Does Pet Therapy work? Here’s what studies and institutions say

All it takes is a meow, a wagging tail when we get home and we immediately feel better. We call her Pet Therapybut the technical term is Animal Assisted Interventions (IAA) a useful tool for promote socializationreduce anxiety and improve the quality of life of patients of all ages with psychological, physical, motor and behavioral problems. The scientific evidence, however difficult it is to conduct rigorous studies, is many and positivewith an increase in attachment hormones, such as oxytocin and prolactin and a reduction in neurotransmitters implicated in stressful situations. To safeguard the well-being of both patients and animals often involved dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and donkeysare expected strict international and national guidelines. A spoiler? Puppies cannot be involved!

What is meant by Pet Therapy and how it works

As early as the 17th century, animals were introduced into mental health institutions to improve interactions between patients, but the term “Pet Therapy” was coined by the child psychiatrist Boris Levinson in 1964, who realized that he could relate more easily with his young patients if his dog Jingles was also present in the office. As cute and catchy as it is, the correct term is not “Pet Therapy” but Animal Assisted Interventions (IAA) or in English, Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) and defines all those activities for therapeutic, educational or recreational-creative purposes.

In Italy, the reference center for IAA is the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Venice (IZSVe) and the Guidelines are defined by the 2015 State-Regions Agreement, which lists the objectives of each activity, the personnel involved, the training obligations for each profile and the necessary activities to ensure the well-being of the animals, as well as the patients.

Internationally, the International Association of Human Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) deals with harmonizing the guidelines of the various countries in compliance with the Modena Charter of 2002, the charter of fundamental rights for human-animal interactions.

Not all IAAs are the same

Within animal-assisted interventions, various activities are distinguished, with different purposes:

• Animal Assisted Therapies (AAT): they have a real therapeutic purpose, with well-defined objectives, they are usually individual.
• Animal Assisted Education (EAA): has to support and activate the use of individual growth resources, promoting relational, social and emotional skills. They are often group activities.
• Animal Assisted Activities (AAA): mainly for recreational purposes, for example to promote sociality.

For each type of activity there must be a veterinary doctor specialized in AIA and an assistant; for the others, other figures also come into play, but what they all have in common is the obligation to train! From basic courses where the fundamentals of animal ethology are studied to advanced courses up to those for particular animals such as horses and donkeys, one cannot improvise when organizing such activities.

Pros and cons of the therapeutic technique according to science

In general, the results of studies on IAA are very positive and encouragingespecially in the field of socialization and psycho-physical recovery, for children and adolescents who have to face long hospital stays or, on the opposite side of the train of life, for elderly people in care institutions or retirement homes. But there are also problems, highlighted by a 2019 Cochrane systematic review that found more studies are needed to strengthen the evidence available to date.

Pro: are reported mood improvements and behavioral disorders, social skills and attachment and an increase in socialization in both hospitalized children and elderly people in nursing homes, even with a diagnosis of senile dementia. When we spend time with animals, we almost inevitably tend to share the experience, talk about it with those close to us and this helps to form a group and form new bonds. These interventions also seem to be useful for children and adolescents on the autism spectrum or with attention disorders, increasing not only the socializationbut also the programming and concentration skills of the kids.

The IAAs were also useful as support for motor disorders, such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or spinal injuries, with the aim of improving mobility and balance. They are often more “physical” interventions in which dogs or horses are used, especially for MS. In general, positive effects were also observed in terms of reduction of cardiovascular risksfaster recovery after stroke or heart attack and reduced stress before surgery.

Against: the main problem is the impossibility of leading them blindlythat is, without letting patients or doctors know what they are doing, to avoid the results being distorted by their own perception. It is obvious that you cannot hide from a doctor that the patient is interacting with a horse! Health risks must also be considered, such as allergies or zoonoses, i.e. the passage of a pathogen from animals to humans.

There may be risks for animals: using a dog as a support for physical recovery could cause damage such as dysplasia to the animal itself. Furthermore, it has been proven that in dogs there is a slight increase in cortisol during these activities, a sign that it is still perceived as a work activity: sitting still and being caressed for a long time by strangers is certainly a stressful activity. Despite this, increases in endorphins have also been observed, a sign that the animal experiences it as a pleasant, albeit tiring, experience. Finally, interacting with an animal and the well-being that comes from it are totally subjective experiences, difficult to standardize and catalogue.

What happens from a biological point of view

Some research has tried to solve the problem of standardizing studies by measuring different biological parameters. The data agrees on this: during the IAA one is recorded reduction in blood pressurea reduction in neurotransmitters such as adrenaline and norepinephrine, associated with fight and flight reactions, and at the same time a increase in hormones such as oxytocin and prolactinlinked to the creation of emotional bonds and which facilitate the sense of connection and attachment. However, there are no significant changes in cortisol levels, the infamous stress hormone.

The animal’s well-being is at the center

Animal welfare is a focal point of all Guidelines, both national and international. First of all, animals with a docile temperament must be involved, not coming from abusive contexts or shelters (unless there have been re-education programs), in good health and appropriately trained. It doesn’t matter how “good” an owner considers their furry friend: training is essential.

If you imagine a room full of kittens and puppies, you are wrong: they can be used only adult animals, excluding pregnant or breastfeeding females. Before, during and after the activities, the physical health and well-being of the animal is carefully monitored through specific assessments.

Only species are used domesticated, that is, animals that have adapted to social interactions with humans: mainly dog, cat, rabbit, horse and donkey. Wild or exotic animals, even trained ones, are not allowed. Finally, for each activity themost suitable animal: as we have seen, for physical rehabilitation a horse can be more useful than a dog, however strong it may be.