Animal-Assisted Interactions in Children With Life-Threatening Conditions and Their Parents

Objectives:

1. Examine the feasibility of animal-assisted interactions sessions for children with a
life-threatening condition and primary caregiver to:

- Identify and document modifications for a safe and feasible intervention,

- Obtain recruitment estimates and determine potential recruitment barriers

- Evaluate elements of implementation fidelity (design, training, delivery/receipt of
Treatment, enactment)

- Verify safety.

H1-1: Children and parents (>60%) will complete the interventions and provide positive
acceptability data. H1-2: Implementation fidelity can be achieved with the proposed
methodology

2. Determine the preliminary efficacy of animal-assisted interactions sessions for:

- Children with a life-threatening condition (LTC) for the outcome of health-related
quality of life

- Children with a LTC and their primary caregivers for the outcomes of stress and
anxiety

H2-1 Children with a life-threatening condition who receive animal-assisted interactions will
experience improved health-related quality of life (HRQOL) more than patients who do not
receive animal-assisted interactions.

H2-2a Children with life-threatening condition who receive animal-assisted interactions will
experience decreased stress and anxiety more than parents of children who do not receive
animal-assisted interactions.

H2-2b Primary caregivers of children with a life-threatening condition who receive
animal-assisted interactions will experience decreased stress and anxiety more than parents
of children who do not receive animal-assisted interactions.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Children 3-17 years old

- Confirmed diagnosis of relapsed or refractory cancer

Exclusion Criteria:

- Reported fear or anxiety of dogs (child or parent)