J. Hill, C. Driscoll, J. Cawdell-Smith, S. T. Anderson, and J. Ziviani (2023) published their case study in Animals, focusing on the welfare of therapy dogs in sessions with autistic children. While canine-assisted therapy has been widely reported to benefit children on the autism spectrum, the welfare of the dogs themselves has received less attention.
The researchers monitored a therapy dog’s salivary cortisol, alpha amylase, and oxytocin levels across 21 samples, comparing days spent at home with treatment days. In addition, six hours of video footage were analyzed for behavioral stress indicators. Findings revealed no significant differences between home and therapy days in either physiological or behavioral stress measures.
These results suggest that therapy dogs can participate in occupational therapy for autistic children without experiencing heightened stress, at least under the studied conditions. The authors emphasize the importance of continuing to monitor welfare, particularly across larger samples and varied therapy contexts, to ensure that interventions remain mutually beneficial.
This study strengthens the case for responsible animal-assisted interventions, where human well-being is supported without compromising the health and welfare of the participating animals.
Source: Hill, J., Driscoll, C., Cawdell-Smith, J., Anderson, S. T., & Ziviani, J. (2023). Investigating Dog Welfare When Interacting with Autistic Children within Canine-Assisted Occupational Therapy Sessions: A Single Case Study. Journal: Animals, Volume 13. Publication Date: 2023-06-01. Authors: J. Hill, C. Driscoll, J. Cawdell-Smith, S. T. Anderson, J. Ziviani.
