Your weekly round-up of news, research, and practice from the world of animal-assisted learning — curated for teachers, SEND practitioners, and AAT/AAL professionals in schools, farms, and therapeutic settings.
This Week in Brief
A busy week for the field — with new peer-reviewed research landing in Frontiers in Veterinary Science and Behavioural Sciences on the benefits of AAI for neurodivergent individuals, and The Dog Mentor holding its annual UK conference on 18 June. UK-specific themes are prominent: a significant new study evaluating dogs in UK schools was published in ScienceDirect; a Sheffield academic group launched a new research network on animal welfare education for children (AWECA); and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 received Royal Assent in April — bringing renewed attention to safeguarding frameworks that practitioners in this space should be aware of. There’s also a useful moment to highlight welfare concerns, as research continues to flag gaps in training standards for school dogs.
🐾 Animal-Assisted Learning & Intervention
Research, best practice, and new programmes
⭐ New Overview: Benefits of AAI in Medical and Therapeutic Contexts
Frontiers in Veterinary Science | 2026
A major new review examines the cognitive mechanisms, sensory perception, and welfare considerations underpinning AAI across health and therapeutic settings. The paper explores how AAI strengthens social bonds, regulates mood, enhances motivation, and reduces stress — with particular focus on dogs and horses. It notes that while evidence is strong for mental health, autism, and physical impairment, further research is needed in other clinical areas.
⭐ New Research: AAI for Neurodivergent Individuals
Behavioural Sciences | May 2026
A new paper advances understanding of AAI for neurodivergent individuals, foregrounding lived experience and person-centred outcomes. A standout study by Brumpton & Kargas (2026) focuses on autistic adults’ experiences of therapeutic horse riding — findings include enjoyment, calm, self-efficacy, and benefits that extended into daily life. The field is shifting from deficit-focused approaches toward quality-of-life and agency.
AAI Feasibility in Psychiatric Rehabilitation
NCBI / PubMed Central | 2026
A new study assesses the effectiveness and feasibility of AAI within a recovery-oriented psychiatric rehabilitation programme for people with psychotic spectrum disorders. Physical contact with animals was found to act as a calming factor on heart rate and breathing, supporting AAI as a meaningful complement to clinical treatment.
🐕 Therapy & Visiting Animals in Schools
Schemes, case studies, and news
⭐ The Dog Mentor Conference 2026 — 18 June
The Dog Mentor | June 2026
The Dog Mentor held its annual UK conference on 18 June. The programme has now been implemented in over 600 schools across the UK, with over 1,500 education professionals trained and more than 700 Dog Mentor dogs working in schools daily. A first peer-reviewed research paper on the programme — produced in collaboration with the University of Lincoln — has now been published in Behavioural Sciences.
⭐ Dogs in UK Schools: Status Quo Evaluation
ScienceDirect | 2026
A significant new study provides the most comprehensive evaluation to date of how dogs are currently used in UK schools. It found that 88% of respondents reported no awareness of any injuries or aggressive incidents over the previous 12 months. The paper calls for national guidelines including certification requirements and hygiene protocols.
BERA Blog: Reading to Dogs — Children’s Perspectives
British Educational Research Association | 2026
A BERA blog post explores children’s own experiences of reading to dogs in schools, complementing the growing evidence base and contributing to the ongoing debate on whether reading-to-dogs programmes are a “misguided fad or effective research-backed intervention.”
Pets in the Classroom Grant Expands to High Schools
Pet Age / Pets in the Classroom | 2025–2026
The Pets in the Classroom grant programme (US-based) has expanded eligibility to high school teachers for the first time, covering PreK–Grade 12. Though not available to UK applicants, this change signals growing mainstream recognition that classroom pets benefit older students, not just younger children.
🐄 School Farms & Farm-Based Learning
Projects, policy, and examples
Stable Futures at Simms Farm, Englefield — Animal-Assisted Alternative Provision
Englefield Estate / Stable Futures | Ongoing
An inspiring example of farm-based AAL in practice: Stable Futures (run by Amegreen Children’s Services) operates from a 32-acre farm with 13 horses and ponies, goats, sheep, alpacas, guinea pigs, and hens. Up to 16 children aged 6–18 with educational and behavioural challenges engage in animal welfare routines, therapeutic horsemanship, and accredited learning pathways (RDA, City & Guilds, ASDAN).
USDA FY2026 Farm to School Grants — Up to $18 Million Available
USDA Food and Nutrition Service | 2026
The US Farm to School Grant Programme for FY2026 offers competitive grants of $100,000–$500,000, totalling up to $18 million, to improve access to local foods and comprehensive farm-to-school programming. While, like many current grants and funding sources, this is US-focused, this is a significant public investment in the farm–school connection that UK practitioners will want to watch.
🌟 SEND & Specialist Provision
Animal-assisted approaches with SEND pupils
⭐ New Tool: Measuring AAA Effectiveness for Children with SEN
NCBI / PubMed Central | 2026
A pilot study has developed and tested a new measurement tool specifically designed to assess animal-assisted activity (AAA) effectiveness on socialisation outcomes for children with special educational needs. Standardised measurement has long been a gap in the field — this is a significant practical contribution for practitioners and commissioners alike.
Dogs in Special Education — Systematic Review Evidence
NCBI / PubMed Central | Ongoing evidence base
The evidence base for dogs in special education continues to grow. A widely-cited systematic review examines outcomes across autism, ADHD, and cerebral palsy, with findings showing benefits across stress reduction, motivation, social skills, cognitive abilities, and mental wellbeing — though noting results vary across functional domains and study quality.
🎓 Adult & Further Education Settings
Animal activities in non-school contexts
University of Michigan: Certificate in Animal Assisted Interventions
University of Michigan School of Social Work | June 2026
A two-day CPD certificate course in AAI was delivered in June 2026 for social work practitioners, covering mindfulness, self-awareness, observation, engagement, interpretation, assessment, and intervention. A sign of growing professional demand for AAI qualifications at postgraduate and continuing education level.
Clinical Trial: Nature & AAA for Young Adults with Autism
ClinicalTrials.gov | Est. completion: December 2025
An active clinical study examines the effects of nature and animal-assisted activities for young adults with autism who experience social withdrawal — crossing into adult education and therapeutic contexts. Results are expected to publish in the near term and will be worth watching for practitioners in post-16 and adult provision.
⚠️ Improvements to Practice & Welfare Concerns
Critical examples worth being aware of
⭐ Only 40.7% of Working School Dogs Had Specialist Training
ScienceDirect — Dogs Working in Schools: Safety Awareness and Animal Welfare
A key finding from research on dogs working in schools: only 40.7% had received specialised training before beginning work. Withdrawal reactions — a stress indicator — were seen in 37% of dogs observed. Fewer problems occurred when canine aptitude tests or specialised training had been completed beforehand.
Barriers Persist in UK Animal Welfare Education
Sheffield Institute of Education | February 2026
Despite clear benefits, animal welfare education still faces significant barriers in UK schools: time pressure, lack of senior leader support, perceived irrelevance, knowledge gaps, parental backlash, and controversy concerns. Critically, the UK does not require schools to teach children about animal welfare — it remains entirely voluntary. A new research group, AWECA, has been set up to address this.
Wildlife in Schools — Ongoing Welfare Concerns
Born Free USA | Ongoing
Born Free continues to highlight welfare concerns around wildlife kept as classroom pets. Commonly kept classroom animals often have specialist needs that cannot be met in school environments, and can suffer injury and premature death when handled by young children. Relevant context for practitioners advising schools on responsible animal choices.
Briefing compiled week of 22 June 2026. Sources searched include ScienceDirect, PubMed/NCBI, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, BERA, Sheffield Institute of Education, UK Parliament, The Dog Mentor, USDA, and general web search. Have a story or research to share? Get in touch.