The Human–Animal Relationship as the Focus of Animal-Assisted Interventions: A One Health Approach

Abstract

Background: Animal-assisted intervention (AAIs) represent an adequate expression of integrated medicine, according to the One Health approach. We argue that AAIs are interventions based on interspecific relationships between humans and animals. Although there are many studies on the effects of AAIs on animal and human health and wellbeing, research is still needed to give us more data. For example, information is still lacking on the aspects characterizing and influencing the interspecific relationships occurring in AAIs. The efficacy of an intervention based on interspecific relationships will be influenced by different factors, such as attachment styles and personalities of both the animal and the handler, an appropriate choice of animal species and their individuality, animal educational training techniques, the relationship between the handler and the animal, and relational reciprocity between animal, the patients, and members of the working team. Method: This article aims to contribute to the study of interspecific relationships in AAIs via theoretical considerations. An interspecific relationship determines the result of safe interventions, which directly influences the welfare of the animal. Results and considerations: AAIs should be evaluated systemically as a network within a process in which every component interacts with and influences other components. Standardized methods using appropriate tests and parameters are needed to better select appropriate animals (i.e., species and individual subjects) using interspecific relational competences as well as appropriate educational training methods and health protocols to assess potential risks.

Salivary Cortisol Interactions in Search and Rescue Dogs and Their Handlers

“…The use of dogs in dogotherapy and the increase in the importance of an assisting dog has contributed to the development of research on human-dog interactions to increase mutual benefits and maintain mutual well-being by, e.g., reducing stress, pain, and anxiety [17]. Appropriate selection of personality for a human-dog pair, their individual features, training techniques, and mutual relations between the guide and the animal influence the results of the working team and the final therapeutic success [18]. Performing personality tests before the exam is necessary because some temperament traits, e.g., bravery/courage or anxiety, may be related to the race or type of use through mutations in specific genes, resulting from human selection for specific phenotypic or utilitarian conditions [19].…”

How Equine-Assisted Activities Affect the Prosocial Behavior of Adolescents

“…, in which clients, participants, volunteers, instructors and equines are involved" [13]. During EAA, development and learning happen via controlled horse-human interactions, involving experimental growth [14] based on interspecific relationships [15]. The goal of these activities can be the development of a given skill, such as communication, problem solving or active listening [8,16], the bettering of peer relations, processing and managing emotions in general [17], or even a change of character, in the broad sense of the word [18].…”

Examining the Effects of Rabbit-Assisted Interventions in the Classroom Environment

“…However, it is important to keep in mind that tradeoffs between humans' and animals' health should be avoided, and synergistic benefits should be achieved on both sides during animal-assisted interventions [62]. According to Menna et al, parameters that need to be further investigated include interspecific relationships and the factors influencing them, as well as the inter-specific relational competences of the species and the individual animal chosen and its relationship with the handler [63].…”