Therapy Dogs and Grief Support in Jail: An Evaluation of Animal-Assisted Groups

Yvonne Eaton-Stull, Sarah Kuehn, Catherine J. Massey, Tami Micsky, Mauricio Yabar, Neva Lilla, Benjamin Porter, Department of Psychology, Social Work , Recreational Therapy, Slippery Rock University of PA, Slippery Rock

Research on Social Work Practice

Published online on June 29, 2026

Abstract

Research on Social Work Practice, Ahead of Print.
PurposeThis study examined whether structured grief groups delivered with therapy dogs produced greater improvements in bereavement, prolonged grief, and resilience than the same groups delivered without therapy dogs.MethodUsing a quasi-experimental pre-...