Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy

Psychologist Dr. Aubrey Fine is an internationally known expert with close to 50 years of experience in the field of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and the Human Animal Bond. Dr. Fine is a Professor Emeritus at the California State Polytechnic University for over 42 years, during which time he has researched the value of AAT with children and the elderly. In addition, he has integrated the foundations of AAT into his clinical practice, which primarily focuses on the treatment of children with attention, behavioral, adjustment and developmental disorders.

Dr. Megan K. Mueller, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Human-Animal interaction at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University within the Center for Animals and Public Policy. Dr. Mueller is Co-Director of the Tufts Initiative for Human-Animal Interaction and is a senior fellow at the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. Dr. Mueller is a developmental psychologist, and her research program focuses on assessing the dynamic relationships between people and animals in families and communities. Her work focuses on the psychology of the human-animal bond, and how human-animal interaction can promote thriving for adolescents and their families. Her research has been published in numerous scientific journals and media outlets. Dr. Mueller is a board member of the International Society for Anthrozoology and serves on the Pet Partners Human-Animal Bond Advisory Board.

Dr. Zenithson Ng is a clinical associate professor at the University of Tennessee. He earned his undergraduate degree in animal science from Rutgers University and his veterinary degree from Cornell University; then completed a small animal rotating internship at the ASPCA in NYC, followed by a canine/feline primary care residency combined with a master’s degree in human-animal bond studies at Virginia Tech. His clinical interests include small animal behavior, dentistry, preventive medicine, and management of chronic disease. His research and teaching interests span all aspects of the human-animal bond including the effect of human-animal interaction on both humans and animals, the veterinary-client relationship, and stress reduction in both veterinary and animal-assisted intervention settings.

Dr. Taylor Chastain Griffin is the Executive Director of The Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals and is the National Director of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) Advancement at Pet Partners. In these roles, she oversees the organizations’ empirical research collaborations and works with other field leaders to motivate standardization and professionalization of the intervention. With a background as a dog trainer, therapy dog handler, and mental health counselor, Dr. Chastain Griffin came to her position with a variety of experiences that inform her work. Having completed her doctorate in research psychology with a focus on the human-animal bond, she works to formally integrate expertise in the field of human services with best practices while working with therapy animals.

Philip Tedeschi is the Director Emeritus and Founder of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, a licensed clinical social worker, a clinical professor at the Graduate School of Social Work and an affiliated faculty with the University of Denver’s Animal Law Program. He teaches in the Human- Animal-Environmental Interaction Certificate for Master of Social Work students, examining the intricate relationship between people, domestic and wild animals, and the natural world. Tedeschi’s research, scholarship, teaching, and community practice work have focused on issues of social and interspecies justice, global perspectives of human-animal interactions, conservation social work and human ecology. He specializes in the bio-affiliative connection between people and animals, the health promoting potential of human-animal and nature interaction, trauma informed care and causes of maltreatment to people and other non-human animals.