AAI involves many species depending on the needs of clients and the services provided. The following examples are by no means exhaustive.
This list was inspired by ISAAT's species list while reflecting most of the animals involved in Canadian AAHS.
Domesticated mammals such as:
alpacas, cats, dogs, donkeys, ferrets, goats, guinea pigs, horses, llamas, pigs, rats, rabbits and sheep.
Domesticated birds such as:
canaries and chickens.
Domesticated fish such as:
goldfish and guppies.
The scope of practice for AAHS is delivered by a wide range of models spanning across Canada's healthcare, social services, justice, and corrections sectors.
Programs, activities, therapies, education, and the like encompass things like helping children to read, learn life and leadership skills, assisting victims of crime, therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, assistance/service dogs, and working with prison inmates to develop new skills. The nuances of these services may vary slightly depending upon the organization's mission, branding, and affiliated memberships, where applicable. In all cases, animals are involved in delivering their respective services.
The following slide photos and captioned descriptions provide a high-level backdrop for Canada's evolving Animal-Assisted Human Services Industry Sector. While it's not exhaustive, this information reinforces that this highly fragmented self-regulated Industry Sector is complex and involves many interested stakeholders from communities, disciplines, and sectors across Canada.
Due to its rapid growth and expanding marketplace, the need to develop a common vocabulary and National Standards of Canada is of the utmost importance to ensure consumer satisfaction, public safety, the health and welfare of the animals, and the, credibility of the service providers.
For these reasons, we are pleased to announce and introduce Canada's First Voluntary National Standard of Canada (NSC)
for Animal-Assisted Human Services {AAHS}
Download this Standard Téléchargez la norme
https://www.hrso-onrh.org/standards/published-national-standards/
https://www.hrso-onrh.org/francais/normes/normes-nationales-publiees/
Download/Télécharger Press Release/Communiqué
*Voluntary in this context means that participating stakeholders voluntarily came together to develop the NSC*
Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI)
This description is for the above slide.
Heading
The Human-Animal Bond and Human-Animal Interactions are a bridge between, but not limited to, the Natural Sciences, Humanities, and Applied Sciences.
On the left is a picture of people connecting, and to the right, a group of people holding hands, helping each other to get to the top of the rock - the caption says cooperation.
Below the picture, there are four different coloured boxes.
Box one represents Natural Sciences
Box two Social Sciences
Box three Humanities
Box four Applied Sciences
Assistance/Service Animals
This description is for the above slide content.
Under the Animal-Assisted Intervention Category and Type of Programs
Animal-Assisted Activities {AAA} Recreational Activities
Animal-Assisted Learning {AAL} Skill Building
Animal-Assisted Therapy {AAT} Treatments Some Programs offer AAA
Under the Assistance/Service Dog Category
Assistance/Service Dogs {ASD} Support
This description is for the slide on the left. The slide heading is:
Public, Private, Education, and Voluntary Sector Stakeholder Engagement
Box 1 Social Services
Box 2 Healthcare
Box 3 Justice
Box 4 Corrections