Therapeutic Animal-Assisted Activities Coordinator

Career Guide
Plans and runs animal-assisted activity programs in hospitals, schools, and senior care. Coordinates therapy animal-handler teams, schedules visits, ensures safety and compliance, and tracks outcomes to support participant well-being.

Key Responsibilities

  • Design and schedule animal-assisted activity sessions
  • Recruit, screen, and train volunteer handler–animal teams
  • Maintain animal health/vaccination and handler documentation
  • Ensure infection control, safety, and risk management compliance
  • Coordinate with clinical/educational staff on participant needs and goals
  • Track participation, incidents, and program outcomes; report to stakeholders

Career Progression

Can Lead To
Animal-Assisted Programs Manager
Volunteer Services Manager/Director
Patient Experience Program Manager
Transition Opportunities
Recreation Therapist (requires CTRS)
Community Outreach Coordinator
Animal Shelter/Rescue Program Manager
Behavioral Health Program Coordinator

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Infection control practices specific to clinical environmentsTherapy animal behavior assessment and team screeningProgram evaluation and data trackingVolunteer training curriculum design
Development SuggestionsComplete an AAI foundations course (e.g., Pet Partners) and shadow a hospital pet therapy program; build a simple outcomes tracking dashboard (e.g., in Excel/Sheets) for a pilot at a senior center.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$38,000–$48,000
Mid Level$48,000–$60,000
Senior Level$60,000–$75,000
Growth Trend
growing: Expanding use of animal-assisted programs in healthcare and education

Companies Hiring

Industry Sectors
HealthcareSenior Living & Long-Term CareEducationNon-Profit & Community Services

Recommended Next Steps

1
Volunteer as or partner with a registered therapy animal team (Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs) to gain hands-on program experience.
2
Earn the CVA or complete a recognized AAI course, plus hospital onboarding (HIPAA/infection control).
3
Design and run a small AAI pilot with a local senior center or school; collect participation and satisfaction metrics to showcase impact.