Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs
- PMID: 35953965
- PMCID: PMC9367407
- DOI: 10.3390/ani12151975
Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs
Abstract
The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: "assistance animal", "companion animal", "educational/school support animal", "emotional support animal", "facility animal", "service animal", "skilled companion animal", "therapy animal", and "visiting/visitation animal". At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., "skilled companion animal" and "service animal") due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed.
Keywords: assistance animal; companion animal; educational support animal; emotional support animal; facility animal; human–animal interaction; service animal; therapy animal; visiting animal.
Conflict of interest statement
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
Figures
Similar articles
-
From the History of the Croatian Dermatovenereological Society - The Croatian Medical Association and an Overview of Important Information Regarding the Journal Acta Dermatovenerologica Croatica.Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2018 Dec;26(4):344-348. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat. 2018. PMID: 30665489
-
The Effectiveness of Integrated Care Pathways for Adults and Children in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review.JBI Libr Syst Rev. 2009;7(3):80-129. doi: 10.11124/01938924-200907030-00001. JBI Libr Syst Rev. 2009. PMID: 27820426
-
A revised taxonomy of assistance animals.J Rehabil Res Dev. 2013;50(6):745-56. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2012.11.0216. J Rehabil Res Dev. 2013. PMID: 24203538 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Current Rules and Regulations for Dogs Working in Assistance, Service, and Support Roles.Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2021 Jul;51(4):821-837. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.04.003. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2021. PMID: 34059258 Review.
-
The inaugural Qatar Critical Care Conference with its Qatar Medical Journal Special Issue - An important milestone.Qatar Med J. 2019 Nov 7;2019(2):1. doi: 10.5339/qmj.2019.qccc.1. eCollection 2019. Qatar Med J. 2019. PMID: 31763204 Free PMC article.
Cited by
-
The effects of service dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers: a cross-sectional study.Front Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 23;15:1355970. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1355970. eCollection 2024. Front Psychiatry. 2024. PMID: 38463432 Free PMC article.
-
The effect of animal-assisted intervention on undergraduate students' perception of momentary stress.Front Psychol. 2023 Dec 22;14:1253104. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253104. eCollection 2023. Front Psychol. 2023. PMID: 38187421 Free PMC article.
-
Rudolph, the kids' ward reindeer: a scoping review of the effects of support animals on the well-being of healthcare staff.J Occup Med Toxicol. 2023 Dec 12;18(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s12995-023-00395-1. J Occup Med Toxicol. 2023. PMID: 38087336 Free PMC article.
-
Characteristics of Animal-assisted Interventions in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany, with a focus on hygiene in health care facilities.One Health. 2023 Aug 22;17:100620. doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100620. eCollection 2023 Dec. One Health. 2023. PMID: 38024270 Free PMC article.
-
Developing and Planning a Protocol for Implementing Health Promoting Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) in a Tertiary Health Setting.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Sep 18;20(18):6780. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20186780. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023. PMID: 37754639 Free PMC article.
References
-
- United Nations Non-Discrimination: Groups in Vulnerable Situations. 2021. [(accessed on 30 November 2021)]. Available online: https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Health/Pages/GroupsInVulnerableSituation....
-
- Graham T.M., Lucyk K., Diep L., Rock M.J. Discrimination towards People Partnered with Assistance Dogs in Canada: Implications for Policy and Practice. Soc. Anim. 2019;30:210–245. doi: 10.1163/15685306-12341556. - DOI
-
- Australian Human Rights Commission Assistance Animals and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) [(accessed on 9 February 2021)];2016 Available online: https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/projects/assistanc....
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources