Animal-Assisted Intervention in the Philippines: The Case of Communitails

Abstract

Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) are programs that are based on the Human-Animal Bond (HAB), which emphasizes the notion that these kinds of relationships are beneficial for one’s mental, physical, and social well-being (Blazina, Boyraz, & Shen-Miller, 2011). Communitails, which is an AAI-practicing group in the Philippines, can allow us to understand how these programs are done in the country. This explanatory single-case study tackles how this social enterprise began, how they operate, how they consider local aspects in their practice, and how they can further the programs in the country. By conducting online interviews with and gathering digital copies of documents from Communitails administrators and members, the study explained how AAIs are multi-faceted practices which must consider the large-scale context in which it operates. Starting with the Board of Directors, the group aimed to address the relevant concerns rampant in the society by providing a means of mutual healing between humans and animals in the form of the AAI programs. To provide their programs, the social enterprise relies heavily on collaborations with institutions. The group ensures safe and proper practice through a series of preparations as well as evaluations; however, the latter has exhibited an inconsistency in terms of the means by which they gather feedback. Nevertheless, advancing local AAIs can be done through increased collaboration, research, and practice, reaching out to both the public and private sectors of society. As a whole, Philippine AAI remains to be underpublicized and under-researched, but it is promising in that it is applicable to different populations for different reasons. Future researchers must maximize the expertise and knowledge that Communitails has spearheaded thus far, and aspiring AAI practitioners must aid in expanding the reach of the programs in the country.