For Pets Sake: Being the animal advocate
in animal-assisted interventions
Defining the terms
• Human-animal intervention (HAI) =
• Human-animal interaction (HAI) =
• Animal-assisted intervention (AAI)
AAT
AAA
HAI
AAI
Animal
Assisted
Activity
Animal
Assisted
Therapy
Defining the terms
• Animal Assisted Activity (AAA) –
meet and greet
• Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) –
goal directed intervention
• Service/Assistance animals –animal that is individually trained to
do work or perform tasks for the
benefit of an individual with a
disability
Special consideration for
AAI animals
“No other canine-related event, no sport nor competition requires a dog to enter the intimate zones of unfamiliar humans and remain there for several minutes of petting and hugging” (Butler, 2004)
Immoral, exploitative (Zamir, 2006)
Little self-control over their social lives (Fejsakova 2009)
Fatigue and “Burn-out” syndrome (Heim, 2000;
Iannuzi, 1991)
Acquisition of infectious disease (Lefebvre 2009)
Threats to animal welfare
Lefebvre SL, Golab GC, Christensen EL, et al. Guidelines for
animal-assisted interventions in health care facilities. American
Journal of Infection Control 2008;36:78-85.
Screening
• Species
• Dogs
• Cats
• Rabbits
• Guinea pigs
• No: reptiles/amphibians, hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats,
hedgehogs
• At least 1 year of age
• No raw food diets
Selection: Physical health
• Rabies
• Monthly internal and external parasite
prevention
• Annual fecal
• Screening for MRSA, C difficile, group A
streptococci, vancomycin-resistant enterococci
NOT recommended
During visits: Preventing infectious
disease
• Clostridium difficile
(2.4x)
• MRSA
(4.7x)
Lefebvre SL, Reid-Smith RJ, Waltner-Toews D, et al. Incidence of acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus, Clostridium difficile, and other health-care-associated pathogens by dogs that participate in animal-assisted
interventions. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2009;234:1404-1417
Risk Factors?
Recommendations
Hand
washing
During visits: Preventing Stress
Selection: Behavioral health
• Basic commands
• Reactions to strangers,
crowds, hugs, sudden
stimuli
• No sign of stress or
aggression
• Friendly, controllable,
predictable
Monitoring stress-associated behaviors
During the visit: Recognizing risk factors
• Crowding
• Duration
• Breaks
After the visit
• Provide positive reinforcement to the animal
• Document any issues that arise
Monitoring and collaboration
Handler Handler Handler Handler Handler
Facility
Monitor
HAI
Organization
Monitor MonitorFacility
Monitor
Education for the handler
Animal Health Animal Behavior
Our obligations
