What Is Animal Therapy (Animal Assisted Therapy)?

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is more than just spending time with a furry friend: it’s a carefully structured and goal-oriented form of therapy designed to help individuals overcome physical, emotional, cognitive, or social challenges.

In AAT, licensed professionals—such as therapists, counselors, or rehabilitation specialists—work hand-in-hand with specially trained animals and handlers to create meaningful, therapeutic interactions. These interactions are intentionally designed to improve health and well-being, making AAT a powerful tool for healing and growth.

The beauty of AAT lies in its versatility. It can take place in a variety of settings, including:

• Hospitals: Supporting patients during recovery.
• Rehabilitation Centers: Assisting with physical or emotional rehabilitation.
• Schools: Helping students with learning or social challenges.
• Nursing Homes: Providing comfort and companionship to residents.
• Mental Health Clinics & Private Practices: Addressing emotional and psychological needs.

Whether it’s a dog offering comfort, a horse aiding in physical therapy, or even a cat providing emotional support, AAT is a unique and impactful way to enhance well-being.

How does Pet Therapy Work?

Pet therapy begins with a licensed therapist, such as a psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or social worker, meeting with the patient to identify specific goals. These goals might include reducing anxiety, building independence, or improving mobility after an injury.

Animal assisted therapy can take place in a variety of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, mental health clinics, and private practices.

The Process:

1. Matching the Patient with the Right Program and Animal:
   Based on the patient’s unique needs, the therapist carefully selects the most suitable animal and program.
   
2. Therapy Sessions:
   During sessions, animal interactions are integrated into therapeutic exercises. These interactions are designed to help the patient work toward their goals in a supportive and engaging way.
   
3. Tracking Progress:
   The therapist monitors the patient’s progress, adjusting the program as needed. Once the goals are achieved, regular sessions may transition into less frequent maintenance sessions to provide long-term support.

Why It Works: Animal-Assisted Therapy combines traditional therapeutic methods with the natural calming, motivating, and engaging presence of animals. This unique approach makes therapy more effective, enjoyable, and approachable—especially for individuals with disabilities.

What Does a Therapy Animal Do?

A therapy animal is an animal that provides comfort, emotional support, and motivation to people in structured therapeutic settings. Unlike service dogs that perform specific disability-related tasks, therapy animals work alongside healthcare professionals, educators, or handlers to enhance emotional well-being and aid in treatment goals. They often participate in hospital visits to reduce patient stress, join school reading programs to encourage children to read aloud, or assist veterans and trauma survivors coping with PTSD by offering a calming presence. Therapy animals are not pets, though they may share the affectionate qualities of companion animals. Their role is distinct from working animals or service animals, as their primary purpose is to create a supportive environment that promotes healing, learning, and emotional resilience.

Animals are carefully selected for specific tasks and roles based on their species, temperament, and skill set:

• Dogs: Versatile companions that provide comfort, emotional support, and assistance with mobility tasks.
• Horses: Ideal for improving posture, balance, and confidence, often used in equine-assisted therapy.
• Small Mammals (Cats, Rabbits, Guinea Pigs): Perfect for sensory stimulation and gentle, soothing interactions.

By matching the right animal to the right role, AAT creates a personalized and impactful therapeutic experience for each individual.

Why Is Animal Therapy So Popular?

Animal therapy has gained widespread popularity because it seamlessly combines traditional therapeutic methods with the natural calming, motivating, and engaging presence of animals. This unique approach makes therapy more effective, enjoyable, and approachable, especially for individuals with disabilities.

Interacting with animals offers both physiological and psychological advantages:

• Calming Response: Petting or touching animals can lower heart rate and cortisol levels while boosting feel-good hormones like oxytocin and dopamine.
• Motivation: Therapy feels less clinical and more enjoyable when animals are involved, encouraging people to work harder and stay engaged.
• Confidence: Successfully interacting with animals fosters a sense of capability and independence, boosting self-esteem.

With millions of interactions recorded annually by large registries and tens of thousands of certified therapy animals, it’s estimated that hundreds of thousands—if not low millions—of people participate in animal-assisted therapy each year in countries like the U.S. alone.

What Are The Benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy?

Animal-assisted therapy has been studied across medical, psychological, and educational fields, and researchers have found a wide range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social benefits.

Physical Health Benefits

• Pain relief: Interacting with animals can distract patients from pain and discomfort.
• Improved mobility & motor skills: Activities like grooming, walking, or throwing a ball for an animal help with strength, coordination, and rehabilitation.
• Cardiovascular health: Petting animals can lower blood pressure and heart rate. 
• Increased activity: Encourages exercise (e.g., walking a dog, horseback riding in equine therapy).

Emotional & Psychological Benefits

• Reduced stress & anxiety: Petting animals lowers cortisol and increases calming hormones like oxytocin and serotonin.
• Less depression: Animals provide companionship, helping reduce loneliness and improve mood.
• Emotional regulation: People often feel safer expressing emotions in the presence of animals.
• Boosted self-esteem: Successfully caring for or working with an animal builds confidence.

Cognitive Benefits

• Improved focus & attention: Structured activities with animals can help patients practice concentration.
• Memory support: For older adults with dementia, animal visits can trigger positive memories and increase engagement.
• Problem-solving practice: Interacting with animals often requires giving commands, planning actions, or adapting to the animal’s response.

Social Benefits

• Improved communication: Animals act as “social bridges,” encouraging conversations between people who might otherwise struggle (helpful in autism, social anxiety, or rehabilitation settings).
• Teamwork & trust: Group therapy with animals fosters cooperation and shared goals.
• Greater independence: For people with disabilities, service and therapy animals make daily life more manageable, which improves participation in community life.

Specialized Benefits by Condition

• Autism: Encourages social interaction, eye contact, and communication.
• PTSD & trauma: Provides grounding, reduces hypervigilance, and offers comfort during flashbacks.
• Elderly care: Reduces agitation in dementia patients and decreases feelings of isolation.
  Physical rehab (stroke, injury): Improves range of motion and motivation to complete therapy exercises.

How Do Animals Help Humans With Disabilities?

Animals have an incredible ability to support individuals with disabilities both practically, by assisting with daily tasks, and emotionally, by providing comfort and boosting confidence. When paired with the right animal and program, the impact can be life-changing.

Mobility Assistance:

• Encouraging Movement: Activities like walking a dog or horseback riding in equine therapy promote physical activity, build strength, and improve overall mobility.
• Rehabilitation: Interacting with animals, such as petting, grooming, or exercising with them can enhance fine motor skills and coordination, especially during recovery from injuries or strokes.

Animals are more than companions; they are partners in independence, recovery, and emotional well-being.

Cognitive Disabilities

• Memory & Focus: Caring for an animal provides structure and reminders for daily routines.
• Stimulation: Animals can encourage engagement and responsiveness in people with dementia or developmental disabilities.
• Problem-Solving: Giving commands and working with an animal encourages sequencing, planning, and learning new skills.

Emotional & Psychological Disabilities

• Reducing Anxiety & Stress: Touching or being near animals lowers stress hormones and raises oxytocin (the “bonding” hormone).
• Comfort & Security: Animals provide non-judgmental companionship, especially helpful for people with PTSD, depression, or social anxiety.
• Emotional Expression: Some people find it easier to open up and process emotions when an animal is present.

Social & Developmental Disabilities

• Building Communication: Therapy animals help children with autism practice speech, eye contact, and interaction.
• Boosting Confidence: Successfully giving a command or completing a task with an animal reinforces self-esteem.
• Social Connection: Animals act as “social bridges,” making it easier for people to connect with others in the community.

How Does Animal Therapy Help With Depression?

Animal-assisted therapy is particularly effective for individuals with depression because it addresses both the emotional and biological aspects of the condition.

The Science Behind the Benefits:

• Stress Reduction: Interacting with animals lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) while boosting oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin—brain chemicals associated with bonding, pleasure, and mood stabilization.
• Physical Calm: Petting an animal can lower blood pressure and heart rate, creating a calming effect that helps counter the anxiety often linked to depression.

Emotional Support:

• Non-Judgmental Companionship: Animals provide unconditional support, reducing feelings of loneliness or rejection. Many people find it easier to express sadness or grief in the presence of an animal.
• Daily Motivation: Caring for an animal—feeding, walking, or grooming—can provide a sense of purpose and structure, even when depression makes daily routines feel overwhelming.
• Mindfulness: Engaging with animals helps shift focus to the present moment, breaking the cycle of rumination (repetitive negative thoughts).

By combining emotional connection with physical and mental health benefits, animals offer a unique and powerful form of support for those battling depression.

Can Therapy Animals Help with Anxiety?

Therapy animals can be incredibly effective in helping manage anxiety by providing both emotional and physiological benefits. Petting or interacting with an animal lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) while increasing oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin—brain chemicals associated with bonding, pleasure, and mood stabilization. These interactions also help lower blood pressure and heart rate, creating a calming effect that counters anxiety. Therapy animals offer unconditional acceptance, providing a sense of safety and comfort when anxiety feels overwhelming. Simply knowing a therapy animal is nearby, whether in a hospital, school, or counseling session, can reduce anticipatory anxiety and offer a reassuring presence. By combining physical and emotional support, therapy animals play a powerful role in alleviating anxiety.

How to Get a Therapy Animal?

Individuals cannot really get a therapy animal. A therapy animal is not a personal pet but a specially trained animal that works with multiple handlers in organized programs. These animals are part of structured initiatives run by hospitals, schools, and community organizations, where they provide comfort, motivation, and emotional support to many people rather than serving a single owner. Institutions that want to incorporate therapy animals should follow a structured process:

1. Identify the Need: Define the specific goals for therapy animal involvement, such as patient stress reduction, student reading programs, or trauma recovery support.
   
2. Partner With a Therapy Animal Organization: Connect with certified therapy animal programs like Pet Partners or Therapy Dogs International that provide trained animal-handler teams.
   
3. Ensure Certification and Training: Verify that the therapy animals have undergone health screenings, temperament assessments, and specialized training to work in therapeutic environments.
   
4. Develop Institutional Guidelines: Create policies for animal visits, including infection control, handler responsibilities, and schedules that align with patient or student needs.
   
5. Integrate Into Programs: Incorporate therapy animals into structured activities, such as hospital visitation rounds, school reading sessions, or mental health therapy groups.
   
6. Monitor and Evaluate Outcomes: Collect feedback from patients, staff, and participants to assess the effectiveness of the therapy animal program and refine its scope over time.

Where Can You Get a Therapy Animal?

A therapy animal is used in structured visits to places like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, where they provide comfort and emotional support to many people, not just one handler. These visits are typically arranged through specialty organizations, which you can contact to request a visit.

If you want to own a pet and have them certified as a therapy animal, they’ll need to undergo training and certification through an accredited organization. This process often includes obedience training, temperament testing, and health screenings. It’s important to note that not all animals have the right temperament to become therapy animals, and depending on your state or region, certain species may not qualify for therapy animal certification.

For those interested in a therapy dog, the good news is that any dog—regardless of breed—can become a therapy dog with the right temperament and proper training.

How to Choose the Right Therapy Animal for Your Needs?

Choosing the right therapy animal involves several important steps to ensure it meets the patient’s specific needs. The process begins with a licensed therapist, such as a psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, or social worker, meeting with the patient to identify their goals. These goals might include reducing anxiety, building independence, or improving mobility after an injury.

Animal-assisted therapy can take place in various settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, mental health clinics, and private practices. Once the patient’s goals are clear, the therapist works to match them with the right animal and program based on their unique needs.

After the match is made, therapy sessions incorporate animal interactions into structured exercises designed to help the patient achieve their goals. The therapist closely monitors progress, and once the goals are met, regular sessions may transition into less frequent maintenance sessions to provide long-term support.

How Much Do Therapy Animals Cost?

There is no fixed price for a therapy animal, as costs can vary widely depending on several factors. When planning for a therapy animal, it’s important to consider the following expenses:

• Animal Acquisition Costs: The initial cost of purchasing or adopting the animal.
• Training Costs: Fees for the specialized training and certification required for the animal to become a therapy animal.
• Veterinary Costs: Ongoing expenses for the animal’s health care, including vaccinations, check-ups, and any necessary treatments.

By accounting for these factors, you can better prepare for the financial commitment involved in having a therapy animal.

How to Get a Therapy Animal for Free?

Generally, there is no such thing as a free therapy animal. Animals come with ongoing expenses, including training, veterinary care, food, and grooming, all of which require a financial commitment.

What are the Different Types of Animal Therapy?

1. Dog Therapy

• Most common form of animal therapy.
• Dogs are used for hospital visits, mental health therapy, rehabilitation, and with children or elderly patients.
• Benefits: Reduces stress and anxiety, encourages physical activity, promotes social interaction.

2. Horse (Equine) Therapy

• Includes equine-assisted therapy (psychological focus) and hippotherapy (physical rehabilitation focus).
• Benefits: Improves posture, balance, coordination, emotional regulation, and confidence.
• Especially helpful for PTSD, autism, and physical disabilities.

3. Dolphin Therapy

• Involves structured swimming sessions with dolphins.
• Benefits: Encourages motor skills, confidence, sensory stimulation, and emotional connection.
• Often used with children who have autism or developmental disabilities.
• Note: Some experts debate ethical concerns and long-term effectiveness.

4. Cat Therapy

• Cats are calming and excellent for quiet environments like nursing homes or counseling offices.
• Benefits: Lowers stress, reduces loneliness, and encourages gentle interaction.

5. Farm Animal Therapy

• Uses a variety of animals like goats, sheep, pigs, and cows on therapeutic farms.
• Benefits: Caring for farm animals builds responsibility, routine, and connection to nature.
  Often used for trauma recovery, developmental disorders, and rehabilitation.

6. Small Animal & Exotic Therapy

• Includes guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, reptiles, and more.
  
• Benefits: Gentle handling helps with fine motor skills, sensory regulation, and calming anxiety.
• Especially effective with children and people who may feel intimidated by larger animals.

7. Fish (Aquarium) Therapy

• Watching fish swim in an aquarium is naturally soothing.
• Benefits: Lowers heart rate, reduces anxiety, improves mood, and can help dementia patients focus.
• Common in doctor’s offices, schools, and nursing homes.

8. Bird-Assisted Therapy

• Parrots, canaries, and other birds may be used.
  
• Benefits: Bright colors and songs stimulate the senses; birds can encourage interaction and speech in people with communication difficulties.

9. Rabbit Therapy

• Rabbits are gentle, quiet, and easy to handle.
• Benefits: Reduce anxiety, encourage nurturing behavior, and promote relaxation.
• Great for children, elderly patients, or people in recovery.

10. Therapy Guinea Pig

• Popular in schools and child therapy because of their small size and friendliness.
• Benefits: Teaches empathy, responsibility, and provides calming sensory input.

11. Hamster Therapy

• Similar to guinea pigs but smaller.
• Benefits: Gentle handling encourages patience, responsibility, and fine motor skills.
• Often used for children with anxiety or ADHD.

12. Goat Therapy

• Includes activities like goat yoga or farm visits.
  
• Benefits: Reduces stress, encourages laughter, and builds confidence through playful interaction.

13. Sheep Therapy

• Benefits: Caring for them fosters patience, responsibility, and a sense of peace.
• Often used in therapeutic farming programs.

14. Cow Therapy

• People spend time stroking, hugging, or caring for cows.
• Benefits: Reduces stress and provides deep physical comfort due to cows’ warmth and calmness.
  Gaining popularity in Europe as a mindfulness-based therapy.

15. Pig Therapy

• Pigs are intelligent and social animals that can interact much like dogs.
• Benefits: Stimulate problem-solving, provide comfort, and encourage playfulness.
• Used in some therapeutic farms and children’s programs.

What are the Different Types of Support Animals?

There are three main differences types of support animals that have very specific characteristics and are also covered under specific laws: 

1. Therapy animals: Used in structured visits to places like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. These animals provide comfort to many people, not just one handler. Therapy animals are typically arranged through specialty organizations, which you can contact to request visits. If you want to own a pet and have them certified as a therapy animal, they’ll need to undergo training and certification through an accredited organization. This process often includes obedience training, temperament testing, and health screenings.
2. Emotional support animal (ESA): provides comfort and companionship at home for individuals with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. To get an ESA, you’ll need to consult a licensed mental health professional, such as a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist. If they determine that an ESA would benefit your condition, they can provide an ESA letter stating your need. Any pet can serve as an ESA, as no special training is required, though basic obedience is important. Unlike service animals, ESAs do not have public access rights, but landlords are required to allow them in housing with proper documentation under the Fair Housing Act in the U.S.
3. A service animal: is a highly trained dog that performs specific tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding individuals who are blind, alerting them to seizures, or assisting with mobility. To qualify for a service animal, you must have a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applications are typically made through service dog organizations, such as Guide Dogs for the Blind or Canine Companions for Independence, as well as other regional nonprofits. Be prepared for an intensive process, training can take 18–24 months, and waitlists are often long. Unlike ESAs, service animals have full public access rights in the U.S., meaning they can accompany their handler into stores, restaurants, airplanes, and other public spaces.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?

An emotional support animal (ESA)  offers comfort and companionship at home for a person with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. If you are looking for an emotional support animal, talk to a licensed mental health professional (therapist, psychiatrist, psychologist). If they determine an ESA would help your condition, they can write an ESA letter stating your need. Any pet can be an ESA,  no special training is required (though basic obedience is important). ESAs don’t have public access rights like service dogs, but with proper documentation, landlords must allow them in housing (under the Fair Housing Act in the U.S.).

Why Do Emotional Support Animals Need to Wear a Vest?

Emotional support animals often wear a vest to clearly identify themselves to others. While not required by law, the vest can help signal their role and purpose, making interactions in public or housing situations smoother.

What Can an Emotional Support Dog Do?

An emotional support animal (ESA) provides comfort and companionship at home for individuals with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. While they are not specially trained to perform specific tasks, basic obedience is essential to ensure they are well-behaved and manageable.

What Is the Difference Between Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs?

A therapy dog is used in structured visits to places like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes, where they provide comfort and emotional support to many people—not just one individual. These visits are typically arranged through specialty organizations. To become a therapy dog, requirements often include obedience training, temperament testing, and health screenings.

A service dog is a highly trained specialist that performs specific tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding individuals who are blind, alerting them to seizures, or assisting with mobility. To qualify for a service dog, you must have a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applications are typically made through service dog organizations, such as Guide Dogs for the Blind, Canine Companions for Independence, or other regional nonprofits. Training for service dogs is intensive, often taking 18–24 months, and waitlists can be long. Unlike emotional support animals (ESAs), service dogs have full public access rights in the U.S., meaning they can accompany their handler into stores, restaurants, airplanes, and other public spaces.

What Is the Difference Between Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals?

An emotional support animal (ESA) provides comfort and companionship at home for individuals with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. If you’re considering an ESA, the first step is to consult a licensed mental health professional, such as a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist. If they determine that an ESA would benefit your condition, they can provide an ESA letter documenting your need.

Any pet can serve as an ESA, as no special training is required although basic obedience is important to ensure the animal is well-behaved. Unlike service animals, ESAs do not have public access rights, but with proper documentation, landlords are required to allow them in housing under the Fair Housing Act in the U.S.

A service animal is a highly trained specialist that performs specific tasks for a person with a disability, such as guiding individuals who are blind, alerting them to seizures, or assisting with mobility. To qualify for a service dog, you must have a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Applications are typically made through service dog organizations, such as Guide Dogs for the Blind, Canine Companions for Independence, or other regional nonprofits.

Training for service dogs is intensive, often taking 18–24 months, and waitlists can be long. Unlike ESAs, service animals have full public access rights in the U.S., meaning they can accompany their handler into stores, restaurants, airplanes, and other public spaces.

What Are the Challenges of Owning a Therapy Animal?

While therapy animals bring incredible benefits, owning, training, or handling one comes with significant challenges and responsibilities. These challenges can be practical, financial, emotional, and even legal.

Training and Certification: Therapy animals must be well-trained, calm, and non-reactive in unpredictable environments like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes. Certification often requires passing temperament tests and completing multiple training programs. It’s important to note that not all animals have the right temperament—being a friendly pet doesn’t automatically qualify them as a therapy animal. Ongoing training, socialization, and regular therapy visits also demand a consistent time investment.

Daily Care and Financial Costs: Owners must manage daily care routines, including feeding, grooming, and exercise, while also scheduling therapy work. Veterinary care, vaccinations, grooming, food, and supplies can add up, creating a significant financial burden over time.

Animal Well-Being: Therapy work can be stressful for animals, especially if they are overworked or exposed to loud, chaotic environments. Owners must learn to recognize signs of stress, such as panting, avoidance, or fatigue, and ensure the animal gets adequate rest. Balancing the animal’s well-being with their therapeutic role is essential.

Legal and Logistical Considerations: Therapy animals do not have the same legal rights as service animals, meaning they can only access approved facilities like hospitals or schools. Each organization may have its own rules and approval process for therapy animals. Additionally, liability concerns, such as the risk of bites, scratches, or other harm, may require owners to obtain insurance.

Owning a therapy animal is a rewarding but demanding commitment that requires careful consideration of these challenges to ensure both the animal’s and the handler’s success.