Animal-assisted education in social work

Animals play a central role in people's lives. This is illustrated by the large number of animals living in German households. According to estimates, there were a total of 28 million cats, dogs, small mammals and pet birds in 2013. The human-animal relationship is an important starting point for use in educational and therapeutic contexts. Despite a lack of scientifically based literature on the subject, the inclusion of animals in social work and the development of a professional discourse have increased significantly in recent years. The question is to what extent animal-assisted education can be used effectively in social work and what positive effects this can have on people's quality of life. To clarify this question, this paper takes a closer look at the human-animal relationship, differentiates between the various forms of animal-assisted interventions, and establishes a practical reference to the target group of 'people with disabilities' with the inclusion of horses in animal-assisted education.