Article

The use of animals in various assistive, therapeutic, and emotional support roles
has contributed to the uncoordinated expansion of labels used to distinguish
these animals. To address the inconsistent vocabulary and confusion, this article
proposes a concise taxonomy for classifying assistance animals. Several factors
were identified to differentiate categories, including (1) whether the animal
performs work or tasks related to an individual's disability; (2) the typical
level of skill required by the animal performing the work or task; (3) whether
the animal is used by public service, military, or healthcare professionals; (4)
whether training certifications or standards are available; and (5) the existence
of legal public access protections for the animal and handler. Acknowledging that
some category labels have already been widely accepted or codified, six
functional categories were identified: (1) service animal; (2) public service
animal; (3) therapy animal; (4) visitation animal; (5) sporting, recreational, or
agricultural animal; and (6) support animal. This taxonomy provides a clear
vocabulary for use by consumers, professionals working in the field, researchers, policy makers, and regulatory agencies.
- Animal

Langue : ANGLAIS