Golden Retriever dogs sitting
According to a 2025 report from the American Veterinary Medical Association, animal-assisted intervention (AAI) is an umbrella term that describes the use of animals to benefit from the human experience. The AVMA provided guidelines for AAIs and listed three types. The first type of AAI is animal-assisted therapy, which uses animals in therapeutic situations to enhance health benefits. The use of therapy dogs in counseling is a popular example of this type. The second type of AAI is animal-assisted activities, which use animals for things like improving motivation, entertainment, and the ability to respond to stressors. Examples of this type include the use of animals for hospital visits and contacts. The third type of AAI is animal-assisted education, which uses animals to promote educational activities, such as in a reading program for children.
AAIs are different from emotional support animals. ESAs are pets that provide comfort to specific individuals for a targeted medical condition. Additionally, most AAIs do not use service animals, which are animals that perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.
A 2020 study in Journal of New Jersey College Student Scholarships found that AAIs are effective on college campuses, particularly in the areas of reducing stress, homesickness, and negative affect. The study also found that AAIs tend to be popular among college students with high subjective ratings. Mental health professionals at Kalamazoo College, Lawrence Technological University, Dickinson College, and Texas Christian University (the school where I work) were asked to describe the use of AAIs on their campuses.
Kalamazoo College
Dr. Erica Pearson, Director of the Kalamazoo College Counseling Center, and Noodles, a certified therapy dog, have worked as a therapy team since 2016 and currently provide AAI on campus. According to Dr. Pearson, the interventions they offer include pet visits, group counseling, wellness programming and crisis support.
Dr. Pearson highlighted how AAIs promote social connections on campus and reported, “Working with a therapy dog does more than just enhance emotional well-being, it allows for social connection. Students on college campuses are struggling with loneliness and belonging. When they engage with Noodles, there is an organic conversation that takes place with others. They start chatting with new people about the dog, about their pets, about cute animal videos they’ve seen on social media. They have a shared experience of interacting with the therapy dog and a starting point for a positive social interface. That’s the magic of animal-assisted interventions.”
Lawrence Technological University
Christy Schulze, Director of Counseling Services at LTU, reported, “We use therapy dogs on campus in two different settings. The first involves Maggie, a 4-year-old miniature pinscher mix, who works in the therapy room with her owner… The second program, called Study “Paws,” brings volunteer therapy dog teams to campus once a month.
Christy Schulze emphasized the effectiveness of AAIs in teaching students emotional awareness and said, “Maggie’s responses and engagement with students during their counseling sessions are influenced in part by the emotional energy and behaviors students bring to the room. Students can use these interactions to learn to identify their own emotions and build awareness of how emotions and behaviors affect others.
The principal also described how AAIs have reduced students’ stigma about using mental health services and have been a positive coping mechanism for students. “International freshmen and juniors, in particular, have shown that petting and playing with therapy dogs has helped ease their transition into college life, especially when they miss their family and pets at home.”
Dickinson College
Dr. Lauren Strunk is the Executive Director of the Dickinson Wellness Center. AAIs on this campus include the use of bunnies. Dr. Strunk commented, “The Bunny Connections Group is a 60-minute closed group for up to six students focused on building interpersonal connections, setting and responding to healthy boundaries, and engaging in playful activities with the bunnies.
According to Dr. Strunk, students can also participate in individual therapy sessions with the bunnies. She explained, “These sessions integrate the calming presence of therapy bunnies, including Dixie, Otto, BunBun and Moxie, to support students in exploring personal challenges and improving emotional well-being in a one-on-one environment.” In addition, the campus offers “Bunny Breaks,” which are unstructured times students can have with the animals. Dr. Strunk stated, “Whether it’s bringing a book, doing homework, or just enjoying the calming presence of the bunnies, Bunny Breaks offer a relaxing break from the demands of college life.”
Texas Christian University
The Counseling and Mental Health Center at TCU offers an equine therapy program for students. The center provides transportation to an off-campus location at Freedom Reigns Counseling, where students interact with the horses. Lesli Figueiredo is an equine therapist who works with TCU. She commented, “Equine Assisted Counseling partners with horses to facilitate emotional growth and learning … Learning how horses respond to stressors in their environment can be a catalyst for student growth.” Lesli Figueiredo also stated that many students in the program reported being more productive while studying, which she attributed to the horses teaching students how to live more in the present and enjoy life more fully.
According to mental health professionals, AAIs are effective in promoting social connections, teaching emotional awareness, reducing stigma, providing a calming presence, and even increasing students’ academic functioning. In addition, many students are likely to get an emotional boost while interacting with therapy dogs, bunnies, and horses. In summary, researchers and providers agree that AAIs offer many benefits to colleges and universities.
