• Aubrey H. Fine is an incredibly well-respected academic in the field of Human-Animal Interactions and is joint by an expert panel of experienced editors. • Hugely interdisciplinary will appeal to students and professionals in the fields of mental health, zoology, veterinary medicine, biology, social work, history, sociology, and psychology. • Chapters address several areas within the field, such as wildlife, animal-assisted interventions, etc., and includes unique sections on different aspects on the relationships between people and animals, such as animal abuse, animal rights, and social justice. • Divided into two parts that covers both principles and practice of human-animal interactions, interventions, and anthrozoology. • Genuinely no other comprehensive book on HAI currently published. • The book is a compilation of chapters and commentaries bringing together the critical dimensions within the field and synthesizing the diversity of thoughts in the present knowledge base. • Written by world-leading experts, the diverse selection of chapters explore existing research, practice, and ethical issues on a range of topics pertinent to HAI, including the perceived benefits (e.g. physical and mental health benefits for humans) and challenges derived (e.g. environmental encroachment and animal abuse) from the relationships.

This is the first book focusing on the animal's perspective and best practices to ensure the welfare of both therapy animals and their human counterparts in animal-assisted interventions. Written by leading scientists, it summarizes the scientific evidence available concerning the impacts on animals in these settings, including companion species, horses, marine mammals and other animals used in therapy. There has been a dramatic increase in the range of animal-assisted interventions used in medical and allied health environments in recent years, and the field is now entering an era with a greater interest in defining the underlying mechanisms of the human-animal bond as well as the therapeutic benefits of these interactions. Animal-assisted interventions, as with other uses of animals by humans, impose a unique set of stresses on the animals, which the community has only recently begun to acknowledge. For the field to continue to flourish, more evidence is needed to shed light on the implications for the animals and what guidelines need to be put into practice to ensure welfare. With the ultimate goal of improving the impact that we have on the animals under our care, the book provides a roadmap for researchers and clinicians as they attempt to safely and humanely incorporate various species of animals into therapeutic settings. The authors also offer instructions and suggestions for areas that need to be studied more robustly over the next decade to continue to ensure the safe and proper use of animals in therapy sessions. This is an informative, thought-provoking and instructive resource for practitioners and researchers in the field of medicine and clinical psychology using animal-assisted interventions, as well as for veterinarians and welfare scientists.