Animal-assisted therapy programmes bring measurable benefits to human participants, but the welfare of therapy animals is frequently overlooked. Dogs, horses, cats and other species used therapeutically deserve robust protection from the stresses of their role.
The therapeutic benefits of animal-assisted interventions are well-documented, but the welfare equation must include the animals themselves. A therapy dog showing flattened ears, yawning, lip-licking or attempts to move away is displaying stress signals that should trigger session termination. Programmes with strong welfare cultures — where animal welfare coordinators have authority to remove animals from service — produce better outcomes for both animal and human participants. Regulation of therapy animal programmes is an important emerging policy area.