The Welfarist and the Psychologist: Finding Common Ground in Our Interactions with Therapy Animals

Abstract

A concentrated and intentional effort to develop more acceptable mechanisms and procedures that assess and support the well-being of therapy animals is needed in the field of AAI. Attention is initially given to discussing the field’s moral and ethical obligations to ensure the welfare of therapy animals. The authors then highlight numerous takeaway points for the readers to consider that recognize how good welfare is critical for successful relationships. It is not only the correct thing to do from a moral standpoint, but it is also the sustainable thing to do to empower a relationship that is so firmly supported on a strong human–animal bond. Numerous topics are integrated including conceptualizing, considering, and implementing a cost-benefit formula, assessing the impact of therapy work on the animal, documenting best practices in the field, bridging science to best practices, as well as training future practitioners to become more aware of animal welfare tenets. An important consideration in this regard, is that the animals’ perspective is the most relevant and it always needs to be taken into consideration and improved. The impact that our interactions have on the animals’ mental and emotional state of mind must be optimized for those interactions to be acceptable. Achieving this will result in a positive development of the animals’ welfare.