Considerations for the Retirement of Therapy Animals

Ng, Zenithson; Fine, Aubrey H.

doi:10.3390/ani9121100

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Though not addressed in the current survey, the question of when and how to retire a therapy animal is clearly also relevant to welfare, and should be included in any future discussions of policy and practice standards within the industry (38).…”

Section: Dog Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Current Standards and Practices Within the Therapy Dog Industry: Results of a Representative Survey of United States Therapy Dog Organizations

et al. 2020

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Organizations that deliver animal-assisted interventions (AAIs), as well as those that train, evaluate, and register therapy dogs, have proliferated in recent decades in the United States (U.S.). Each of these organizations has its own policies and procedures for screening, evaluating, and instructing dogs and their owners/handlers, but little is currently known about the range of different practices that exist nationwide. The aim of this project was to survey a representative, national sample of U.S. therapy dog organizations to investigate commonalities and differences in the types of practices in current use and to compare these to recommendations in existing published guidelines. The findings suggest the need for further research, and highlight a number of areas relating to dog welfare, human safety, and infection control in which many organizations were inconsistent in their adherence to existing guidelines. Of particular concern with regard to animal welfare was the finding that approximately half of the organizations surveyed imposed no time limit on the length of visits. Also, given the potential for zoonotic disease transmission, the finding that only a small minority of organizations prohibit the feeding of raw meat diets and treats to visiting dogs is concerning. This information will help to raise awareness among facilities with therapy animal programs and assist in the development of future best practices within the therapy dog industry.

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Section: Dog Welfarementioning

confidence: 99%

Current Standards and Practices Within the Therapy Dog Industry: Results of a Representative Survey of United States Therapy Dog Organizations

et al. 2020

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“…Unfortunately, many may only consider that the animals may become frustrated during their sessions because of their interactions with the clients. Nevertheless, Ng and Fine 42 point out that other variables can impact the welfare of the animal during the therapy sessions including the behavior of the participant, the environment that they are working in, the handler's reaction and behavior, as well as the actual interaction itself. All these variables need to be considered.…”

Section: Role Of the Animalmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, as the animal ages, attention must be given to the animal's health and at what point should the animal retire. Ng and Fine 42 43 provide numerous suggestions on how to appropriately retire a therapy animal as s/he begins to age. Many variables must be considered, including allowing the clients to say good bye.…”

Section: Role Of the Animalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protecting Animal Welfare in Animal-Assisted Intervention: Our Ethical Obligation

Fine

Griffin²

2022

Semin Speech Lang

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When incorporating therapy animals into clinical practice, there are essential ethical considerations that must be considered to protect the welfare of both the people and the animals who are involved in the intervention. The field of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and more specifically animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is just beginning to appreciate the critical role that animal welfare has in enhancing the quality of the entire process of working with a therapy animal. In this article, the authors will present ethical models that are incumbent for practitioners to consider prior to partnering with a therapy animal. Examples of how a speech-language pathologist (SLP) might work with a therapy animal will be integrated throughout the article to demonstrate applied awareness of how good welfare not only protects the animal but also the clients who engage in the intervention. Key aspects to consider at all stages of AAT will be described, including considerations of welfare as they relate to selecting and working with a therapy animal, preparing clients for AAT, and developing specific competencies as an AAT practitioner. Theoretical support for these recommendations will also be outlined, preparing AAT providers to not only incorporate the highest standards in AAT but to also serve as an advocate in championing these standards as the field develops.

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“…In addition, old learned good habits can be forgotten. It can be counterproductive if they receive too many breaks, rest and holidays [ 53 ].…”

Section: Professionalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animals in Animal-Assisted Services: Are They Volunteers or Professionals?

Wijnen¹,

Martens²

2022

Animals

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With the increasingly common practice of Animal-Assisted Services (AAS), whether in therapy, coaching, education, or volunteering programs, the concern over animal welfare has also risen. However, no standards have yet been established for good practices to ensure the animal’s mental health. This is largely due to the wide variety of roles played by animals in interventions and the lack of ‘job descriptions’ for the animal in diverse settings. Some professionals call their animal a ‘volunteer’, others mention that some directive guidance is given to the therapy animal, and some assistance animals are highly trained. Misunderstandings could be avoided if the integrated animal were to receive a justifiable label: volunteer or professional. Choosing either one comes with obligations for the owner, handler, or therapist. In this paper, we compare the roles of human volunteers and professionals to the roles of animals involved in therapy. We also demonstrate the obligations that come along with the decision to label animals as such either volunteers or professionals. Furthermore, we make a plea for animal-friendly interventions, whether in a volunteer position or as a professional, in order to stimulate the animal’s cooperation and motivation. Studying dopamine and translating the findings into context-ethograms can provide a way to judge behavior more objectively.

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Considerations for the Retirement of Therapy Animals

Cited by 11 publications

References 57 publications

Current Standards and Practices Within the Therapy Dog Industry: Results of a Representative Survey of United States Therapy Dog Organizations

Current Standards and Practices Within the Therapy Dog Industry: Results of a Representative Survey of United States Therapy Dog Organizations

Protecting Animal Welfare in Animal-Assisted Intervention: Our Ethical Obligation

Animals in Animal-Assisted Services: Are They Volunteers or Professionals?

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