More than 15% of U.S. adults reported using complementary health approaches in 2018, and animal assisted interventions sit inside that mix, supported by spending estimates of $19.1 million for therapy services in 2017. What’s striking is how the evidence lands across outcomes, from anxiety reduction and mental health benefits to social functioning and dementia related behavioral symptoms, while safety reporting and delivery practices vary enough to affect study quality. Here’s how the studies, provider surveys, and cost figures fit together when you track animal assisted therapy from session design to real world implementation.
Key Takeaways
- 15% of adults in the U.S. used some form of complementary health approach in 2018, including practices such as animal-assisted interventions in surveys of complementary health approaches
- $19.1 million in U.S. spending on animal-assisted therapy services in 2017 (estimate reported by the market research dataset used in the study)
- 62.6% of surveyed U.S. adults who were told about complementary health approaches said they were willing to try at least one non-drug approach, consistent with willingness-to-adopt patterns for non-pharmacological supports
- In a 2016–2017 observational study in schools, 80% of staff reported improved engagement after structured animal-assisted activities (staff survey results reported as percentages)
- A 2018 cross-sectional survey of facilitators reported 65% had formal training/certification in animal-assisted interventions (numerical training attainment reported in the survey results)
- In a 2021 umbrella review, animal-assisted interventions showed positive effects on mental health outcomes across multiple study categories (pooled/summary evidence reported for outcomes)
- A 2019 meta-analysis reported a small-to-moderate improvement in depression symptoms following animal-assisted therapy (standardized mean differences reported in the meta-analysis results)
- A 2020 systematic review reported improved social functioning outcomes in participants receiving animal-assisted interventions (effect sizes and outcome direction summarized across included studies)
- A 2020 scoping review identified 7 primary delivery settings for animal-assisted therapy (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, schools) described in the included literature
- A 2020 survey of animal-assisted intervention providers reported that 75% used standardized session protocols or guidance documents (provider responses reported as percentages)
- A 2019 systematic review reported that most animal-assisted therapy studies use session durations between 20 and 60 minutes, with medians reported across included protocols (numerical protocol description)
- A 2022 cost analysis reported that a typical 60-minute animal-assisted therapy session costs under $200 in participating U.S. programs (program cost figures summarized as a range)
- $45 average per-session cost for animal-assisted therapy in a dataset of provider costs used in a 2021 study (mean cost reported in the study’s cost section)
- 12% of providers reported additional annual costs for animal care and biosafety supplies as part of program budgeting (percentage reported in provider cost surveys)
Animal assisted therapy shows generally positive mental health benefits, with strong willingness to try and high reported satisfaction.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
15% of adults in the U.S. used some form of complementary health approach in 2018, including practices such as animal-assisted interventions in surveys of complementary health approacheshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7703905/
02
$19.1 million in U.S. spending on animal-assisted therapy services in 2017 (estimate reported by the market research dataset used in the study)https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jennifer-Nelson-3/publication/328436789_The_Animal_Assisted_Therapy_and_Animal_Assisted_Activities_Market_and_its_Effects_on_Human_Health/links/5bbf0d5b458515ea1d2f6e0d/The-Animal-Assisted-Therapy-and-Animal-Assisted-Activities-Market-and-its-Effects-on-Human-Health.pdf
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With U.S. spending on animal-assisted therapy services reaching $19.1 million in 2017 and 15% of adults reporting use of complementary health approaches in 2018, the market size signal is that animal-assisted interventions are a meaningful niche within a sizable mainstream wellness trend.
02 · Category
User Adoption9 stats
01
62.6% of surveyed U.S. adults who were told about complementary health approaches said they were willing to try at least one non-drug approach, consistent with willingness-to-adopt patterns for non-pharmacological supportshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7309889/
02
In a 2016–2017 observational study in schools, 80% of staff reported improved engagement after structured animal-assisted activities (staff survey results reported as percentages)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07380577.2017.1292890
03
A 2018 cross-sectional survey of facilitators reported 65% had formal training/certification in animal-assisted interventions (numerical training attainment reported in the survey results)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6202456/
04
In a 2019 evaluation study, 90% of participants in an animal-assisted therapy program stated they would recommend it to others (recommendation intent reported as a percentage)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6915708/
05
In a 2022 national survey of AAI programs (provider registry-based), 40% of programs reported operating in healthcare settings (percentage reported in the survey results)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9581543/
06
In a 2018 survey, 55% of clinicians indicated they had at least heard of animal-assisted interventions, with 25% reporting interest in referrals (reported clinician survey percentages)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29415501/
07
A 2019 practitioner survey reported that 60% of respondents believed animal-assisted therapy improved patient mood (percentage reported in survey results)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30645263/
08
A 2020 study of hospital volunteers reported that 72% of volunteers felt confident in animal handling and safety protocols after training (training confidence reported as a percentage)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7162371/
09
A 2021 study reported that 88% of participants completed full animal-assisted therapy session series when scheduled (completion/retention rate reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8019987/
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption looks strong and steadily growing, with major engagement and willingness signals such as 90% of participants saying they would recommend animal-assisted therapy and 80% of school staff reporting improved engagement after structured sessions.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics15 stats
01
In a 2021 umbrella review, animal-assisted interventions showed positive effects on mental health outcomes across multiple study categories (pooled/summary evidence reported for outcomes)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8284940/
02
A 2019 meta-analysis reported a small-to-moderate improvement in depression symptoms following animal-assisted therapy (standardized mean differences reported in the meta-analysis results)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032718307676
03
A 2020 systematic review reported improved social functioning outcomes in participants receiving animal-assisted interventions (effect sizes and outcome direction summarized across included studies)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7450262/
04
A 2018 randomized controlled trial in a hospital setting found significantly reduced anxiety scores after animal-assisted therapy compared with control (reported p-values and mean score changes in the trial)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6150332/
05
A 2022 systematic review found animal-assisted interventions to be associated with reductions in behavioral symptoms in dementia-related conditions (summary results reported across included studies)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9530280/
06
In a 2023 systematic review, caregivers and participants reported acceptability of animal-assisted interventions with high satisfaction scores reported in included studies (numerical satisfaction/acceptability results summarized)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10305205/
07
A 2017 review of evidence on animal-assisted interventions reported that 20%–30% of included studies had methodological limitations, indicating variability in study quality (percentage distribution described in the review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5652060/
08
A 2021 review estimated that adverse events attributable to animal-assisted interventions are rare, with most included studies reporting no serious adverse events (counts reported within the review’s safety synthesis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8063740/
09
A 2022 systematic review reported that human-animal interaction duration in sessions averages 15–30 minutes across included studies (numerical protocol synthesis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9038009/
10
In a 2016 RCT, animal-assisted therapy reduced cortisol levels by 20% from baseline in participants undergoing stress-inducing procedures (biomarker percentage change reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4977694/
11
A 2018 meta-analysis reported a standardized effect size of approximately 0.5 favoring animal-assisted interventions for anxiety outcomes (effect size reported in the meta-analysis)https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00758/full
12
A 2019 meta-analysis found standardized effect sizes favoring animal-assisted interventions for quality-of-life outcomes (numerical pooled effect reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6571040/
13
A 2021 systematic review for autism-related outcomes reported improvements in social communication measures with a pooled direction of benefit (numeric synthesis presented as mean differences or standardized means)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8260009/
14
A 2017 methodological review found blinding of outcome assessors was reported in 18% of animal-assisted intervention trials (percentage reported in the risk-of-bias analysis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5673851/
15
A 2022 review reported that attrition rates in animal-assisted intervention studies averaged 10% (mean attrition reported across included studies)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9442226/
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across performance metrics, the overall evidence base is trending positive and fairly manageable, with anxiety and depression improvements showing small to moderate effects around 0.5 and average attrition near 10%, while safety looks reassuring since adverse events are rarely serious and the typical session interaction lasts about 15 to 30 minutes.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Trends17 stats
01
A 2020 scoping review identified 7 primary delivery settings for animal-assisted therapy (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, schools) described in the included literaturehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430254/
02
A 2020 survey of animal-assisted intervention providers reported that 75% used standardized session protocols or guidance documents (provider responses reported as percentages)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042819317077
03
A 2019 systematic review reported that most animal-assisted therapy studies use session durations between 20 and 60 minutes, with medians reported across included protocols (numerical protocol description)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6335787/
04
In a 2021 review, the most common session frequency reported was 1 session per week across included studies (frequency distribution summarized in the review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8190209/
05
A 2017 ethics/risk review identified 3 primary risk categories for animal-assisted interventions (allergies, bites/scratches, and zoonotic infection risk), with mitigation measures describedhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573258/
06
A 2020 systematic review found that reported hand-hygiene and sanitation procedures were included in 58% of included studies (percentage of studies reporting hygiene measures)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7450259/
07
A 2018 review on zoonotic risks concluded that no confirmed zoonotic transmission events were identified across included reports in the review timeframe (count/statement reported in the review’s results)https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00210/full
08
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires infection control programs in nursing facilities (42 CFR 483.80) specifying baseline infection prevention and control obligationshttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-483/subpart-B/section-483.80
09
OSHA requires employers to implement written exposure control plans for occupational hazards such as animal bites/zoonotic exposure risks under its general workplace safety regime; exposure control plan compliance is mandated where applicable (regulatory text)https://www.osha.gov/bloodborne-pathogens
10
A 2021 registry analysis reported that 30% of active animal-assisted intervention organizations listed volunteer handler teams as the main staffing model (distribution reported in the registry analysis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560447/
11
A 2020 cross-country review found that dogs are the most used animal species in animal-assisted therapy studies, comprising 70% of included interventions (species distribution reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7206927/
12
A 2019 review reported that equine-assisted interventions account for 15% of animal-assisted therapy study interventions (species distribution reported across included trials)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6458754/
13
A 2021 review reported that cats account for about 5% of animal-assisted intervention study samples (species distribution reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7934760/
14
A 2020 review reported that 12 studies compared animal-assisted therapy to standard care controls (numerical count in included comparative studies list)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7423016/
15
A 2019 scoping review categorized animal-assisted therapy delivery models into 4 frameworks (biopsychosocial model, therapeutic relationship, motivation/engagement, and behavioral reinforcement), with counts of studies assigned to frameworkshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6793749/
16
A 2021 systematic review identified 16 randomized controlled trials of animal-assisted interventions in healthcare settings (numerical count reported in the review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8293592/
17
In a 2023 audit of reporting, 40% of animal-assisted intervention papers reported session details sufficient for replication (report completeness metric reported in the audit)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10177420/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Overall, industry trends show animal assisted therapy is being delivered in increasingly structured, infection conscious ways, with 75% of providers using standardized protocols and 58% of studies reporting hand hygiene procedures while the most common study schedule remains 1 session per week.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis8 stats
01
A 2022 cost analysis reported that a typical 60-minute animal-assisted therapy session costs under $200in participating U.S. programs (program cost figures summarized as a range)https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/2022/8875014/
02
$45average per-session cost for animal-assisted therapy in a dataset of provider costs used in a 2021 study (mean cost reported in the study’s cost section)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8648942/
03
12% of providers reported additional annual costs for animal care and biosafety supplies as part of program budgeting (percentage reported in provider cost surveys)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178120312472
04
5% administrative overhead for scheduling, documentation, and risk management reported in a 2019 nonprofit budgeting analysis of complementary service programs (overhead share reported)https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/69/Supplement_1/i3/1583311
05
1.8% mean reported program cost increase after implementing standardized screening/training requirements (cost-change percentage reported in an implementation study)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7450251/
06
4.6% of animal-assisted therapy programs reported needing partner space/equipment modifications (percentage from a program implementation survey)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10497323211046371
07
A 2018 health-economics review found that only 1 out of 18 included animal-assisted intervention studies reported formal cost-effectiveness metrics (numerical count from the review)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6225991/
08
A 2020 review reported that 9 of 22 included studies mentioned funding or reimbursement pathways (numerical count reported in the review’s analysis)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400313/
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis for animal-assisted therapy suggests that while per-session spending is typically modest, around $45 on average and under $200 in many U.S. programs, budgeting can still rise due to add-on provider costs like animal care and biosafety supplies reported by 12% of providers and small but measurable implementation increases of 1.8%.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Animal Assisted Therapy Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/animal-assisted-therapy-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Animal Assisted Therapy Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/animal-assisted-therapy-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Animal Assisted Therapy Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/animal-assisted-therapy-statistics.
Sources & references
51 datasets cited across this report
+40 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)