Unconventional Animal Species Participation in Animal-Assisted Interventions and Methods for Measuring Their Experienced Stress.
Authors: Suba-Bokodi Éva, Nagy István, Molnár Marcell
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have become established as complementary therapies for human patients, yet the welfare implications for participating animals remain poorly understood, particularly when species beyond the conventional dogs and horses are involved. Suba-Bokodi and colleagues conducted a systematic review of 135 peer-reviewed articles examining stress responses in unconventional AAI species including guinea pigs, rabbits, alpacas, donkeys, reptiles, aquarium fish, and dolphins, with the aim of identifying both what research exists and critical gaps in our knowledge. The review reveals a significant imbalance in the literature: whilst most studies document positive therapeutic outcomes for human participants, they provide minimal assessment of the stress burden experienced by the animals themselves, with biochemical stress markers such as cortisol measurement rarely incorporated into research design. The authors conclude that rigorous, species-specific stress measurement protocols—particularly physiological indicators—are essential before expanding AAI programmes involving unconventional species. For equine professionals, this work underscores the importance of systematic welfare assessment in any therapeutic or assisted-activity setting involving horses and donkeys, suggesting that robust baseline data on stress responses should inform best-practice guidelines alongside human health outcomes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •When considering unconventional species for therapeutic work, practitioners should recognize that current research provides insufficient evidence about stress impacts on participating animals
- •Implement stress monitoring protocols including cortisol measurement and behavioral assessment when using animals in therapy, rather than relying on absence of evidence of harm
- •Advocate for dual-focus study designs that evaluate both human therapeutic outcomes AND animal welfare indicators to ensure ethical practice standards
Key Findings
- •Literature on animal-assisted services focuses predominantly on human outcomes, with limited data on stress experienced by participating animals
- •Unconventional species including guinea pigs, rabbits, farm animals, alpacas, donkeys, reptiles, aquarium fishes, and dolphins have been used in animal-assisted interventions despite insufficient welfare assessment
- •Biochemical parameters such as cortisol measurement are recommended but underutilized in current research to assess animal stress during animal-assisted services
- •Comprehensive animal welfare considerations are lacking in the existing 135 analyzed articles, indicating a significant gap in methodology