Animal Assisted Intervention Welfare: Therapy Animals and Their Needs

Animals used in therapy, emotional support, and educational interventions face unique welfare risks from repeated handling, high-stress environments, and the absence of welfare standards in most AAI programs.

Key Facts

Animal assisted interventions include therapy dogs in hospitals, emotional support animals in educational settings, and visiting animals in care homes, with millions of sessions conducted annually worldwide
Dogs used as therapy animals show elevated cortisol stress indicators during and after visits to clinical and educational settings, particularly when handling is uncontrolled or unfamiliar people are numerous
Therapy horses used in equine-assisted therapy face welfare risks from repeated unfamiliar handler contact, irregular schedules, and inadequate recovery time between sessions
The International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations provides certification guidelines for AAI programs but no country requires mandatory certification or welfare assessment of animal participants
Animals forced into AAI participation without adequate assessment of individual temperament and welfare impact may experience chronic stress that compromises their health and longevity

Welfare Considerations

Animal assisted intervention welfare is an emerging concern recognizing that the therapeutic benefits to human participants do not automatically translate to positive experiences for animal participants. Well-selected, well-managed therapy animals can show no adverse welfare indicators and may express engagement and positive behavioral states during interactions with appropriate handlers and recipients. However, poorly managed programs expose animals to high-stimulation environments, uncontrolled handling, and excessive session frequency without adequate recovery time. Individual animal welfare assessment, including regular monitoring of stress indicators, clear session limits, and genuine capacity for animals to disengage from interactions, are essential features of ethically managed AAI programs. The growing institutional use of therapy animals without welfare governance creates conditions for animal exploitation under the banner of human wellbeing.

What You Can Do

When referring to or recommending AAI programs, inquire about the welfare standards they maintain for animal participants including session limits and stress monitoring
Advocate for professional AAI associations to require mandatory welfare assessment and certification for animal participants before program participation
Support research into behavioral indicators of stress and positive welfare in therapy animals across different species and setting types
If you own a potential therapy animal, work with a certified AAI organization to properly assess individual temperament before beginning program participation
Contact hospitals, schools, and care facilities using therapy animals to ask about their animal welfare standards and willingness to adopt evidence-based welfare protocols