Unit 8. Assistance Animal Selection, Training and Placement

Selecting an assistance animal is one of the most important decisions in establishing a successful human–animal partnership. A suitable assistance animal must possess far more than good behaviour or a willingness to work. Long-term success depends upon selecting an individual with the appropriate health, physical structure, temperament, behaviour and motivation to safely perform the required tasks while maintaining excellent welfare throughout its working life.

Occupational therapists are not responsible for selecting or training assistance animals. However, they play an important role within interdisciplinary teams by understanding how animal characteristics influence functional capacity, supporting clients to make informed decisions, identifying when specialist assessment is required and ensuring recommendations remain person-centred, evidence-informed and welfare-focused.

This module explores the principles of assistance animal selection, physical and behavioural assessment, veterinary health screening, sourcing prospective animals and matching suitable animals to individual handlers. It also examines situations where an animal may not be appropriate for assistance work and the ethical considerations involved in these decisions.