The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions: Addressing the Contemporary Issues That Will Shape the Future

Aubrey H. Fine, Alan M. Beck and Zenithson Ng
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Aubrey H. Fine: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona- Department of Education 3801 W Temple Ave, Pomona, CA 91768, USA
Alan M. Beck: Center for Human-Animal Bond, College Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Zenithson Ng: University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: As the worldwide popularity of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) increases, the field is quickly approaching a paradigm shift, adjusting its image to incorporate more evidence-based research and aligning its purpose for advancing a new future. Contemporary critical issues that confront the field today include, but are not limited, to research, animal welfare, practice guidelines, and public policy. This article will provide an overview of the history of AAI and the major milestones that the field has undergone. The current state of AAI research will be scrutinized, and the areas that warrant further study will be recommended. Special attention will be given to the current state of animal welfare in AAI, the research that has been done in the area, and practice guidelines that safeguard animal wellbeing. This article will then discuss how evidence-based research and animal welfare guidelines inform the development of comprehensive professional standards and influence changes in public policy regarding AAI. The authors’ perceptions for the field’s future trajectory will be presented, which will include solutions to move the field in the direction that best advances the human-animal bond in research, practice, and public perception.

Keywords: Animal-Assisted Interventions; animal welfare; professionalization; public policy; human animal interactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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