Animal Assisted Therapy
Benefits and Challenges
Presented by: Elizabeth Siccone
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Therapy?
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What is AAT
 Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is
formally defined by the Delta Society
as “a goal- directed intervention in
which an animal that meets specific
criteria is an integral part of the
treatment process”
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History of Domestication
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Domestication Changes Their
Appearance
 Wagging tails, floppy ears…
 Changes their psychology as well
 They evolved the ability to read
human gestures and this above all is
not only remarkable… it is the
foundation of our communication with
them
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Survival of the Friendliest
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History of Animal Assisted
Therapy
 Discovery that a dog’s blood pressure
drops when petted was discovered in
1929
 50 years later it was determined that the
person's blood pressure also drops with
such positive interaction.
 AAT becomes an accepted field of
scientific study… 1980
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Define & Distinguish: AAT/AAA
Animal Assisted Therapy uses trained animals to
enhance an individual’s well being:
 Physically
 Emotionally
 Socially
*Through goal directed psychological and/or
physical support directed by a human health
professional for an individual and included in his/her
treatment plan where progress is documented.
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Whereas:
Animal Assisted Activities:
Provide interactions in a number of different of
environments for the purpose of:
 Improving Motivation
 Assisting Educational Activities
 Enhancing Quality of Life
*Essentially the interaction with the patient and
the team is the same in both AAT & AAA
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AAA
AAT
 Casual “meet and greet” activities
that involve pets
visiting people
 Significant part of treatment for
many people who are physically,
socially, emotionally or cognitively
challenged
 No specific treatment goals
planned
 Stated goals for each session
 Same activity can be used with
many people
 Detailed noted unnecessary
 Visit content is spontaneous
 Visit can be long or short as desired
 Individual treatment for each
patient
 Notes on patient progress taken at
each session
 Visit scheduled, usually at set
intervals
 Length of visit is pre-determined to
best fit needs of patient
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Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy
 A highly effective form of
psychotherapy intervention
 Some patient populations i.e. cancer,
cardiac are prone to comorbidities i.e.
stress, anxiety, depression
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 Negative effects of comorbidities due to
immunosuppressive effects:
 decreased treatment adherence
 slowed recovery
 increased mortality
 increased cancer recurrence rates

Major depression three to five times
higher in oncology patients than the
general population
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“A pet is a medication without side effects
that has so many benefits. I can't always
explain it myself, but for years now I've seen
how instances of having a pet is like an
effective drug. It really does help people.”
Dr. Edward Creagan
Oncologist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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It’s chemical, not magical
 Stroking a pet dog
decreases cortisol
 Increases prolactin
and oxytocin:
*Hormones that
govern nurturing
and security
 Increases serotonin
and norepinephrine:
*Neurotransmitters
that boost mood.
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THE LOOK OF LOVE IS IN THE DOG’S EYES
BY JAN HOFFMAN DATE PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2015 3:07 PM
http://nyti.ms/1FZVrwL
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Consider the implications of
‘Attachment Theory’ and
pets…
Dependency
Acceptance
without
Judgment
Attachment
Loyalty
Purposefulness
Accomplishment
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One of the most fundamental advantages
of animal assisted therapy over other
therapeutic modalities is that it provides
the patient a much-needed opportunity to
give affection as well as receive it. It is this
reciprocity - rare among medical therapies
- that makes AAT a unique, and valuable
route to healing."
Dr. Andrew Weil
World-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of
integrative medicine
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Building a Safe Bridge
Noted
Examples
In Practice:
 Children suffering from traumatic events
including physical or sexual abuse – having
an animal present makes the therapist and
process seem less threatening
 The child can “talk to the dog”
 ‘Open up’ thus providing a bridge for the
therapist
Companion to Group Therapy
 Group therapy sessions where the group sits
in a circle and the dog is free to roam from
person to person
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For Special Needs Kids
ADHD – Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Teaching
How to Control
Impulses
Skills Transfer
Clicker Training
How to work with
others
Learning new ways
to manipulate
behavior
Taking Turns
Patience
Positive
Reinforcement
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Morristown Medical Center
‘Spencer’
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The Star- Ledger
Class with Canines
Michele Hollow
April 26, 2015
CBS News Cali and Cleo
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Merlin’s Kids
 Service animals can be trained to meet needs of
individuals with:
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) including
Asperger’s Syndrome, High and Low functioning
Autism
Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)
 Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
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Challenges and Considerations
 Non-traditional therapies
 Rapidly growing field
 Further research is paramount to
practice
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Bibliography
Hare, Brian and Woods, Vanessa, Opinion: We Didn’t Domesticate Dogs. They
Domesticated Us, March 03, 2013, National Geographic News:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/03/130302-dog-domesticevolution-science-wolf-wolves-human/
Yong, Ed Origin of Domestic Dogs, November 14, 2013, The Scientist:
http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/38279/title/Origin-ofDomestic-Dogs/
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