art Therapy Project
- VAGA (Visual Arts and Galleries Association)
- Stanford University's Art Prescriptions Program
The Human-Canine Alliance (TH-CA) - Rx: One Dog, Daily – The Rise of Social Prescriptions
Transcript
Imagine you're battling overwhelming anxiety, seeking help, only to be met with long wait lists and a prescription pad. This is the reality for millions of Americans today.
On the other side, mental health professionals are inundated with patients, constrained by time, and often limited to offering pharmaceutical solutions. The system is stretched thin, leaving both providers and those in need searching for more.
This is The Human-Canine Alliance podcast. I'm Stacie, and today we
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