Enhancing human-animal relationships through veterinary medical instruction in animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities.
Instruction in animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activities (AAAs) teaches veterinary medical students to confidently and assertively maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of this union of animals and people. Instruction in AAT/AAA also addresses requirements by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education that accredited schools/colleges of veterinary medicine include in their standard curriculum the topics of the human-animal bond, behavior, and the contributions of the veterinarian to the overall public and professional health care teams. Entry-level veterinarians should be prepared to: (1) assure that animals who provide AAT/AAA are healthy enough to visit nursing homes, hospitals, or other institutions; (2) promote behavior testing that selects animals who will feel safe, comfortable, and connected; (3) advise facilities regarding infection control and ways to provide a safe environment where the animals, their handlers, and the people being visited will not be injured or become ill; and (4) advocate for their patients and show compassion for their clients when animals are determined to be inappropriate participants in AAT/AAA programs. This article presents AAT/AAA terminology, ways in which veterinarians can advocate for AAT/AAA, the advantages of being involved in AAT/AAA, a model AAT/AAA practicum from Tuskegee University's School of Veterinary Medicine (TUSVM), and examples of co-curricular activities in AAT/AAA by TUSVM's student volunteers.
Schaffer
Caroline Brunsman
CB
Department of Clinical Sciences, Center for the Study of Human-Animal Interdependent Relationships, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088, USA. schaffertusvm@yahoo.com
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000523:psychology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003479:Curriculum; D004520:Education, Veterinary / Q000379:methods*; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010808:Physical Examination; D011231:Preceptorship; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D014838:Volunteers