Creating a Dog-Friendly Therapy Practice: Policies, Benefits, and Ethical Boundaries

Start here: Is a therapy dog right for your practice—and how do you protect clients, staff and the animal?

Many clinicians want to add a therapy dog because of its calming presence and proven mood benefits—but the fastest route from good intent to legal headaches is skipping policy, screening and training. If you’re worrying about liability, client boundaries, allergies, insurance and ethical lines: this guide gives a clinician-first, practice-ready blueprint to integrate a dog safely, ethically and sustainably in 2026.

Top takeaways (read first)

• Therapy dogs are not the same as service animals.
• Client suitability screening is essential.
• Formal training and certification for both dog and handler matter.
• Liability planning prevents crisis.
• Animal welfare is part of ethics.

The benefits you’ll explain to clients and stakeholders

By 2026, clinicians are integrating animal-assisted interventions (AAI) in diverse settings: outpatient clinics, university counseling centers, corporate wellness programs and teletherapy. Recent reviews through 2025 report small-to-moderate therapeutic effects on anxiety, social engagement and session rapport, particularly with trauma-informed approaches. Practically, a well-managed therapy dog can:

• Lower physiological arousal in sessions (blood pressure, heart rate) for some clients.
• Increase client engagement and attendance, especially among youth and older adults.
• Provide nonverbal comfort that complements talk therapies, especially where trust is a barrier.
• Offer safe grounding cues and structured tasks (e.g., co-regulation exercises, behavioral activation).

Ethics and boundaries: core principles

Start with clinical ethics and client autonomy. Therapy dogs should enhance care, never substitute clinical judgement or boundary work. Key ethical rules:

• Respect autonomy: Clients must give informed, written consent each time an animal is involved.
• Avoid dual relationships: The clinician should not be the client’s primary caregiver for the animal; maintain professional distance and referral pathways.
• Confidentiality: Manage photography, social media and presence of third parties carefully — obtain consent for any images or nonclinical observers.
• Nonmaleficence: Screen out clients for whom interaction could cause harm (phobia, trauma triggers, aggression risk).
• Animal welfare: Prioritize the dog’s physical and mental health, including limits on session length and workload.

Policy essentials every clinician must write

Put policies in the client-facing intake packet and staff manual. Here are policy sections to draft and maintain:

1. Purpose and scope

Explain goals (e.g., adjunct AAI to support anxiety management), who the policy applies to (clients, staff, visitors), and settings (in-person, group, telehealth).

2. Definitions

Define terms to avoid confusion: therapy dog, handler, service animal, emotional support animal, AAI, volunteer animal, and hybrid telepresence interventions.

3. Client suitability and screening

Include an intake checklist and screening questions (sample items below). Require signed consent before any session with the dog.

4. Infection control and safety

Document vaccination requirements (rabies, bordetella, canine influenza where relevant), flea/tick prevention, grooming standards, hand hygiene rules for clients, and environmental cleaning between sessions. Reference CDC zoonotic guidance and local public health directives.

5. Boundaries and session rules

Define how and when clients may touch the dog, where the dog may sit, who handles it, and mobile device/photo policy. Set time limits for animal presence and rest time for the dog.

6. Incident reporting and emergency response

Prototype steps: stabilize injured person, separate dog safely, document incident, notify insurance and relevant authorities, obtain witness statements and medical records. Keep a standardized incident form.

7. Liability, insurance and record-keeping

Outline required insurance coverage (see section below), obtain copies of dog’s vaccination and certification records, and log each therapy session with dates, participants and any events.

8. Animal welfare and workload limits

Limit shifts per week, require on-site rest area, and mandate regular veterinary checks. Track stress signs and remove the animal if distressed.

9. Teletherapy policy

For virtual sessions, document whether the dog will appear on camera, how consent is handled, and privacy safeguards when recording sessions that include the animal.

Client suitability: who should not interact with a therapy dog?

Not every client benefits from animal interactions. Use a documented screening flow:

1. Ask about allergies and asthma; confirm no recent adverse reactions to dogs.
2. Ask about animal-related trauma or severe fear (e.g., dog bite PTSD). If present, the clinician should consider alternatives.
3. Assess for behaviorally disinhibited clients (active suicidality, psychosis, severe impulse control issues where an animal could be endangered).
4. Consider cultural or religious concerns that make animal presence inappropriate.
5. Check for cognitive impairments where touching or handling might be unsafe without additional supervision.

Tip: When in doubt, default to safety and offer animal-free care. Document reasons for exclusion in the client record.

Training, certification and continuing education (for 2026)

Standards have tightened since 2020. As of 2026, clinicians should expect to verify:

• Behavioral evaluation: A current temperament and obedience assessment by an accredited evaluator.
• Certification: While no universal license exists, evidence of training through reputable organizations (Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, or regional equivalents) strengthens risk management.
• Handler training: Mandatory modules on animal behavior, zoonotic risk mitigation, ethics, boundaries and emergency response; consider annual refreshers.
• Continuing education: Track CE hours in AAI, trauma-informed practice with animals, and legal updates. Digital micro-credentials and blockchain-backed badges became more common in 2025, making credential verification faster.

Liability: insurance, waivers and real-world protections

Liability planning is non-negotiable. Common risk areas include bites/scratches, allergic reactions, exacerbation of client symptoms, and property damage. Recommended protections:

Insurance

• Professional liability insurance: Confirm your malpractice carrier covers animal-assisted interventions or obtain an addendum.
• General liability/premises insurance: Ensure coverage includes animal incidents on-site.
• Animal-handler liability insurance: Consider a policy specific to therapy animals; many organizations offer rider policies.

Consent and waivers

Use layered consent: an initial informed-consent form in intake and a session-by-session affirmation when the animal is present. Essential elements to document:

• Purpose and proposed benefits of the therapy dog.
• Risks (allergy, injury, zoonoses).
• Voluntary nature of participation and right to decline without penalty.
• Procedures for incidents and medical care responsibility.
• Photo/video policy and data protection (HIPAA implications when the dog appears in teletherapy recordings).

Record-keeping and incident logs

Keep a secure log of each therapy-dog session including attendees, duration, interventions used, and any incidents. In the event of a claim, contemporaneous documentation is your strongest defense.

Practical clinic logistics

Small operational details prevent breakdowns in safety and quality. Implement:

• Designated animal room or neutral area with non-slip flooring and washable surfaces.
• Signage at clinic entrance noting animal presence; offer alternative waiting areas.
• Controlled introduction routines (dog on leash, handler-led approach, give clients an opt-out signal).
• Strict hygiene stations with hand sanitizer and wipes; clean surfaces after each session.
• Scheduling buffers to allow the dog rest and to reduce cross-exposure between clients; consider using micro-event scheduling best practices like a micro-event launch sprint for pilot programs.

Teletherapy with therapy animals: emerging models in 2026

One major trend by early 2026: hybrid and virtual AAI. Programs now offer three models:

1. Live on-camera animals in standard teletherapy sessions.
2. Therapy-animal videos and guided interactions designed as between-session tools.
3. Remote “pet visits” where certified handlers bring an animal to a client location for a supervised in-person check (less common but growing in community outreach).

Teletherapy reduces some liability (no on-site animal contact) but raises other concerns: privacy (recordings), client environment safety, and cross-jurisdictional licensure when a handler and client are in different states or countries. Update telehealth consent forms accordingly.

Case examples and clinician experience

Real-world examples help translate policy into practice:

Case: University counseling center (Experience)

A mid-sized university introduced therapy-dog-led group sessions in fall 2025. They created a strict weekly schedule (two 90-minute sessions), mandatory student opt-in, and a shadow-handler volunteer program. Result: improved group attendance and richer peer interactions. Lessons learned: control the number of attendees and require a pre-group screening to avoid triggering students with dog phobia.

Case: Private practice (Liability avoided)

A private clinician added a therapy dog but initially neglected to inform their insurer. After an incident where a client with an undocumented allergy became ill, they faced a denied claim. The clinician corrected this by adding a rider, improving intake screening, and partnering with a local vet to verify vaccinations quarterly.

Sample screening questions and consent bullet points (practical template)

Use these items directly in your intake forms:

• Do you have allergies to dogs or animal dander? (Yes/No) — If yes, describe reaction.
• Have you ever been bitten or severely frightened by a dog? (Yes/No) — If yes, please detail.
• Do you have cultural, religious or personal reasons you prefer not to work with animals? (Yes/No)
• Do you consent to the presence of a trained therapy dog during your sessions? (Yes/No)
• Do you consent to the handler controlling interactions and ending interaction if safety concerns arise? (Yes/No)

Consent form bullets to include:

• I understand the therapy dog is an adjunct to therapy and not a replacement for treatment.
• I accept the potential risks (allergic reaction, minor injury) and will notify staff immediately if I feel unwell.
• I understand that photos or recordings including the dog require separate consent.

Regulatory context and legal distinctions

Clarify two common legal distinctions in client conversations and policies:

• Service animals are trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability and are protected under the ADA in the U.S.; they are not the same as therapy dogs.
• Emotional support animals generally provide comfort but do not have the same public access protections as service animals; rules vary by country and housing/lending regulations.

Clinicians should never claim a therapy dog is a service animal. When accommodation questions arise, consult local legal counsel or institutional compliance officers.

2026 trends and future-facing strategies

Expect the following to shape practice through 2026–2028:

• Growth in digital credentialing for therapy animals: verifiable badges ease employer and clinic verification.
• Increased insurer recognition of AAI when documented outcomes are provided; clinics that track metrics (attendance, PHQ/GAD changes) are more likely to secure coverage extensions.
• More telepresence and asynchronous animal-assisted modules for between-session support, driven by hybrid care models.
• Rising emphasis on trauma-informed AAI protocols and cultural responsiveness training for handlers.

Quick checklist before you welcome a therapy dog

1. Obtain written policy approved by your clinic or legal counsel.
2. Verify dog and handler certifications and up-to-date vaccinations.
3. Update professional and premises insurance to include animal-related incidents.
4. Create client screening and informed-consent forms; add session-level affirmation.
5. Train staff on introduction protocols and incident procedures.
6. Set schedules with mandatory rest periods for the dog and limit daily sessions.
7. Plan documentation and outcome tracking to support ongoing evaluation.

Final ethical reminder

Therapy dogs can be transformative when integrated thoughtfully. Your primary allegiance is to client safety and therapeutic efficacy — and that includes protecting the animal. Policies, training, clear boundaries and documentation transform good intentions into reliable, repeatable care.

Call to action

If you’re ready to bring a therapy dog into your practice, start with a formal policy and screening packet. Download our clinician-ready policy template and sample consent forms at counselling.top/training (or sign up for our 2026 AAI continuing education bundle to get certified handler modules, liability checklists and teletherapy guidelines). Implement these steps now to build a dog-friendly practice that is safe, ethical and legally sound.

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