Standards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Interventions

In 1996, the Delta Society (now Pet Partners) first published Standards of Practice with the intended goal of offering a structured foundation for what was, at the time, an emerging field. This updated edition reflects current best practices consistent with the goals of the first publication: to provide higher quality of service to all clients, to provide a resource for risk management and quality assurance, to provide an educational resource, to provide evidence of internal structure and consistently, and to provide for the health, welfare and safety of all involved.

These standards of practice are the most comprehensive guidelines for AAI and prescribe a rigorous set of criteria designed to ensure the safety of therapy animals, handlers and clients that they interact with. Animal-assisted interventions are unique in that they can be delivered by volunteers, paraprofessionals and professional practitioners. This publication is intentionally designed to be inclusive of  all these audiences and serve as a reference for facilities, individuals and organizations that are seeking to incorporate best practices.