Standards for Risk Management

Purpose

Hope's Therapy Dogs recognises the paramount importance of addressing concerns regarding potential risks associated with animal-assisted interventions (AAI). Implementing a comprehensive risk management policy is fundamental in this field and cannot be overlooked.

1. Incidents

Organisations registering therapy dogs should establish comprehensive systems to identify, track, and address incidents and perceived incidents effectively. These incidents encompass acts of aggression by the dog, inappropriate behaviour by the handler, and injuries to any participating party, including both the handler and the dog. Resolving incidents may involve remediation, re-evaluation of processes, and/or dismissal as appropriate measures.

2. Vaccination

Therapy dogs should receive vaccinations to veterinary standards that are appropriate for the species. Regional variation might also be appropriate.

3. Raw Meat

Dogs that consume raw meat diets and treats have a higher likelihood of shedding various potentially harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Clostridium, and Campylobacter. Given that therapy dogs frequently interact with individuals whose immune systems may be compromised due to factors such as age, stress levels, physical condition, or medical history, it is advisable for therapy dogs not to consume raw meat diets or treats. Raw meat includes any uncooked protein sourced from animals, such as beef, chicken, pork, fish, eggs, or other domesticated or wild animal meats. Therefore, Hope's Therapy Dogs will refrain from employing dogs that are fed raw diets to mitigate these risks.

4. Hand Hygiene

To minimise the spread of bacteria, individuals interacting with Hope's Therapy Dogs should practice thorough hand hygiene both before touching the therapy dog and at the conclusion of the session. Likewise, handlers should maintain regular hand hygiene practices.

5. Handler Health

Hope's Therapy Dogs handlers must be in good health to participate in AAI. This entails being free of symptoms of communicable illness, which may include but are not limited to fever, coughing, sneezing, rash, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

6. Animal Health

Therapy dogs should be free of any signs of ill health while participating in AAI. This includes but isn’t limited to broken skin, vomiting, diarrhoea, infection, and lameness. Therapy dogs should also be free of internal and external parasites. Therapy dogs that take medications including antibiotics, antifungals, or immunosuppressives should not participate in AAI until they’ve completed the course of treatment and are healthy again.

7. Insurance Coverage

Hope’s Therapy Dogs teams should maintain an appropriate level of insurance coverage for their AAI activities. While some handlers may have individual insurance coverage through their homeowners or renters insurance policies, additional insurance through a registering organisation, such as "Pet Business Insurance," is essential.

Last reviewed April 2024.

How to contact us If you have any questions about this policy please do not hesitate to contact us.

Email us at: ali@hopestherapydogs.co.uk