Companion Animals' Roles for AIDS Survivors, Mostly Aging Males, during HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Pandemics.

Long-term HIV/AIDS survivors responded online concerning their experiences during the AIDS and COVID pandemics. Recruited from web-based organizations for AIDS survivors, 147 answered questions on: frequency of experiencing stigma, isolation, aloneness, or grief/sadness; pet ownership; and sources of human support during each pandemic. Conditional inference trees were run to identify relevant demographic factors. Post-hoc comparisons were conducted to compare dog owners and cat owners. AIDS survivors reported more frequent feelings of stigma, aloneness, and sadness/grief during the AIDS pandemic than during COVID. Cat owners' sadness/grief during AIDS was greater than non-owners. During COVID, older respondents unexpectedly were less often sad/grieving than younger ones; dog owners less often felt alone and isolated than non-dog owners. Support during the AIDS pandemic retrospectively was rated better for older respondents; young gays' support was greater than young straights. During COVID, support was better for men than women. Contrastingly, women with pets felt less support than those without; men with dogs felt more support than those without. Cat owners more often felt isolated and unsupported during COVID than dog owners. Few dog or cat owners received support from family members in either pandemic; during AIDS, family support was better for owners of dogs than cats.

Protecting Animal Welfare in Animal-Assisted Intervention: Our Ethical Obligation.

When incorporating therapy animals into clinical practice, there are essential ethical considerations that must be considered to protect the welfare of both the people and the animals who are involved in the intervention. The field of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) and more specifically animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is just beginning to appreciate the critical role that animal welfare has in enhancing the quality of the entire process of working with a therapy animal. In this article, the authors will present ethical models that are incumbent for practitioners to consider prior to partnering with a therapy animal. Examples of how a speech-language pathologist (SLP) might work with a therapy animal will be integrated throughout the article to demonstrate applied awareness of how good welfare not only protects the animal but also the clients who engage in the intervention. Key aspects to consider at all stages of AAT will be described, including considerations of welfare as they relate to selecting and working with a therapy animal, preparing clients for AAT, and developing specific competencies as an AAT practitioner. Theoretical support for these recommendations will also be outlined, preparing AAT providers to not only incorporate the highest standards in AAT but to also serve as an advocate in championing these standards as the field develops.

The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions.

Working dogs are prevalent throughout our societies, assisting people in diverse contexts, from explosives detection and livestock herding, to therapy partners. Our scientific exploration and understanding of animal welfare have grown dramatically over the last decade. As community attitudes toward the use of animals continue to change, applying this new knowledge of welfare to improve the everyday lives of working dogs will underpin the sustainability of working with dogs in these roles. The aim of this report was to consider the scientific studies of working dogs from the last decade (2011-2021) in relation to modern ethics, human interaction, and the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, behavioral interaction, physical health, and mental state. Using this framework, we were able to analyze the concept and contribution of working dog welfare science. Noting some key advances across the full working dog life cycle, we identify future directions and opportunities for interdisciplinary research to optimize dog welfare. Prioritizing animal welfare in research and practice will be critical to assure the ongoing relationship between dogs and people as co-workers.

A Commentary on the Contemporary Issues Confronting Animal Assisted and Equine Assisted Interactions.

The field of human-animal interactions and, more specifically, animal-assisted interventions and equine assisted interactions (equine assisted interactions have significantly evolved over the past half century. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a brief commentary of both fields and the challenges they are presently experiencing as they move forward in their future. More specifically within this commentary, attention will be given to highlighting some of the directions taken in both fields, including clarifying their terminology as it applies to scope of practices, trends in research and practice, the need to emphasize the welfare of the animals as well as the possible directions to standardized professional competencies and the needed professional development.

Dogs Supporting Human Health and Well-Being: A Biopsychosocial Approach.

Humans have long realized that dogs can be helpful, in a number of ways, to achieving important goals. This is evident from our earliest interactions involving the shared goal of avoiding predators and acquiring food, to our more recent inclusion of dogs in a variety of contexts including therapeutic and educational settings. This paper utilizes a longstanding theoretical framework- the biopsychosocial model- to contextualize the existing research on a broad spectrum of settings and populations in which dogs have been included as an adjunct or complementary therapy to improve some aspect of human health and well-being. A wide variety of evidence is considered within key topical areas including cognition, learning disorders, neurotypical and neurodiverse populations, mental and physical health, and disabilities. A dynamic version of the biopsychosocial model is used to organize and discuss the findings, to consider how possible mechanisms of action may impact overall human health and well-being, and to frame and guide future research questions and investigations.

The Year That Has Passed Us By: Animals in Our Life of COVID-19.

The year 2020 has been a dreadful one: a living nightmare that has changed and impacted the lives of many [...].

The Psycho-Social Impact of Human-Animal Interactions.

When I was asked by the Journal to guest edit a special issue on the psychosocial impact of human-animal interactions, I was honored to accept the invitation [...].

Investigation of Physiological and Behavioral Responses in Dogs Participating in Animal-Assisted Therapy with Children Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study evaluated the impact that participation in sessions with children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has on therapy dogs. Nine certified therapy dogs were paired for 6 sessions with groups of 3-4 children. Sessions consisted of 5 different activities. Activities 1 and 5 involved interactions solely with each dog and their owner, as a control. Activities 2-4 consisted of interactions with the dogs and the children which included social skills training, dog training, and reading in the company of dogs. One-zero interval sampling of stress-associated behaviors was conducted at 20-second intervals for a 10-minute duration during each of the 5 activities. At the end of each activity, heart rate was monitored, and a saliva sample was obtained for cortisol analysis. Dogs demonstrated only occasional behavioral responses and no significant findings related to cortisol or heart rate when the different activities were compared. The results indicate that with proper supervision and well-trained therapy staff, including suitable therapy dogs and their handlers, canine stress can be minimal in a therapy setting.

Considerations for the Retirement of Therapy Animals.

With the growth of animal-assisted interventions, the number of animals designated to work as therapy animals continues to increase. These animals participate in this work in varying capacities during life, but there will be a point in time when the animal can no longer engage in these activities. The concept of retirement, or withdrawing the animal from its working life, is an important phase of life that every therapy animal will inevitably face. Retirement is typically regarded as a well-deserved reward earned after a lifetime of work, but this termination of an animal's career has potential positive and negative implications for animal, handler, and human participants in these interventions. The question of precisely when and how to appropriately retire an animal is usually answered at the discretion of the handler; however, the validity of this question remains largely unanswered without scientific evidence. The purpose of this review is to describe the implications of therapy animal retirement for the handler, participant, and animal and to discuss the challenges in determining when to retire a therapy animal.

The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions: Addressing the Contemporary Issues that will Shape the Future.

As the worldwide popularity of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) increases, the fieldis quickly approaching a paradigm shift, adjusting its image to incorporate more evidence-basedresearch and aligning its purpose for advancing a new future. Contemporary critical issues thatconfront 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 majormilestones that the field has undergone. The current state of AAI research will be scrutinized, andthe areas that warrant further study will be recommended. Special attention will be given to thecurrent state of animal welfare in AAI, the research that has been done in the area, and practiceguidelines that safeguard animal wellbeing. This article will then discuss how evidence-basedresearch and animal welfare guidelines inform the development of comprehensive professionalstandards and influence changes in public policy regarding AAI. The authors' perceptions for thefield's future trajectory will be presented, which will include solutions to move the field in thedirection that best advances the human-animal bond in research, practice, and public perception.

The Role of Animal Assisted Intervention on Improving Self-Esteem in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most ubiquitous mental health problem in children, has been associated with poor self-esteem. Psychosocial interventions have aimed to improve self-esteem among this group, with the aim of reducing the development of comorbid depression and anxiety. The present study implemented a randomized control design to examine the possibility of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) as a viable approach to improving self-esteem among children with ADHD. Children's self-esteem across multiple domains as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children was evaluated (n = 80, ages 7-9, 71% male). To test the hypothesis that AAI improves self-esteem, stratified Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests (SAS NPAR1WAY procedure) were used to compare pre- to post-treatment ratings. Analyses indicated that scores of children's self-perceptions in the domains of behavioral conduct, social, and scholastic competence, were significantly increased from baseline to post-treatment in the AAI group (z = 2.320, p = .021, z = 2.631, p = .008, and z = 2.541, p = .011, respectively), whereas pre-post-treatment differences in self-perceptions were not found for the children in the control group without AAI. Findings suggest that AAI is a viable strategy for improving ratings of self-perceived self-esteem in children with ADHD.

Veterinarians and Humane Endings: When Is It the Right Time to Euthanize a Companion Animal?

Current advances in technologies and treatments provide pet owners and veterinarians with more options for prolonging the life of beloved pets, but can simultaneously lead to ethical dilemmas relating to what is best for both animal and owner. Key tools for improving end-of-life outcomes include (1) sufficient training to understand the valid ethical approaches to determining when euthanasia is appropriate, (2) regular training in client communication skills, and (3) a standard end-of-life protocol that includes the use of quality of life assessment tools, euthanasia consent forms, and pet owner resources for coping with the loss of a pet. Using these tools will improve outcomes for animals and their owners and reduce the heavy burden of stress and burnout currently being experienced by the veterinary profession.

Standing the test of time: Reflecting on the relevance today of Levinson's Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy.

Having the opportunity to re-read Pet-Oriented Child Psychotherapy was like visiting an old friend and reminiscing about times gone by all too fast. The re-read allowed me an opportunity to conceptualize how many of Levinson's early tenets continue to be relevant today. As a trailblazer, Levinson made a discovery that drastically changed the way we view and understand the power of the human animal bond.

Canine-assisted therapy for children with ADHD: preliminary findings from the positive assertive cooperative kids study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to provide preliminary findings from an ongoing randomized clinical trial using a canine-assisted intervention (CAI) for 24 children with ADHD. METHOD: Project Positive Assertive Cooperative Kids (P.A.C.K.) was designed to study a 12-week cognitive-behavioral intervention delivered with or without CAI. Children were randomly assigned to group therapy with or without CAI. Parents of children in both groups simultaneously participated in weekly parent group therapy sessions. RESULTS: Across both treatment groups, parents reported improvements in children's social skills, prosocial behaviors, and problematic behaviors. In both groups, the severity of ADHD symptoms declined during the course of treatment; however, children who received the CAI model exhibited greater reductions in the severity of ADHD symptoms than did children who received cognitive-behavioral therapy without CAI. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that CAI offers a novel therapeutic strategy that may enhance cognitive-behavioral interventions for children with ADHD.