Directions in Veterinary Social Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/13.4/502Keywords:
Social work, veterinary social work, animal-assisted interventions, ethics, family violence, grief and bereavementAbstract
This article introduces readers to the emerging and growing field of veterinary social work. The article provides a definition of veterinary social work and presents an overview of current research findings relating to the various domains that comprise the field: animal-assisted interventions, the link between human and animal violence, animal-related grief and bereavement, compassion fatigue, and conflict management. Additional topics explored include the interdisciplinary nature of the field, the social work host settings, and relevant professional associations and organizations. Ethical issues arising in the practice of veterinary social work are discussed.
References
American Veterinary Association. (2021). Veterinarian’s oath. American Veterinary Association. https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/veterinarians-oath
Andrukonis, A., & Protopopova, A. (2020). Occupational health of animal shelter employees by live release rate, shelter type, and euthanasia-related decision. Anthrozoös, 33(1), 119-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2020.1694316
Bartram, D. J., & Baldwin, D. S. (2010). Veterinary surgeons and suicide: A structured review of possible influences on increased risk. Veterinary Record, 166, 388-397. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.b4794
Ballard, I., Vincent, A., & Collins, C. (2020). Equine facilitated therapy with young people: Why insurance coverage matters. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 37(6), 657-663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00712-1
Barberá, M. C. (2020, September 15). Romanian plan for animal cruelty police wins cautious praise. Balkan Insight. https://balkaninsight.com/2020/09/15/romanian-plan-for-animal-cruelty-police-wins-cautious-praise/
Calcaterra, V., Veggiotti, P., Palestrini, C., De Giorgis, V., Raschetti, R., Tumminelli, M., Mencherini, S., Papotti, F., Klersy, C., Albertini, R., Ostuni, S., & Pelizzo, G. (2015). Post-operative benefits of animal-assisted therapy in pediatric surgery: a randomised study. PloS one, 10(6), e0125813. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0125813
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). One health basics. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/basics/index.html
Chan, M. (2019, September 12). Veterinarians face unique issues that make suicide one of the profession’s big worries. Time. https://time.com/5670965/veterinarian-suicide-help/
Chandler, C. K. (2012). Animal assisted therapy in counseling. Routledge.
Collins, E. A., Cody, A. M., McDonald, S. E., Nicotera, N., Ascione, F. R., & Williams, J. H. (2018). A Template Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Survivors’ Experiences of Animal Maltreatment: Implications for Safety Planning and Intervention. Violence Against Women, 24(4), 452–476. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801217697266
Corleto, D. (2018). Prison rehabilitation: The sociological, physiological, and psychological effects of animal-assisted interventions. Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science, 6(8), 112-131. https://doi.org/10.31979/THEMIS.2018.0608
Dickinson, G. E. (2019). US and UK veterinary medicine schools: Emphasis on end-of-life issues. Mortality, 24(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2017.1396970
Dow, M. Q., Chur-Hansen, A., Hamood, W., & Edwards, S. (2019). Impact of dealing with bereaved clients on the psychological wellbeing of veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal, 97(10), 382–389. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.12842
Fine, A. H. (Ed.), (2019). Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Foundations and guidelines for animal-assisted interventions. Academic Press.
Fritcshi, L., Morrison, D., Shirangi, A., & Day, L. (2009). Psychological well-being of Australian veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal, 87(3), 76-81. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2009.00391.x
Hansez, I., Schins, F., & Rollin, F. (2008). Occupational stress, work-home interference and burnout among Belgian veterinary practitioners. Irish veterinary journal, 61(4), 233–241. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-61-4-233
Hatch, P. H. A, Winefield, H. R., Christie, B. A., & Lievaart, J. J. (2011). Workplace stress, mental health, and burnout of veterinarians in Australia. Australian Veterinary Journal, 89, 460-468. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2011.00833.x
Holcombe, T. M., Strand, E. B., Nugent, W. R., & Ng, Z. Y. (2016). Veterinary social work: Practice within veterinary settings. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 26(1), 69-80. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2015.1059170
Humane Society of the United States. (2021). Animal cruelty facts and stats. Humane Society of the United States. https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/animal-cruelty-facts-and-stats
International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations. (2014). IAHAIO white paper. In A. H. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice (pp. 415-418). Academic Press.
Jalongo, M. R. (2018). An attachment perspective on the child-dog bond: Interdisciplinary and international research findings. Children, Dogs and Education, 43, 395–405. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-015-0687-4
Jegatheesan, B., Beetz, A., Ormerod, E., Johnson, R., Fine, A., Dudzik, C., … & Choi, G. (2014). The IAHAIO definitions for animal assisted intervention and guidelines for wellness of animals involved in AAI. White paper, International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations. Accessed 02 December 2021, http://pat.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IAHAIO-WHITE-PAPER-TASK-FORCE-FINAL-REPORT_2018.pdf
Jones-Fairnie, H. Ferroni, P., Silburn, S., & Lawrence, D. (2008). Suicide in Australian veterinarians. Australian Veterinary Journal, 86, 114-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2008.00277.x
Kogan, L. R., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R. M., Hellyer, P. W., Rishniw, M., & Ruch-Gallie, R. A. (2017). Survey of attitudes toward and experiences with animal abuse encounters in a convenience sample of US veterinarians. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 250(6), 688-696. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.250.6.688
Landau, R.E. (1999). A survey of teaching and implementation: The veterinarian’s role in recognizing and reporting abuse. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 215(3), 328-331.
Littlewood, K. E., Beausoleil, N. J., Stafford, K. J., Stephens, C., Collins, T., Fawcett, A., Hazel, S., Lloyd, J. K. F., Mallia, C., Richards, L., Wedler, N. K., & Zito, S. (2020). How management of grief associated with ending the life of an animal is taught to Australasian veterinary students. Australian Veterinary Journal, 98(8), 356-363. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.12960
Maslach, C., Jackson, S., & Leiter, M. (1996). Maslach burnout inventory manual (3rd ed.). Consulting Psychologists Press.
Mastenbroek, N. J. J. M., Jaarsma, A. D. C., Scherpbier, A. J. J. A., van Beukelen, P., & Demerouti, E. (2014). The role of personal resources in explaining well-being and performance: A study among young veterinary professionals. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(2), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2012.728040
McGuinness, K., Allen, M., & Jones, B. R. (2005). Non-accidental injury in companion animals in the Republic of Ireland. Irish Veterinary Journal, 58(392). https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-58-7-392
McEwen, F. S., Moffitt, T. E., & Arseneault, L. (2014). Is childhood cruelty to animals a marker for physical maltreatment in a prospective cohort study of children? Child Abuse & Neglect, 38(3), 533-543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.10.016
McKissock, H. B. (2018). Equine assisted learning as a model of applied ecopsychology: Phenomenological study of the benefits of connecting with horses for people with post traumatic stress disorder [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Akamai University.
Miles, E. (2014). Biopsychosocial model. In M. Gellman, & J.R. Turner (Eds.), Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine (pp. 227-228). Springer.
Moga, J. (in press). Veterinary social work and the ethics of interprofessional practice. In S. Loue & P. Linden (Eds.), The comprehensive guide to interdisciplinary veterinary social work. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Monsalve, S., Ferreira, F., & Garcia, R. (2017). The connection between animal abuse and interpersonal violence: A review from the veterinary perspective. Research in Veterinary Science, 114, 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.02.025
Morgan, C. A., & McDonald, M. (2007). Ethical dilemmas in veterinary medicine. Veterinary Clinics of North America, Small Animal Practice, 37(1), 165-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2006.09.008
Munro, H. M. C., & Thrusfield, M.V. (2001a). Battered pets: Features that raise suspicion of non-accidental injury. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 42, 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2001.tb02024.x
Munro, H.M.C., & Thrusfield, M.V. (2001b). Battered pets: Non-accidental physical injuries found in dogs and cats. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 42, 279-290. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2001.tb02041.x
Munro, H.M.C., & Thrusfield, M.V. (2001c). Battered pets: Sexual abuse. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 42, 385-389. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2001.tb02468.x
Nett, R.J., Witte, T.K., Holzbauer, S.M., Elchos, B.L., Campagnolo, E.R., Musgrave, K.J., Carter, K.K., Kurkjian, K. M., Vanicek, C., O'Leary, D. R., Pride, K. P., Funk, R. H., & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2015). Nores from the field: Prevalence of risk factors for suicide among veterinarians—United States, 2014. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 64(5), 131-132.
Ng, Z., Albright, J., Fine, A.H., & Peralta, J. (2015). Our ethical and moral responsibility: Ensuring the welfare of therapy animals. In A.H. Fine (Ed.), Handbook on animal-assisted therapy, 4th ed. (pp. 357-376). Academic Press.
Ng, Z., Morse, L., Albright, J., Viera, A., & Souza, M. (2019). Describing the use of animals in animal-assisted intervention research. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 22(4), 364-376. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2018.1524765
One Health Initiative. (2021). About. One Health Initiative. http://dev.onehealthinitiative.com/about/
Parish-Plass, N. (2013). Animal-assisted psychotherapy: Theory, issues, and practice. Purdue University Press.
Poe, B.A., & Strand, E.B. (in press). History of veterinary social work. In S. Loue & P. Linden (Eds.), The comprehensive guide to interdisciplinary veterinary social work. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Reijula, K., Räsänen, K., Hämäläinen, M., Juntunen, K., Lindbohm, M-L., Taskinen, H., Bergbom, B., & Rinta-Jouppi, M. (2003). Work environment and occupational health of Finnish veterinarians. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 44, 46-57. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.10228
Rockett, B., & Carr, S. (2014). Animals and attachment theory. Society & Animals, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341322
Rohlf, V. I. (2018). Interventions for occupational stress and compassion fatigue in animal care professionals—A systematic review. Traumatology, 24(3), 186–192. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000144
Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. (2021). Code of professional conduct for veterinary surgeons. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/code-of-professional-conduct-for-veterinary-surgeons/#rcvs
Salgado, B. (2017, May/June). Airports get their wag on with therapy animal programs. Airportimprovement. https://airportimprovement.com/article/airports-get-their-wag-therapy-animal-programs
Sterman, J., & Bussert, K. (2020). Human-animal interaction in social work: A call to action. Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 17(1), 47-54. https://jswve.org/download/2020-1/articles-17-1/Human-animal-interaction-in-social-work.pdf
Straus, M. A. (2008). Dominance and symmetry in partner violence by male and female university students in 32 nations. Children and Youth Services Review, 30(3), 252-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.10.004
Uglow, L. S. (2019). The benefits of an animal-assisted intervention service to patients and staff at a children's hospital. British Journal of Nursing, 28(8), 509-516. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.8.509
University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (n.d.) Veterinary social work. Vetsocialwork. https://vetsocialwork.utk.edu/
Vincent, A., Heima, M., & Farkas, K. (2020). Therapy dog support in pediatric dentistry: A social welfare intervention for reducing anticipatory anxiety and situated fear in children. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 37(6), 615-629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00701-4
Vincent, A., McDonald, S., Poe, B., & Deisner, V. (2019). The Link between interpersonal violence and animal abuse. Society Register, 3(3), 83-101. https://doi.org/10.14746/sr.2019.3.3.05
Wanser, S. H., Vitale, K. R., Thielke, L. E., Brubaker, L., & Udell, M. A. (2019). Spotlight on the psychological basis of childhood pet attachment and its implications. Psychology research and behavior management, 12, 469–479. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S158998
Wilson, E. O. (1984). Biophilia. Harvard University Press.
Winston, E. (in press). Animal assisted interventions and psychotherapy. In S. Loue, & P. Linden (Eds.), The comprehensive guide to interdisciplinary veterinary social work. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Winston, E. K. (2015a). Animal assisted psychotherapy for grief and loss with children and adolescents. In S. L. Brooke, & D.A. Miraglia (Eds.), Using the creative therapies to cope with grief and loss (pp. 373-391). Charles C. Thomas.
Winston, E. K. (2015b). Animal assisted psychotherapy in the healing of childhood depression. In S.L. Brooke, & C.E. Myers (Eds.), The use of creative therapies in treating depression (pp. 291-309). Charles C. Thomas.
World Animal Protection. (2020). Animal protection index (API) 2020: Romania: ranking D. World Animal Protection. https://api.worldanimalprotection.org/country/romania
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2021 The Authors & LUMEN Publishing House
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant this journalright of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work, with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as an earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala Journal has an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND
