Description

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This is the first book focusing on the animal's perspective and best practices to ensure the welfare of both therapy animals and their human counterparts in animal-assisted interventions. Written by leading scientists, it summarizes the scientific evidence available concerning the impacts on animals in these settings, including companion species, horses, marine mammals and other animals used in therapy.

There has been a dramatic increase in the range of animal-assisted interventions used in medical and allied health environments in recent years, and the field is now entering an era with a greater interest in defining the underlying mechanisms of the human-animal bond as well as the therapeutic benefits of these interactions. Animal-assisted interventions, as with other uses of animals by humans, impose a unique set of stresses on the animals, which the community has only recently begun to acknowledge. For the field to continue to flourish, more evidence is needed to shed light on the implications for the animals and what guidelines need to be put into practice to ensure welfare.

With the ultimate goal of improving the impact that we have on the animals under our care, the book provides a roadmap for researchers and clinicians as they attempt to safely and humanely incorporate various species of animals into therapeutic settings. The authors also offer instructions and suggestions for areas that need to be studied more robustly over the next decade to continue to ensure the safe and proper use of animals in therapy sessions.

This is an informative, thought-provoking and instructive resource for practitioners and researchers in the field of medicine and clinical psychology using animal-assisted interventions, as well as for veterinarians and welfare scientists.

About the Author

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Jose M. Peralta is a native of Spain and a Professor of Animal Welfare at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences. He is a Diplomate of the American and the European Colleges of Animal Welfare and has received awards from the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Veterinary Association for his contributions to the education and advancement in the scientific field of animal welfare. He is interested in all aspects of animal welfare and has worked on projects in different species, having developed over the last several years a particular interest in the well-being of animals used in animal-assisted therapy and interventions.Dr. Aubrey Fine is a native of Montreal, Canada and is a Professor Emeritus at California State Polytechnic University and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Fine was presented the Wang Award given to a distinguished professor within the California State University system and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his service and dedication to children, animals and the community. He received the William McCulloch Award for Excellence in HAI Education and Practice from the International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations, in Paris, France. Additionally, he was awarded the Educator of the Year from the Learning Disability Association of California. Dr. Fine's primary research interests relate to the psycho-social impact of human animal interactions and animal assisted interventions, social skills training and children with ADHD, and resilience in children.