How do animals impact our lives? Recently, there has been more attention given to the healing benefits of interacting with various species of animals. Science is beginning to explain that our relationships with animals and their environment possess great healing potential, but could research also recognize that others benefit from it? Would our interactions with animals also impact their quality of life, as well?

Human-animal bonds are mutually beneficial relationships that hold the potential to nurture One Health for People as well as the animals involved. Health in this context includes not only to the physical benefit, but the mental, emotional, and social well-being of both people and animals.

Animal-Assisted interventions (AAI) is a growing, multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary sector comprised of complementary industries and professionals working alongside animals as a key part of their service. Recently, more attention is being given to explain the connections between humans and animals in order to provide an overview of these interventions, resulting in dramatic shifts and changes in the field.

Surrounding ourselves with other living beings is beneficial for our health. AAI professionals take advantage of including animals in their services to get therapeutic gains and improve health and wellness of their clients. But why does this occur? What are the psychological and physiological benefits derived from the human-animal bond? What are the impacts on the animals involved?

For this Research Topic, we invite papers representing a variety of approaches concerning the inclusion of Animals in their Services. This can include Animal-assisted Therapies, Animal-assisted learning, Animal-Assisted Activities, or Assistance animals, and training of the animals involved, as well as studies that focus on the importance of bonding with animals for therapeutic purposes- including how are Animals Helping People: in Families, Hospitals, Colleges, in Sports, and at Work; but also, how connecting with people help animals, too.

The goal of this Research topic is to contribute to a better understanding of the Healing power of connecting with animals and how the interactions involving humans and animal affect each other.

This Research Topic welcomes original research papers, review articles and systematic reviews concerning how animals affect us and the influences of Human-Animal Interaction on Human Health, including but not limited, to the following topics:

• Vulnerable populations and their animals;
• Animal assisted interventions;
• Assistance animals and emotional support animals;
• Animals helping people: in families, hospitals, colleges, in sports, and at work;
• Biomarkers of stress and welfare;
• Animals in Educational Contexts;
• Human-animal interaction;
• Anthrozoology;
• Companion animals;
• Service animals;
• Pet animals for children;
• Animal Ethics and Law;
• Human-Wildlife Interactions;
• Animal Welfare in Human-Animal interactions.

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Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Participating Journals

Impact