Therapy Animals in Hospitals

Therapy Animals in Hospitals: Move Beyond Feel-Good to Evidence-Based

Therapy and facility animals are becoming more and more common in medical settings like hospitals, nursing homes, and oncology centers. Patients, families, and staff all enjoy their friendly, calming presence.  Ultimately, whether it’s easing stress, distracting from pain, or reminding us of our pets at home, therapy and facility animals bring comfort to many.

So, if you’re already bringing your own animal to work or welcoming volunteer teams in healthcare, good intentions are not enough. It’s time to move beyond just feel-good programming and build a strong framework that treats therapy animals as a true part of patient care.

Therapy Animals Aren’t a Perk — AAI is a Clinical Tool

Importantly, animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are more than feel-good moments. While many of us know how comforting animals can be, having therapy animals in a structured way has real, measurable benefits:

• Less pain reported by patients

• Faster recovery

• Lower anxiety and stress

• Better participation in treatment, like physical and occupational therapy

• Improved staff morale

• Reduced emotional stress for patient families

A therapy dog walking through hospital halls might lift spirits, but to get the full benefit, your program needs a clear plan.  When AAI is done with structure and best practices, it not only helps heal, it keeps everyone safe.

What Hospital Programs Can Miss

Clear Roles

When an employee brings their animal to work, things can get complicated. Are you handling your animal and doing your regular job at the same time? Do you need special training, insurance, or approval? Is bringing your animal part of your official duties – and if you can’t bring them, will that cause tension? Can other people handle your animal? If so, what training do they need? And if your animal is injured at work, is the hospital responsible?

If the animal is purchased by the hospital but cared for by one person, clear roles matter even more. A few good questions to define roles:

• Who handles the animal?
• Who pays for food and vet care?
• Who decides when the animal works?
• What happens if the animal doesn’t work out in the role?
• And if the caregiver leaves the job, who keeps the animal?

Policies and Procedures

Your program needs policies. These should include how the hospital handles patient consent, where the animal can take breaks and rest, and who can interact with the animal. You also need to consider people who don’t want to interact due to allergies, fear, or cultural beliefs. Some areas, like cafeterias, or surgical units, may be off-limits for therapy animals altogether.

Even with strong planning, things can still go wrong. That’s why your program needs a clear incident response plan. Also, keep updated records for the animal’s health, vaccinations, and behavior.

Risk Management

Therapy animals in hospitals can create unique risks. To protect everyone, make sure your insurance covers animal-assisted interventions, or look into additional policies. Are there clear standards for handler training or continuing education? What kind of regular veterinary care is required? And how will you handle interactions with other animals, like service animals or visiting teams?

Data Collection

Without data, therapy animal programs can be dismissed as “just a nice idea.”  To avoid this, track how many patients interact with the animal each month. Consider adding questions about the program to your discharge surveys. Collect stories or case studies that show impact. Choose a few key areas to track the success of your program.

The Animal Isn’t the Only One Who Needs Training

When bringing a therapy animal into a hospital, it’s easy to focus only on the animal’s skills. But the success and safety of animal-assisted interventions depends just as much on the handler’s knowledge and training.

Best Practices

Handlers need certain skills to be successful. You must know how to choose the right animal, guide safe interactions, and respond to patients who don’t want to interact.  You also need to know how to advocate for your animal, especially in a busy or unpredictable hospital environment.

Canine Body Language

Handlers must be able to recognize signs of stress in their animals before problems arise. Safety, and the feeling of safety, matters. Handlers must make sure animals are not pushed beyond their comfort level. If you miss early warning signs, your patients could be exposed to barking and growling, which can break down their trust in the program.

Two-way Communication

Handlers and animals need a shared language. How you cue your animal and respond to their signals shapes every interaction. Good training and preparation strengthen this bond and improve patient experiences.

Animal Welfare

Animal consent is key. A therapy animal’s well-being directly affects the safety and success of every visit. Animals should want to interact, not feel forced. Professional development is important, and AAAIP offers resources to help handlers build the right skills and credentials. Proper training protects your animal, your patients, and your program.

Infection Prevention Is Key

Hospitals take safety seriously, and for good reason. Patient health must always come first.  Bringing therapy animals into the hospital should never lower that standard. The right preparation allows you to include animals safely.

Hospitals with therapy animals should have:

• Animal health records. Keep up-to-date vaccination records and proof of regular testing for internal parasites.

• Grooming standards. Animals should be regularly bathed and brushed. Some hospitals may also require handlers to wipe down the animal’s feet when moving between different areas.

• Hand hygiene protocols. Germs are often spread by dirty hands. Everyone who pets the therapy animal should clean their hands before and after interaction.

• Proactive boundaries. Set clear rules about where animals are not allowed. Therapy animals should never enter rooms with airborne, droplet or contact precautions, and some departments or floors may prohibit animals altogether.

• Management plan. Accidents can happen. Have a plan ready in case an animal comes into contact with patient fluids or tracks something into a patient area. Quick action reduces risk for all involved.

• Education. Both animal handlers and hospital staff should be trained on zoonotic diseases, or illnesses that can pass between animals and humans. Proper education helps everyone understand the risks and how to prevent problems.

Staff Wellness & Support

Therapy animals don’t just help patients: they can also support staff well-being. But don’t forget that structure is key to making animal-assisted interventions successful, even for your staff.

• Scheduling. Don’t make your staff chase your therapy animal team in the halls for a quick moment of comfort. Plan regular, dedicated staff sessions with the therapy animal can become one of the most popular events at work.

• Set boundaries. Clear rules are important. Staff should know when it’s appropriate to visit the therapy animal and when it’s not. They should also model good behavior for patients, including proper handwashing and gentle, respectful animal interactions.

• Handler training for crisis situations. Healthcare workers often face intense stress as part of their job. While a therapy animal can help, handlers need to be ready, too. They should understand basic mental health first aid and know where to refer staff members who need extra support.

Build the Program Your Hospital Can Trust

Whether you’re starting a new program or improving your current therapy animal visits, AAAIP gives you the tools you need:

• Ready-to-use templates for policies, consent forms, and visit protocols

• Practical handler training focused on real-world healthcare experiences

• The only evidence-based certification program that earns respect and helps you qualify for AAI insurance

This isn’t about turning your animal into a hospital mascot. It’s about improving patient outcomes and supporting the well-being of your staff.

Ready to elevate your hospital’s therapy animal program?

We can help. Start with AAAIP’s trusted framework and join a national network of healthcare professionals using therapy animals in hospitals to make AAI safer, stronger, and more effective. Learn about AAAIP Membership.