Abstract
Creating an emotionally safe learning environment for a student where they can learn without distress is the goal of educational programs. This emotionally safe environment has been promoted through equine interaction with at risk high school youth. In the collegiate setting canine therapy programs have been set up to reduce student stress, yet studies evaluating the program impact on the emotional safety of the student are lacking. Study objective is to evaluate the relationship between emotional safety in college students and various forms of companion animal interactions. A forced-choice survey instrument measuring companion animal knowledge (19 questions) and emotional safety (49 questions) was given at the beginning of the semester to students enrolled in a companion animal course (25 students). At the start of the survey, 4 questions focused on student companion animal activities. These questions divided students into 3 groups: no daily interaction with companion animals, daily interaction with dogs only, and daily interaction with dogs and other forms of companion animals. All students interacted with companion animals on a weekly basis, but 28% had no access to daily interaction with any form of companion animals, while 40% had daily interaction only with dogs. While the type and extent of companion animal interaction varied, the companion animal knowledge base of each group was similar. All groups answered 65% or more of the companion animal questions correctly (P > 0.05). Similar to the knowledge questions, the extent and type of companion animal interaction did not significantly influence student emotional safety (P > 0.05). All groups responded with no more than 25% of the questions in a negative manner. Thus, when developing a companion animal therapy program that promotes emotional safety in college students, the type and extent of the companion animal interaction does not have to be a limitation to the program.