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

Abstract

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.

Best Practice Standards in Animal-Assisted Interventions: How the LEAD Risk Assessment Tool Can Help

“…Both SCAS and AAII have renewed their guidelines in 2019 [ 6 , 7 ]; see also the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) White Paper 2018 [ 8 ]. Serpell et al [ 9 ] provide a recent representative survey of current standards and differing practices in the USA. It is noteworthy that in the US, and around the world, many organisations have set some guidelines and policies as to how they prefer to work, but guidance and actual practices differ.…”

Canine-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals: Best Practices for Maximizing Human and Canine Safety

“…Particularly alarming, the survey found 70% of therapy dog organizations surveyed permitted dogs to be fed a raw meat diet. A nationally representative survey of U.S. therapy dog organization practices reported similar results of inconsistent practices that may risk human health and canine welfare ( 55 ). Results also revealed a concerning number of organizations failing to limit raw meat diets and treats and failing to place time limits on therapy dog visits.…”

Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy

“…However, literature searches most often result in articles and research related to AAA, police/military working dog, or assistance dog traits or preparation processes and are frequently used to fill the void in AAT-specific content [ 41 , 42 ]. This, in and of itself, can be problematic because without an overarching, regulatory body to oversee policies and procedures for evaluation, most organizations develop their own [ 43 ]. It is therefore not surprising that a national 2020 study of nearly three dozen AAA evaluation and registration organizations found no consensus on several factors relating to the criterion for passing evaluation [ 43 ].…”

“…This, in and of itself, can be problematic because without an overarching, regulatory body to oversee policies and procedures for evaluation, most organizations develop their own [ 43 ]. It is therefore not surprising that a national 2020 study of nearly three dozen AAA evaluation and registration organizations found no consensus on several factors relating to the criterion for passing evaluation [ 43 ]. This included the length of time a dog lived with the handler prior to evaluation, the frequency of re-evaluation of the dog, vaccination requirements, amount of time and frequency of visits, restriction of activity if the dog showed signs of illness, or appropriate humane training methods [ 43 ].…”