Companion Animals

Emotional Support Animals: Welfare of Animals in Therapeutic Roles

Animals used for emotional support and therapy provide documented human benefit but face welfare considerations that deserve attention.

Key Facts

Emotional support animal certifications are unregulated and widely abused in the US
Therapy dogs visit hospitals and care facilities, typically for 1-2 hours per session
Animals used for animal-assisted therapy show elevated cortisol during sessions
High-quality therapy animal programs assess animal stress and limit session length
The Delta Society and Pet Partners set voluntary welfare standards for therapy animals

Welfare Considerations

Therapy and emotional support animals perform roles that can generate stress through unfamiliar environments, involuntary touch, and extended working hours. High-quality programs monitor animal welfare using behavioral indicators and limit session length accordingly. Poorly managed programs expose animals to chronic stress in the name of human benefit. The welfare of therapeutic animals matters as much as the therapeutic outcomes they provide.

What You Can Do

Support therapy animal programs certified by Pet Partners with welfare standards
Advocate for emotional support animal certification requirements to prevent welfare exploitation
Donate to organizations training therapy animals using force-free, welfare-positive methods
Never ask a therapy animal to continue working when it shows stress signals
Report organizations that ignore animal welfare in therapeutic contexts