Animal-facilitated therapy (AFT),
also referred to as “pet therapy,” is
the overarching term that refers to
both animal-assisted activities (AAA)
and animal-assisted therapy (AAT)
(Urbanski & Lazenby, 2012). AAA and
AAT are sometimes used interchangeably
in the literature, but significant
differences exist. Table 1 provides a
comparison summary of AAA and
AAT. AAA refers to activities that involve pets visiting the patient or
client, often use the same activity,
and do not use specific treatment
goals. Detailed notes on the AAA visit
are often unnecessary, and the visit
content is spontaneous (Pet Partners,
2012b). In contrast, AAT can be a significant
part of treatment for people
with a physical, social, emotional, or
cognitive diagnosis through the use
of an animal (Rossetti & King, 2010).
AAT requires stated goals for each session,
and the treatment is often individualized
to the patient. Progress
notes in the patient’s chart should be
recorded after each session, and visits
are usually scheduled with a predetermined
length of time based on
the patient’s needs (Pet Partners,
2012a). Pet Partners provides examples
of AAT on its website. For instance, a therapist may have a child
manipulate buckles, clasps on leashes,
or collars in order to improve the
patient’s fine motor skills. Additionally, a therapist may have a child
open a container of treats and feed
small pieces of food to the cat in order
to work on the child’s ability to