PRACTICE NOTE: ANIMALS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE - anzasw
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PRACTICE NOTE: ANIMALS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
“Manaakitanga: SOCIAL WORKERS recognise and support the mana of others. We act towards
others with respect, kindness and compassion. We practice empathic solidarity, ensure safe space,
acknowledge boundaries and meet obligations.
• We recognise the sentience of animals and ensure that any animal engaged as part of our
social work practice is protected”.
The ANZASW Code of Ethics statement invites Social Workers to consider Human and Animal
Relationships (HAR) in practice and the impact of social, economic and environmental systems on
humans and the animals they live with to promote a species inclusive practice approach.
The New Zealand Animal Welfare Act (1999) was amended in 2015 to recognise that ‘animals are
sentient’. Sentience is ‘a capacity of animals to consciously perceive by the senses; to consciously
feel or experience subjectively’ i
The New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) define sentienceii as “the ability to feel, perceive or
experience subjectively. (i.e., the animal is not only capable of feeling pain and distress but also can
have positive psychological experience, such as comfort, pleasure or interest that are appropriate to
its species, environment and circumstances) To state that animals are sentient accepts that they can
experience positive and negative emotions”.
A large body of evidence demonstrates the impressive cognitive capacities and behavioural flexibility
of diverse species, including invertebrates. Many species have the capacity to experience positive
and negative affect, to communicate with others and to interact with the environment.
Thus, while sentience is central to the legislation, in social work practice, it should be recognised that
the presence or otherwise of sentience is not the only ethical consideration when animals are
involved. Animals, whether sentient or not, are subjects of a life; they have lives that matter ethically,
if not to themselves (if they are not sentient), then in relation to the effect that harming them, also
harms us. Therefore, social workers should advocate for all creatures to be treated kindly and not
harmed, so far as it is possible to do so.
The Five Domains of Animal Welfare extends the focus of animal welfare on addressing negative
animal welfare states for example, hunger, thirst, injury, disease, shelter and failure to express
normal behaviour and emphasises the promotion of positive statesiii
ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice 1|Page
Image from the SPCA Targeted Interventions Portal https://spcatargetedinterventions.nz/ Social scientists have focused on the intersection between human and animal physiological and affective experiences. The research recommends a shift away from a human-focused (anthropocentric) practice that acknowledges the welfare of animals only in so much as it provides a marker for the human condition, to a social work practice that equally considers and plans for the physical and psychological needs of animals. The integration of human and animal relationships in the ecological assessment framework provides a gateway to the early identification of humans and animals at risk of violence and abuse. Animals are active members of the family system and observations and inquiries about the care of animals in the home may provide further information about the emotional, health, financial, and social functioning of the family. Companion animals are dependent on the human family members to meet their needs and social work studies suggest that caring for animals in the home is comparable to caring for young children, elderly, or infirm adults.iv In recognition of the relationship between the human-animal bond and grief and loss, social workers must be aware that the strength of the human-animal bond can be as strong or stronger than human-human bonds. Thus, the death, or other loss, of a companion animal may evoke emotions similar in type and intensity to the death of a significant human. The resulting grief should therefore be similarly acknowledged and validated. In relation to the bond itself, it should be recognized that the many and varied forms of attachments that occur with different species of animals and with different groups of people means that no one species of animal should be privileged over another and that it is beholden on social workers to receive and promote education in relation to the companion animal bond and loss and to in turn, advocate for all people and their animal companions, when changing circumstances may mean that the bond is at risk of being broken. The research demonstrates that animal abuse and child abuse is triggered by the same high need behaviours and the incapacity of the carers to recognise and attend to the psychological and physical needs of the children and animals. The constant demands on parents to care and supervise high energy and active toddlers and cope with eating difficulties, toileting accidents, oppositional and ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 2|Page
defiant behaviours, breaking things, making a mess, making noise, and so on, parallel the behaviours of animals in the home. Children and animals may demonstrate similar signs of abuse and neglect including increased anxiety and a heightened threat response that leads to increased aggression, social withdrawal, running away, reduced appetite, and avoiding or cowering from the perpetrator. Companion animals living with violence rarely survive past the age of 2 years because they are either killed, die from neglect, or run away.v Social work assessment and risk planning The rates for child victimisation and family violence continue to rise in Aotearoa, New Zealand vi and animal cruelty is often an early warning sign that the family members are being abused in their home. Studiesvii confirm that threats and actual harm to companion animals are strategically used to gain and maintain control of family members. viii The Family Violence Act (2018)ix defines animal cruelty as a form of psychological abuse and the New Zealand Police Family Harm Strategy (2018) recognises animal cruelty as a marker for more severe forms of family violence. Research studies suggest that up to 76 per cent of family violence perpetrators threaten to harm or intentionally hurt or kill animals. One study suggests that 80 per cent of child abusers commit animal cruelty and that adults who sexually abuse children frequently gift animals to them in order to gain their trust and compliance. x New Zealand has the highest rate of family violence in the developed worldxi (and the second highest level of 'pet' ownership, so it seems very likely that the prevalence rates for co-existing animal cruelty and family violence are highxii. ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 3|Page
Animal cruelty is a recurring pattern of violence and the research verifies that significant numbers of
non-abusing partners remain in violent relationships to protect animals from abuse.
Animal safety is human safety
Increasingly, social work research is focusing on the human- animal relationship (HAR), the benefits
of the inter-species affiliation, and the negative impact of marginalisation and abuse on both human
and animalxiii.
The relationship with the animals becomes the focus of social work intervention when individuals
and families place themselves at risk of harm when they prioritise the animals needs and when they
are not able to access the appropriate supports to care for their animals and themselves.
Social workers must consider animals in safety planning to identify all forms of abuse occurring in
the home and the ongoing impact of violence on humans and animals.
It is critical to consider the animal’s welfare and safety in relation to the following social work
practice areas including but not limited to:
Homelessness
Family violence
Child and youth development
Hospitalisation and incarceration.
Elderly
Mental health
Disability
Neglect
Conduct disorder
Poverty
Natural disaster/crisis Intervention
Substance use
The use of animals in therapy or intervention
Risk assessment and management planning needs to account for the changing circumstances of all
family members, including the animals.
Social workers can support humans and animal safety by:
a) Ensuring the animal(s) is protected from acts of violence,
b) Identifying methods to mitigate the risk for family members who may intervene to protect
animals,
c) Finding mutually agreed options for animal rehoming, or an acceptable animal carer in a
home environment to care for the animal(s) until the individual or family are able to reunite
with the animals (e.g. during the period of out of home care or when fleeing violence).
Animal Assisted Activities
In recent years, social work research literature has evaluated the benefits of animal-assisted work.
This animal-assisted practice encompasses:
ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 4|Page− Veterinary social work that targets the human needs of veterinary professionals and their
clients, addressing the hardships that arise from the love of animals and the toll of caring for
them,
− Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) where the intervention intentionally includes an animal
as part of the intervention process (e.g. medical assistance animals, dog walking
programmesxiv),
− Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) where the animal is deliberately included in a therapeutic
treatment plan,
− Animal Assisted Activities (AAA): this includes visits to rest homes, cat cafés etc. and other
less formal activities primarily social in focus. xv
− Animal Assisted Education (AAE) a goal oriented, planned and structured intervention
directed and/or delivered by educational and related service professionals
The physical and emotional needs of each individual animal must be considered during animal
assisted activities. The requirements of animals’ change, as do ours, when animals are tired, in pain
or unwell, or elderly; they require compassion and support. Animals that appear to be relaxed when
working in one setting, such as a retirement home, may become anxious when working in another,
e.g. school setting. Some animals are easily stressed by new environments, situations or people, by
human interactions, lighting, smells, sounds or activity, and animals may change their disposition
and what may have been tolerated previously is no longer acceptable to the animal.
Owners often assume that they are in the best position to understand the needs of their animals but
research studies have shown that although the benefits to humans of animal-assisted therapy have
been well-researched, few studies have analysed the effects on the animals, and there is often an
implicit assumption that these activities are also beneficial to the animals involved.
There is also commonly an assumption that owners are adept at detecting indicators of stress in
their pet and will act as advocates to ensure the welfare of animals in AAT. However, pet guardians
are known to often incorrectly interpret dog behaviourxvi. For example, yawning is often assumed to
be a sign of relaxation, whereas in reality this is a common indicator of stress in dogs. Interestingly,
research has shown that non-dog owners may be better at correctly identifying behavioural signs of
anxiety and fear than dog owners. xvii
Using animals as an active participant in social work practice (AAI, AAT, AAA, AAE) requires social
workers to:
• ensure that the animals are protected, and that animal welfare is maintained in accordance
with the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act (1999)
• meet the psychological needs to the animal along with providing appropriate downtime,
play, rest and a stable relationship with their pet guardian
• consider the appropriateness of animal intervention for each client, with a clear plan for the
intervention
• keep the animal free from distress, discomfort and abuse at all times including suspending
sessions or interactions when they become stressful
• Ensure that animal has regular veterinary health checks for both the welfare of the animal
and preventing zoonotic infections
− Ensure the animal is independently assessed as being suitable for such work.
− strongly encourage evidence supported animal-based activities.
ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 5|Page− Ensuring the well-being of all animals used in human-directed therapy are central to the
intervention design and delivery; whether there is reason to believe in a benefit to both
humans and animals, or in interventions where the benefit is clearly for the purpose of the
human; what is critical, is that the animal's welfare must always be paramount.'
Social workers response to animal maltreatment or cruelty
Social workers who encounter animals in their practice with families or communities, in therapeutic
situations, must ensure that the animals are protected, and that animal welfare is maintained in
accordance with the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act (1999).
This requires social workers to:
− consult with professionals trained to correctly interpret the animals’ behaviour or emotional
indicators.
− work alongside families and communities to ensure the animals needs are met.
− include animals in the family safety planning.
− Intervene and report their concerns when they see unsafe or risky practices.
Interagency Approach
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) works in partnership with the Ministry for
Children, Oranga Tamariki and the New Zealand Police to provide an integrated response to animal
cruelty, child abuse, and family violence.
Housing New Zealand supports residents to share their homes with companion animals and
collaborates with the SPCA to promote animal welfare.
The SPCA NZ provide the following advice when animal abuse or neglect is suspected:
If you know or suspect that an animal is being neglected or abused, report your information
immediately to the local SPCA or Police.
Please report instances in relation to the failure to provide appropriate care for an animal this may
include inadequate food, water, veterinary treatment or shelter. The Animal Welfare Act 1999
defines physical, health and behavioural needs of animals; the SPCA investigates breaches of these
needs.
- Physical health and behavioural needs:
- Proper and sufficient food and water
- Adequate shelter
- Opportunity to display normal patterns of behaviour
- Physical handling in a manner which minimises the likelihood of unreasonable and
unnecessary pain or distress
- Protection from, and rapid diagnosis of, any significant injury or disease
ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 6|PageThe SPCA Inspectors require reasonable grounds to suspect that an animal cruelty offence has been
committed. It is essential you provide contact details so they can confirm the facts and gather more
information. Your contact details remain strictly confidential and are protected in accordance with
the Privacy Act. It would be helpful if you could also gather the following information before calling
the SPCA:
- Description of the animal(s) involved
- Details of the condition of the animal(s) and why you believe there has been cruelty or
neglect
- Precise address/description of where the animal(s) are located
- Name and address of the person you believe may be responsible for the cruelty and/or
neglect
- Name, address and contact details of any other witnesses who may be able to help
i
Mellor, D. J. (2019). Welfare-aligned Sentience: Enhanced Capacities to Experience, Interact, Anticipate,
Choose and Survive. Animals, 9(7), 440.
ii
https://www.nzva.org.nz/page/positionsentience?&hhsearchterms=%22sentience%22
iii
Fraser, D. (2008). Understanding Animal Welfare: The Science in Its Cultural Context; Wiley-Blackwell:
Oxford, UK. [Google Scholar]
iv
Loar, L. (2014). ‘How Is Fido?’: What the Family’s Companion Animal Can Tell You about Risk Assessment and
Effective Interventions—If Only You Would Ask! In Animals in Social Work (pp. 135-150). Palgrave Macmillan,
London.
v
Muscari, M. (2004). Juvenile animal abuse: Practice and policy implications for PNPs. Journal of Pediatric
Health Care, 18(1), 15-21.
vi
(New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse (NZFVC). 2016a. Data Summary: Violence Against Women.
vii
(Roguski, M. (2012). Pets as Pawns: The Co-Existence of Animal Cruelty and Family Violence.
Prepared for Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The National
Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges
viii
https://nzfvc.org.nz/news/new-online-resource-animal-cruelty-and-family-violence
ix
Family Violence Act (2018) No 46, Public Act – New Zealand Legislation
x
Loar, L. (2014). ‘How Is Fido?’: What the Family’s Companion Animal Can Tell You about Risk Assessment and
Effective Interventions—If Only You Would Ask! In Animals in Social Work (pp. 135-150). Palgrave Macmillan,
London.
xi
New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse (NZFVC). 2016a. Data Summary: Violence Against Women.
xii
https://spcatargetedinterventions.nz/
xiii
Hillock, S. (2012). Conceptualizations and experiences of oppression: Gender differences. Affilia, 27(1), 38-
50.
xiv. Dog Walking Programmes:
o https://www.otago.ac.nz/physio/research/ageing/otago440401.html
o https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5580638/
xv
Smith, C. M., Tumilty, E., Walker, P., & Treharne, G. J. (2018). Non-human Animals as Research Participants:
Ethical Practice in Animal Assisted Interventions and Research in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In The Palgrave
Handbook of Ethics in Critical Research (pp. 99-115). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
xvi
“Description of the behaviour of domestic dog (Canis familiaris) by experienced and inexperienced
people"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159109001956
ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 7|Pagexvii Demirbas,Y.S., Ozturk, H. Emre, B., Kockaya, M., Ozvardar, T. & Scott, A. (2016) Adults’ Ability to Interpret Canine Body Language during a Dog–Child Interaction, Anthrozoös, 29:4, 581596, DOI: 10.1080/08927936.2016.1228750 ANZASW Practice Note: Animals in Social Work Practice May 2020 8|Page
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