Pet Partners was formed based on the knowledge and research that proves that the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that positively influences the health and well-being of both. The research that supports the field of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) continues to grow and the resulting evidence applies to various settings in which our therapy animal teams volunteer.
The Pet Partners publication Empirical Support for Therapy Animal Interventions outlines the research related to therapy animals in a variety of settings and contexts:
Research on AAI and therapy animal work has set a solid framework for us to better understand the healing power of animals. Pet Partners is proud to promote continued research in this field and to financially support ongoing studies through our partnership with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI).
Additionally, we’ve created a Researcher Checklist, and we invite investigators and handlers who are involved in studies to use this resource as a guide in ensuring the best possible therapy animal interventions are being represented in empirical investigation.
If you are a researcher interested in learning more about Pet Partners’ involvement in these efforts, check out our affiliated organization the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAAIP) and sign up for the Advancing AAI eNewsletter for professionals.