The March newsletter from the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) is now available. This edition includes the new International Guidelines for Equine Care and Welfare, and Equine Training and Handling in Equine-Assisted Services. Everyone involved in equine-assisted services is encouraged to review these guidelines and help us to disseminate them widely.

View the newsletter here.

Dr Ormerod, our Chairman, has been invited to present to staff at Teesside NHS on the link between animal cruelty, child abuse and domestic violence. This follows the publication of a paper she co-authored which for the first- time applied Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological model to illustrate a better understanding of family violence for practitioners. See Figure 1.

You may have heard that the Government has updated its Model Tenancy Agreement to encourage landlords to permit pets. However, this is only guidance, there is no change in the law. Herewith the relevant clause which can be found on page 29, clause 1.5:

The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), since its inauguration, has raised awareness about the harms caused by no pets in housing rules. 

Today, SCAS launches its Pets & Housing campaign to help tackle this topic which causes so much distress to pet owners and their companion animals. SCAS has held a number of conferences throughout the UK which have focused on the issues. Our Chairman, Dr Elizabeth Ormerod, has visited with overseas colleagues who facilitated the introduction of positive pets in housing legislation. Elizabeth has given presentations about the role of pets in society and the urgent need for pets in housing legislation at meetings in the House of Commons, in the House of Lords, in the Scottish Parliament and to MEPS in Brussels. The situation is becoming more critical due to the increasing demand for rental properties and the unintended consequence of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 which removed the right of landlords to request a returnable pet deposit. 

The International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy® are holding a 4 day in-person Level 1 Animal Assisted Play Therapy Workshop from the 27-30 June 2021. This training programme is designed for play therapists, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, psychiatrists, family therapists, and other experienced mental health, medical, allied health, and educational professionals.