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