Introduction

In the last decade the employment of dogs in ‘Animal Assisted Interventions’ (AAI) has encountered growing popularity, in the absence of a systematic assessment of the potential threats to the welfare of the animals (Serpell et al. 2006). The present study is aimed at the analysis of the conditions in which dogs residing in a single specialized centre are most frequently employed and the potential sources of distress. In this context, the large number of AAI performed and the uniformity in the management of the animals, allows avoiding the potential effects of different living conditions of the dogs.

Materials and methods

The present study was conducted among the ‘Centro Pet Therapy’, an experimental service provided by the Health Service in Verona (ULSS 20), aimed at structuring and concretizing the practice of AAI in the Veneto region. In this structure, resident dogs are pair-housed in several 30 m2 pens; the facility also comprises three 100 m2 fenced areas, intended for interspecific group interactions and training activities. All the animals are subject to a specific protocol, monitored by a qualified veterinarian, aimed at reinforcing the dog-handler bond, improving the dogs’ socialization with humans and satisfying the dogs’ ethological needs. AAI were monitored during a three years period, between March 2005 and February 2008. During this time, information about each dog was collected, including gender, breed, age and origin. Working activities were monitored with regard to: type and duration of the sessions, number of daily sessions, interval between sessions, possible transfers to other locations, location and characteristics of the session (environmental temperature, space allowed, possible interferences), number, type and age of the clients and handler perception of the quality of the intervention (on a 5 points scale). Collected data were analyzed to describe the evolution of the selected parameters during the three years period and, when appropriate, differences among years of the parameters were tested by ANOVA and Duncan post-hoc tests (SPSS® 15.0). Furthermore, the potential effect of clients’ age on the welfare of the dogs was specifically studied. To this aim, the handlers were trained to assess the presence and the intensity (on a 5 points scale) of common stress related behaviors (Beerda et al. 1998). Scoring of these behaviors was performed at the end of sessions involving elderly clients (>65 years of age; N = 35) or children (<12 years of age; N = 33). These data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test (SPSS ver. 15.0).

Results

In the considered period, 1889 AAI were performed in the center, involving 18 dogs, of which: 10 were females (8 spayed) and 8 males (2 neutered); 3 were mongrels, coming from rescue shelters, and 15 were pure-bred dogs (7 Labradors, 3 Golden Retrievers, 2 Cocker Spaniels, 1 Brittany Spaniel, 1 Giant Schnauzer, 1 Curly Coated Retriever), obtained by different breeders. Dogs’ age ranged between 6 months and 10 years. Clients were mainly adults (19–64 years = 52.6 %; <12 years = 29.6 %; 13–18 years = 9.1 %; >65 years = 8.7 %), affected by multiple deficits (52.2 % versus psychiatric = 25.9 %; neurologic = 13.2 %; no-deficits = 5.9 %; motor = 2.9 %). Most interventions lasted 15 to 30 min (42.3 %; range 10–105 min.) and were performed by any given dog with one day (30.1 %) or less (26.8 %) interval between two sessions. AAI were mainly performed in hospitals, clinics or rehabilitation centers (71.9 % versus schools = 21.1 %; retirement homes = 7.1 %). Environmental conditions were considered inadequate due to interferences (26.5 % of cases), high temperature (16.2 %) or lack of space (5.4 %). Evolution of selected parameters during the three years is summarized in Table 1. Clients’ age significantly influenced the expression of stress-related behaviors (P < 0.05), which, although mild, were more evident when the activities involved children under 12 years rather than elderly clients (0.37 ± 0.07 vs. 0.26 ± 0.04).

Table 1 Evolution of the characteristics of the AAI performed in the ‘Centro Pet Therapy’ during the three years of the study. Different superscript letters within a row indicate statistically different means among years (** = P < 0.01; *** = P < 0.001; Duncan test)
Full size table

Discussion

Although the increase in the number of AAI testifies the interest of the Health System in these kinds of practice, it also represents a possible threat to the dogs’ welfare. In particular, the need to satisfy clients’ demands might force the hosting structures to concentrate the interventions in specific periods, hours and locations. In the present study, the consequent increase in the frequency of the interventions and in the number of clients is accompanied by a decrease in the overall adequacy, as perceived by the handlers. Moreover, other factors beyond the workload, such as transfers to other structures, inadequate environmental conditions and client’s age, might contribute to increase the dog’s stress level. The present research points out the importance of conducting studies specifically aimed at identifying the critical factors that influence the welfare of dogs involved in AAI, also considering the variability in the way these interventions are conducted in different contexts. Finally, a consideration of the associated risk factors yields to the necessity of involving a qualified veterinary practitioner for the behavioral assessment of dogs and the preservation of animal welfare.