M. Winkle, A. Johnson, and D. Mills (2020) published their review in Animals, calling attention to the pressing need for structured welfare standards for dogs working in animal-assisted therapy (AAT). While the psychological and health benefits of AAT for humans are well documented, much less focus has been placed on safeguarding the animals involved.
The review stresses that dogs do not volunteer for therapeutic roles and may face stress if poorly matched to handlers, environments, or therapy tasks. The authors identify risks such as anxiety, disinterest, behavioral problems, and health decline when dogs are not properly evaluated or monitored.
To address these concerns, the authors recommend a framework emphasizing humane-based preparation, job suitability assessment, and continuous welfare evaluation. They argue that protecting therapy dogs’ well-being not only upholds ethical responsibility but also ensures better outcomes for human clients and strengthens the professionalism of the AAT field.
This review underscores that the principle of “Do No Harm” must extend equally to the therapy dogs, positioning welfare as a core element of responsible animal-assisted practices.
Source: Winkle, M., Johnson, A., & Mills, D. (2020). Dog Welfare, Well-Being and Behavior: Considerations for Selection, Evaluation and Suitability for Animal-Assisted Therapy. Journal: Animals, Volume 10. Publication Date: 2020-11-01. Authors: M. Winkle, A. Johnson, D. Mills.
