Animal-assisted therapy programs bring incredible healing benefits to participants, but they also require rigorous standards around handler training, animal welfare, and participant safety. Whether you're running a therapy dog program, equine-assisted therapy sessions, or working with other support animals, maintaining ethical practices and clear conduct expectations is essential for everyone involved.

This Animal-Assisted Therapy Program Code of Conduct template helps therapy organizations, healthcare facilities, and wellness centers establish professional standards for their animal-assisted programs. The form covers handler certification verification, animal welfare monitoring commitments, participant screening protocols, and ethical conduct expectations—all critical components for running a safe, effective, and compliant program.

Built with Paperform, this template goes beyond simple acknowledgments. You can collect handler credentials, track animal health documentation, screen participants for allergies or phobias, and ensure everyone understands their responsibilities before the first session begins. Conditional logic shows relevant sections based on role (handler, participant, or facility staff), keeping the form streamlined while capturing complete information.

For therapy coordinators managing multiple handlers and animals, Stepper can automate your onboarding workflow—sending certification reminders to handlers, scheduling animal wellness checks, triggering orientation materials for new participants, and keeping your compliance documentation organized across your entire program.

If your program requires signed agreements for liability waivers or conduct acknowledgments, Papersign lets you turn form submissions into legally binding eSignature documents, creating a complete audit trail from initial screening through signed code of conduct acceptance.

This template is ideal for therapy organizations, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, schools, senior living communities, and any organization implementing animal-assisted interventions with professional standards and participant care at the forefront.