A Proposal for a Comprehensive Human-Animal Approach of Evaluation for Animal-Assisted Interventions

Area of Science:

• Human-Animal Interaction
• Animal Welfare and Ethics
• Intervention Research

Background:

• Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are crucial for human health and education.
• Existing AAI research often lacks comprehensive human-animal perspectives, neglecting animal welfare and ethics.
• There is a need for a holistic approach to evaluate AAIs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and philosophically analyze a comprehensive human-animal approach for evaluating AAIs.
• To integrate animal welfare and ethical considerations into AAI assessments.
• To provide a framework for a more complete understanding of human-animal interactions in therapeutic settings.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis combining Lerner's species and role approach.
• Integration of Nussbaum's capability approach.
• Adaptation of Lerner and Silfverberg's comprehensive human-animal approach for AAI evaluation.

Main Results:

• A modified role and species version of the capabilities approach was identified as a viable comprehensive human-animal approach.
• This approach enables a holistic evaluation of AAIs, considering both human and animal well-being.
• The framework was successfully applied to horse-assisted therapy.

Conclusions:

• The developed comprehensive human-animal approach offers a robust method for evaluating AAIs.
• Further research is needed to extend this approach to all species and AAI branches.
• Establishing this approach is vital for advancing the field of human-animal interaction research.