Social workers play a critical role in the wellbeing of communities – trained to help individuals, families, and groups effect positive change and address barriers that stand in the way of optimal life and wellbeing. In addition to a focus on people, many social workers include animals in their definition of systems and family units, leading to endless ways they have successfully incorporated animals into their work.

This book offers insights from pioneers as well as practitioners in the field who have created their niche within this growing area. Coming from the philosophy that we cannot work towards what we do not know exists, this book offers knowledge, pathways, and advice from those who have succeeded in including their love for animals into their careers, shining a light on the path for those who share similar passions.

The book can be used as a supplemental textbook in undergraduate and graduate social work academic programs as well as a resource for social workers in the field looking for ways to expand their work.

Section One – Veterinary Social Work. 1.The interprofessional practice space of veterinary social work- a social worker’s perspective. 2.Embedded social work in a school of veterinary medicine. 3.The cherished pets model of veterinary social work. 4.Veterinary social work journey. 5.Kaleidoscope of a veterinary social worker. 6.Grief led me here. 7.Veterinary social work: becoming the best version of your professional self. 8.Hospital-based veterinary social work: a brief primer. 9.Partnering with therapy animal handler volunteers in healthcare: an introduction to volunteer management for social workers. 10.My journey from human medicine to veterinary medicine. 11.A horse of a different color. Section Two – Human Animal Interactions focused Program Development and Policy Advocacy. 12.Programs & Policies. 13.Policy advocacy and program evaluation: the external link of practice work in one health. 14."Puffy’s Pet Boarding" – a second home for your dog. 15.Addressing the link between violence toward people and animals as a generalist social worker. 16.Chasing Impact: take that leap of faith. 17.Sprout: companion animal to service dog to career inspiration. 18.On canines, conflicts & community: reflections on one health. 19.Equine-assisted social work: a perfect match. Section Three – Animal Assisted Interventions. 20.The power of paws: working full-time in animal-assisted interactions. 21.Animal assisted psychotherapy: integrating "canine co-therapists" into clinical social work outpatient treatment settings. 22.Animal assisted therapy in clinical work within the disability community. 23.Paws in play: the power of integrating animals into play therapy practice. 24."The world is best viewed through the ears of a horse" My career in equine assisted services. 25.Paws for play: dogs in play therapy. 26.Finding your HAI niche. 27.Bear is my bridge. 28.Pandemic pups: research and clinical implications. 29.Shelter pets and sheltered kids: animal assisted therapy in juvenile justice. 30.When psychology and social work meet: a clinician’s experiences in the mental health field. 31.Animal-assisted psychotherapy: the golden standard. Section Four – The Inclusion of Human-Animal Interactions within Social Work Practice. 32.HAI in social work practice. 33. Pursuing a Career in Veterinary Social Work. 34.The integrated approach: one social worker’s roundabout career journey incorporating veterinary social work and one health. 35.Careers in one health: social workersʼ roles in caring for humans and their companion animals. 36.Animals are my teachers. 37.A social work path to teaching in higher education. 38.Providing effective supervision for veterinary social workers in practice. 39.Social work outside the box. 40.Advocacy and pawprints: how a dog changed my career. 41.True joy: animal assisted play therapy. 42.A one health path to support health and wellbeing. 43.Weaving humane education into social work. Section Five – Human Animal Interactions Focus within Human and Animal Organizations. 44.Emerging practices in animal welfare. 45.Lessons from horses led my career. 46.A Social Worker’s Learnings from the Human Animal Bond: Animals as Family, Healers and Colleagues. 47.Elevating the lives of animals and our relationships with them. 48.The best way to help pets is to help people. 49.Centering racialized lived experiences for human and animal well-being. 50.Unexpected implementation of AAI in crisis work. 51.Law enforcement, social work & therapy dogs. 52.Police social work: partnering with animals to help heal communities. 53.Serving people and animals: a worthy career . 54.Social workers’ roles in caring for humans and their companion animals. 55.Animal assisted therapy in an Israeli psychiatric hospital. Section Six – Human Animal Interactions Focus within Academia. 56.Finding professional and personal meaning through human-animal interaction academic research. 57.The professor and "the pit bull lady". 58.How I became the "dog person" at work. 59.Social workers’ roles in creating inclusive communities for all animals – human and non-human. 60.Designing a diverse social work career. 61.Human-animal-environment interactions in social work at the University of Denver. 62.Supreme dogs, dream jobs. 63.How I got here. 64.Paw and hoofprints on my career path. 65.Critical animal studies and one health in social work. 66.Hospital veterinary social work in the Canadian context. 67.Bringing veterinary social work into a one-health model. 68.Social work and human-animal interaction in an academic setting.