A Balance Between Various Benefits of AAI and Animal’s Welfare

Animal Assisted Intervention, AAI for short, has gradually spread across hospitals, which
“typically serve a heterogeneous population” (Barker & Barker, 2019, p. 330). The overspeed of
its development has soon attracted peoples’ eyes. Although AAI is believed to not only help cure
different types of diseases but benefit different characters of people in hospitals as well, its
drawbacks ranging from infection risks to the possible violation of animal’s welfare are explicit.
Hence, whether AAI is worth conducting or not is still being heatedly debated. This essay will first
illustrate the above two pros and then show how we can find the balance between the animal’s
welfare and the benefits AAI brings, which can maximize the profit of AAI in hospitals and
“shape the future” (Fine, Beck & Ng, 2019, p. 1).

For different patients suffering from different diseases, AAI always acts as a significant role to
help them throughout the therapies. Barker and Barker (2019) found that children are consistently
delighted the instant they see these dog assistants and seemed to throw away most of their
negative thoughts generated by unexpected loneliness in hospitals. In addition to aid children
patients, AAI is profound in comforting patients with special diseases. For example, in an
experiment, the cluster of psychiatry patients with the aid of AAI statistically uses less time to
recover than that which is not conducted AAI (Marr et al., 2000, as cited in Baker & Barker,
2019). They thus conclude that AAI can reduce their feeling of being alone. Another example of
what AAI specializes in dealing with is cancer. Barker and Barker believe that AAI are possibly
able to release cancer patients from those disgusting pain. Admittedly, the use of AAI in these
areas is of great success, however, AAI may contribute to negative results especially for those who
are not yet in good conditionz. Barker and Barker point out the premier risk is infection caused by
animals. Only if AAI is appropriately limited in terms of infection control and other rules, then its
benefit won’t be eclipsed.

By disciplinarily regulating AAI in the procedure of curing patients, other characters of people in
the hospital would also be benefited, thus leading to a better network of staffs, visitors, and
patients. Roberts, Bibbo & O’Hare (2022) show that AAI is probably a new way to relieve staffs
of the strain from healthcare work and connect them more effectively through its unique ability of
socialization. Visitors, especially families, are benefited as well. They also find that AAI such as
therapy dogs can significantly comfort parents and families who are overwhelmed by stress and
nervousness in hospitals. McCullough et al. (2018, as cited in Roberts, Bibbo & O’Hare, 2022)
proved this idea by an observation which found “parents who joined an AAI program reported
significant reductions in their stress and anxiety, including reduced communication stress when
talking to doctors and staff, as well as a significant reduction in the frequency of emotional
distress related to their child’s medical treatment over 4 months”t (p. 7). These two characters of
people above is closely related to patients by AAI, which leads to more transparent
communications. Experts show that patients and their families are more likely to share their
privacy, which is important for healthcare (West et al., 2016, as cited in Roberts, Bibbo & O’Hare,
2022). While these benefits are valid, unlimited AAI increase animal’s workload and may
potentially cause bad results.
The violation of welfare is considered as one of the negative results. Compared to the
“misrepresentation and possible exaggeration of AAI’s impact on the humans served” (Hart et al.,
as cited in Fine, Beck & Ng, 2019, p. 1), “few studies have highlighted the potential stressors and
challenges for animals participating in AAI” (Ng et al., 2019, as cited in Fine, Beck & Ng, 2019,
p. 5). Hence, we should attach importance to the consideration of the welfare of therapy animals,
which may determine their performance. Fine, Beck & Ng (2019) indicate three main points to
guarantee the therapy animals’ rights and interests in three sessions. First and foremost, it is vital
to previously take up examinations to choose the suitable animals who are safe enough to play
their role. Meanwhile, handlers who are responsible for animals’ welfare also need adequate
trainings and strict examinations. After the preparation for the AAI, preventing animals from
getting ill is what we need to do throughout the therapy work. Both paints and animals’ behavior
should be regulated. Washing hands frequently is highly recommended for people while
“practices, such as shaking paws, getting up on beds, licking faces, and taking treats” (p. 5) should
be reduced as much as possible. Then lastly, we should evaluate the most suitable time of
retirement of the animals, which minimize the effect of change in the triangular relation of
handler, dog, and patients (Rhodes & Gee, 2021). Another bad result is that AAI may harm
animals, humans, and their connection. Injuries, infection, and financial problem may block the
way AAI develops. To avoid this problem, handler is the most significant role to balance the
welfare of animals and the benefits AAI brings, thus leading to a minimum of bad results caused
by unregulated AAI therapy.

Admittedly, AAI is still in progress and “handler-dog-patient (staff member or visitor) trad”
(Rhodes & Gee, 2021, p. 12) is seemed fragile and unstable. But if we can well define the welfare
of animals and the regulations in hospitals, this triad will together produce the biggest effect of
those two wide benefits in the above arguments.

Word number: 925

References
Barker, S. B., & Barker, R. T. (2019). Animal-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals. In A. H. Fine.
(Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Foundations and guidelines for animal-
assisted interventions (5th edition) (pp. 329-342). Academic Press.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B00021-3
Fine, A. H., Beck, A. M., & Ng, Z. (2019.). The State of Animal-Assisted Interventions:
Addressing the Contemporary Issues That Will Shape the Future. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (16), 1-19.
https://doi.org/10.330/ijerph3997
Rhodes, T. A., & Gee, N. R. (2021). Canine-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals: Best Practices for
Maximizing Human and Canine Safety. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8, 1-12.
https://doi.org/10.339/fvets.615730
Roberts, K. E., Bibbo, J., & O’Hare, M. E. (2022). Perspectives on facility dogs from pediatric
hospital personnel: A qualitative content analysis of patient, family, and staff outcomes.
The European Society for Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.101/2022.1534