Animal Welfare & AAS Standards

1. Animal Health and Fitness to Participate

Animals participating in animal-assisted services must be physically and behaviourally suitable for the activities expected of them.

Health is considered together with behaviour when determining suitability. An animal that is behaviourally suitable may still be temporarily or permanently unsuitable because of illness, pain, injury, medication, changes in physical condition or other health concerns.

Animals showing signs of illness, pain, significant discomfort or another condition that may compromise their welfare or participant safety should not participate until the concern has been appropriately addressed.

Parasite Prevention

Participating animals must have appropriate ectoparasite and endoparasite prevention and control based on their species, lifestyle, exposure risk and veterinary advice.

This includes consideration of external parasites such as fleas and ticks, and internal parasites where relevant to the species.

Immunocompromised Animals

Animals that are immunocompromised should not participate where participation could place their health or welfare at additional risk.

Cancer and Significant Medical Conditions

A diagnosis of cancer or another significant medical condition does not automatically determine whether an animal can or cannot participate. The individual animal must be considered.

Animals with cancer require case-specific veterinary evaluation before participation or continued participation.

Veterinary assessment may consider the animal's diagnosis, treatment, medication, immune status, pain, mobility, fatigue, prognosis, infection risk and the physical and behavioural demands of the proposed activity.

Where necessary, participation may be modified, temporarily suspended or discontinued. The welfare of the animal remains the primary consideration.

2. Behavioural Suitability

Being friendly is not, by itself, sufficient for participation in animal-assisted services.

Animals should be behaviourally suitable for the type of work, participants and environment they are likely to encounter.

Assessment may consider:

• Temperament and behavioural stability
• Comfort around unfamiliar people
• Response to appropriate handling
• Response to the expected environment
• Ability to recover from normal environmental changes
• Communication between the animal and handler
• Signs of stress, fear or avoidance
• The handler's ability to recognise and respond to the animal
• The nature and demands of the proposed activity

Suitability is context-specific. An animal suitable for a quiet one-to-one interaction may not necessarily be suitable for a large group, healthcare facility, school, event or highly stimulating environment.

3. Willing Participation and the Right to Withdraw

Animal Partners distinguishes between an animal tolerating an activity and an animal being comfortable and willing to participate.

Animals should not be forced to interact.

Handlers are expected to continuously observe their animals and respond to signs of stress, avoidance, fear, fatigue, overstimulation, discomfort, frustration, pain or unwillingness to continue.

An animal may be withdrawn from an interaction or session at any time when the handler determines that continuing is not in the animal's best interests.

The handler has both the authority and responsibility to stop an interaction because of animal welfare, health or safety concerns.

Stopping a session to protect an animal is responsible practice, not a failed session.

4. Handler Competency

Responsible animal-assisted services require competent humans as well as suitable animals.

Handlers should understand the animal with whom they work and be capable of managing interactions between the animal, participant and environment.

Relevant competencies may include:

• Animal behaviour and body language
• Species-specific welfare
• Recognition of stress and discomfort
• Appropriate handling
• Positive and humane interaction practices
• Animal advocacy
• Participant-animal interaction management
• Risk recognition
• Infection prevention and hygiene
• Participant safety
• Environmental management
• Knowing when to pause or terminate an interaction

Animal Partners considers the animal-handler team rather than evaluating the animal in isolation.

5. Qualifications, Training and Team Recognition

Animal-assisted services include different forms of work. Qualifications should therefore be considered in relation to the role being performed.

A volunteer visiting team, veterinarian, counsellor, psychologist, social-service professional and animal-assisted intervention specialist do not perform the same function.

Animal Partners considers relevant education, professional qualifications, AAS-specific training and animal-handler team evaluation when determining competency for a particular role.

No single certification or qualification demonstrates competency across every aspect of animal-assisted services.

Veterinary professionals provide expertise concerning animal health and veterinary care. Mental-health, healthcare, education and social-service professionals remain responsible for services falling within their respective professional scopes.

AAS qualifications complement these responsibilities. They do not replace the professional qualifications required to provide a regulated or specialised human service.

Examples are provided for reference and do not imply endorsement of Animal Partners Singapore by the organisations named.

6. Animal-Handler Team Evaluation

Animal Partners uses structured team evaluation to consider whether an animal and handler are suitable to participate together.

Evaluation considers more than whether an animal can perform particular behaviours.

Depending on the intended service, assessment may consider:

• Animal temperament
• Behavioural suitability
• Animal-handler communication
• The handler's recognition of animal stress
• The handler's response to changing situations
• Animal advocacy
• Participant management
• Safe interaction
• Environmental awareness
• Animal welfare
• Overall team readiness

An evaluation applies to the team and context assessed. It should not be interpreted as proof that an animal is suitable for every environment, participant or form of animal-assisted service.

7. Reassessment Every Two Years

Animal health, suitability and team competency can change over time.

Animal Partners requires animal-handler teams to undergo reassessment every two years.

Reassessment considers relevant changes in:

• Animal health
• Behaviour
• Age
• Physical ability
• Temperament
• Handler competency
• Animal-handler communication
• The type of work being performed
• The environments in which the team participates

Earlier Reassessment

A team does not need to wait for the two-year reassessment when circumstances change.

Earlier review or reassessment may be required following:

• Significant illness or injury
• Diagnosis of a significant medical condition
• Major behavioural change
• An incident or significant near miss
• An extended absence from AAS activities
• A change in handler
• A significant change in the type of work performed
• Concerns about animal welfare or participant safety

8. Workload, Rest and Recovery

Animal Partners does not apply a single work-duration rule to every animal.

Different species, individual animals and forms of AAS have different physical, behavioural and environmental demands. We therefore use species- and activity-specific workload and rest guidelines.

Considerations may include:

• Species
• Age and health
• Individual temperament
• Duration of the activity
• Intensity of interaction
• Number and type of participants
• Travel
• Environmental stimulation
• Temperature and environmental conditions
• Access to water
• Toileting requirements
• Opportunities for uninterrupted rest
• The animal's behaviour before, during and after participation

A quiet individual session cannot automatically be treated as equivalent to a large group programme or highly stimulating event.

A maximum permitted duration is a limit, not a target. An animal may require a break or withdrawal well before that limit is reached.

9. Monitoring During Every Session

Animal welfare assessment does not end when an animal-handler team passes an evaluation.

Handlers are expected to monitor their animals throughout every session.

This includes observing changes in:

• Behaviour
• Engagement
• Willingness to interact
• Stress
• Fatigue
• Physical comfort
• Movement
• Environmental response
• Recovery between interactions

Handlers should intervene early when concerns arise. Responses may include giving the animal space, providing a break, changing the activity, modifying the environment or ending the session.

10. Near Misses, Incidents and Welfare Concerns

Animal Partners believes that safety systems should learn from events before someone is harmed, not only after an incident occurs.

A near-miss and incident reporting form is available during every Animal Partners session.

A near miss is an event that did not result in injury or harm but had the potential to do so.

Examples may include:

• An unexpected escalation in animal stress
• An unsafe participant interaction that was stopped in time
• Loss or near-loss of animal control
• An animal attempting to leave an interaction
• Environmental hazards
• Equipment concerns
• Unexpected contact between animals
• Hygiene or infection-control concerns
• Other events that could have affected human or animal safety

Actual incidents may include bites, scratches, falls, injuries, unexpected illness, significant animal distress or other events affecting human or animal welfare.

Reports are reviewed so that appropriate follow-up action can be taken. Depending on the circumstances, this may include modification of the activity or environment, additional education, veterinary assessment, temporary withdrawal, reassessment or discontinuation of participation.

Near-miss reporting supports learning and prevention and is not intended to discourage handlers from reporting concerns.

11. Participant Safety and Choice

Animal-assisted services must respect the participant as well as the animal.

Relevant considerations may include:

• Consent or assent
• Allergies
• Fear or phobia
• Previous experiences with animals
• Medical vulnerability
• Infection risk
• Accessibility needs
• Cultural or religious considerations
• Ability to interact safely with the animal

Participants should not be pressured to touch or interact with an animal.

12. Hygiene, Biosecurity and Infection Prevention

Animal health, human health and environmental hygiene are interconnected.

Animal Partners incorporates hygiene and biosecurity into the planning and delivery of animal-assisted services.

Measures are selected according to the species, activity, environment and participant population and may include:

• Appropriate hand hygiene
• Animal cleanliness and grooming
• Preventive veterinary healthcare
• Ectoparasite and endoparasite control
• Management of animal waste
• Appropriate cleaning of equipment and surfaces
• Withdrawal of animals when health concerns arise
• Management of zoonotic risks
• Consideration of medically vulnerable participants
• Species-appropriate biosecurity measures

Higher-risk environments or participant populations may require additional precautions.

13. The Environment Is Part of Welfare

An animal may be suitable for animal-assisted services but unsuitable for a particular environment.

Animal Partners therefore considers the environment as part of animal welfare and participant safety.

Depending on the programme and species, this may include:

• Available space
• Flooring and traction
• Temperature, humidity and ventilation
• Noise and crowding
• Unfamiliar smells
• Movement and traffic
• Lifts and confined spaces
• Wheelchairs, mobility aids or medical equipment
• Other animals
• Cleaning procedures
• Access to drinking water
• Toileting arrangements
• Secure handling
• Rest areas
• Opportunities to move away from interaction

Environmental planning should consider what the environment is like from the animal's perspective, not only whether it is convenient for people.

14. Species-Specific Welfare

Animal Partners does not assume that welfare standards developed for one species can simply be transferred to another.

Different species have different:

• Behavioural needs
• Social structures
• Stress signals
• Handling requirements
• Environmental requirements
• Nutritional needs
• Veterinary needs
• Rest patterns
• Appropriate forms of human interaction

Standards relating to dogs should not automatically be applied to rabbits, birds, horses, cats, guinea pigs or other animals.

Our workload, handling, environment and welfare guidance therefore considers both the species and the individual animal.

15. Professional Scope and Responsible Terminology

Not every beneficial interaction with an animal is therapy.

Animal Partners distinguishes between animal-assisted activities, support programmes, educational services and professionally delivered treatment.

Where animals are incorporated into counselling, psychology, healthcare, social work, rehabilitation or another professional service, the human professional remains responsible for practising within their qualifications and professional scope.

AAS education or animal-handler certification does not replace the professional qualifications required to provide a regulated or specialised human service.

Similarly, professional qualifications in human healthcare do not automatically demonstrate competency in animal handling or animal-assisted services.

16. Our One Health Approach

Animal Partners approaches animal-assisted services from a One Health perspective by recognising the connection between human wellbeing, animal wellbeing and the shared environment.

Human Wellbeing

Participant safety, consent, appropriate professional care, accessibility, hygiene and respectful interaction.

Animal Wellbeing

Physical health, preventive care, behavioural suitability, willingness, appropriate workload, rest and continuing welfare monitoring.

Shared Environment

Space, temperature, hygiene, biosecurity, equipment, surfaces, waste management, noise and other environmental factors.

These areas should not be considered independently. A change affecting the animal can affect the participant. Environmental conditions can affect animal behaviour. Animal stress can become a human-safety concern. Infection-prevention measures can protect humans and animals together.