Module 5 – Retirement, Succession and End-of-Life Planning

Every assistance animal will eventually reach the end of its working career. Retirement is a natural and expected stage of the assistance animal lifecycle and should be viewed as a positive transition that recognises the animal’s years of service and ongoing welfare needs. While some assistance animals retire gradually as part of healthy ageing, others may retire unexpectedly due to illness, injury, behavioural changes or changing circumstances. Regardless of the reason, thoughtful planning helps ensure retirement occurs before the animal’s welfare is compromised and supports the handler through what is often a significant occupational transition.

Retirement planning extends beyond deciding when an assistance animal should stop working. It includes determining the most appropriate retirement lifestyle for the animal, supporting its physical and emotional wellbeing, planning for successor assistance animals where appropriate, and preparing for the later stages of life. As animals age or develop life-limiting illnesses, the focus shifts from maintaining working ability to promoting comfort, quality of life and dignity through palliative and hospice care. End-of-life planning, euthanasia and bereavement are also important components of responsible assistance animal practice and should be approached with compassion, careful planning and collaborative decision-making.

Occupational therapists have an important role throughout this journey. Working alongside veterinarians, trainers and other professionals, occupational therapists support handlers to prepare for retirement, maintain occupational participation during periods of change, navigate the transition to a successor assistance animal where appropriate and adjust following the loss of an assistance animal. Throughout the module, emphasis is placed on proactive planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, evidence-informed practice and ensuring that the welfare of the assistance animal remains central to every decision.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this module, learners will be able to:

• Recognise the physical, behavioural and functional indicators that an assistance animal may be approaching retirement.
• Differentiate between planned and unplanned retirement and describe strategies to support handlers and assistance animals through both transitions.
• Explain the importance of ongoing interdisciplinary review throughout an assistance animal’s working life to support timely retirement planning.
• Evaluate factors influencing decisions about where a retired assistance animal will live and how its long-term welfare can be supported.
• Develop strategies to support handlers through the occupational and emotional impacts of assistance animal retirement.
• Describe considerations involved in introducing and transitioning to a successor assistance animal.
• Explain the principles of veterinary palliative care, hospice care and quality-of-life assessment for assistance animals with life-limiting illness.
• Discuss ethical and practical considerations involved in advance care planning, euthanasia planning and after-death arrangements.
• Recognise the occupational and psychosocial impacts of grief and bereavement following the death of an assistance animal.
• Apply collaborative, evidence-informed and welfare-centred approaches when supporting handlers through retirement, end-of-life decision-making and bereavement.
• Collaborate effectively with veterinarians, trainers and other members of the interdisciplinary team to promote the lifelong welfare of assistance animals and the ongoing occupational participation of their handlers.