Marketing animal facilitated therapy.

Animal Facilitated Therapy (AFT) is the therapeutic use of the human-animal bond to improve a patient's physical and emotional health. It is an emerging treatment modality that is gaining acceptance among medical practitioners and healthcare administrators. Medical care has traditionally focused on the clinical well-being of the patient. But it is now widely recognized that emotional health is an integral part of physical health. Many patients have unmet psychological and emotional needs that affect their ability to heal and to maintain health. Because some animals have the capacity for interrelationships with people, companion animals can provide an adjunct to traditional therapies. For many patients, particularly those having long-term disabilities, the interaction with an animal fills important emotional needs which can improve mental and physical health. AFT often works when other therapeutic modalities have failed. It gives health professionals an alternative method for reaching patients who are depressed or who have withdrawn from social intercourse. AFT can be used in a variety of situations and settings. Programs are often staffed by trained volunteers and can be implemented and maintained at a relatively low cost. Marketing Animal Facilitated Therapy must focus on creating awareness about the health benefits derived from the human-animal bond, stimulating demand for animal therapy programs in healthcare settings, and generating funding for operating expenses and replication of services.