Animal-Assisted Interventions: Factors Affecting Donkey Behaviours and Attitude Toward Humans
2024
Serenella d’Ingeo | Valeria Straziota | Marcello Siniscalchi | Onofrio Depalma | Sara Petrassi | Michela Romano | Angelo Quaranta
The relationship between humans and donkeys has ancient origins. In recent years, donkeys&rsquo: involvement in Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) has grown, raising major concerns about their welfare during these activities. We investigated the factors affecting donkeys&rsquo: behaviour during an AAI programme for migrants. We observed an effect of human distance from the animal, the interaction mode, and food presence on the animals&rsquo: behaviours and attitudes toward humans. Moreover, we provide preliminary evidence of the effect of AAI on migrants&rsquo: welfare and prosocial behaviours and offer insights into the issues to address in future studies.
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