A pet therapy consent form is a short document a client signs before animal-assisted therapy begins, acknowledging the risks of contact with a therapy animal and releasing the therapist, handler, and facility from certain liability. To fill one out, you complete the identification fields at the top, walk the client through the risk disclosures and release, and collect dated signatures from the client (or guardian), the clinician, and usually a witness. No single universal form exists, so most practitioners adapt a template; the required elements are consistent even when the layout varies.
What Goes on the Form
Most working consent forms are one or two pages. They contain the same core sections:
- Participant identification: the client’s full name (plus the parent or guardian’s name for minors), the clinician’s name and credentials, and the therapy animal’s name and breed.
- Risk acknowledgment: a plain-language description of physical risks, allergy risk, and the small possibility of zoonotic disease transmission.
- Allergy and health screening: a statement where the client confirms they have no known allergy, skin sensitivity, respiratory condition, or fear of animals that would make close contact harmful.
- Liability release: language releasing the therapist, handler, and facility from liability for injuries occurring during treatment.
- Right to opt out: a statement confirming the client may decline animal involvement in any session or withdraw consent entirely at any time.
- Signature block: dated lines for the client (or guardian), the clinician, and often a witness.
Some forms add a brief description of what animal-assisted therapy involves, a note on the animal’s temperament and training, and the name of any national certifying organization the team belongs to. If the handler is registered with a group such as Pet Partners or Alliance of Therapy Dogs, naming that organization on the form lets the client verify the team’s credentials independently.
Risk Language That Belongs on the Form
The risk disclosure is the heart of the document. Understating it is the fastest way to undermine the form’s legal purpose, because a release only holds up when the signer actually understood what they were accepting.
Physical risks come first: scratches, nips, jumping, and what one practitioner’s form calls “unwanted kisses.” Allergic reactions deserve their own line even when the animal is marketed as hypoallergenic, because no animal is truly allergen-free. The CDC recommends bathing therapy animals within 24 hours of a visit to reduce allergens, but the risk cannot be eliminated.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Animals in Health-Care Facilities
Zoonotic disease transmission is low-probability but real. Research has confirmed that apparently healthy animals participating in animal-assisted interventions can asymptomatically carry zoonotic pathogens, with heightened concern in healthcare settings where clients may be immunocompromised.2National Center for Biotechnology Information. Evaluation of Risk of Zoonotic Pathogen Transmission in a University-Based Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) Program Mention it honestly, then note that the risk is small when the animal is properly screened and vaccinated.
Behavioral unpredictability closes the section. Even a well-evaluated therapy dog may react to a loud noise or sudden movement. The CDC’s infection control guidelines state that when an animal bites a person during animal-assisted therapy, that animal must be permanently removed from the program.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Animals in Health-Care Facilities Including that protocol in the form reassures the client that safety standards are enforced.
The Liability Release
The release needs to be clear enough that a court would enforce it. A typical version reads: “By signing this form, I release [Therapist Name] and [Facility Name] from any and all liability that may result from participating in animal-assisted therapy.” The signer is acknowledging the risks, accepting them voluntarily, and releasing the provider.
Some forms go further with a hold-harmless clause, in which the client agrees not only to release the provider but to cover costs the provider incurs from a claim related to the client’s participation. Whether that language is appropriate depends on your jurisdiction and clinical setting, and a facility’s legal counsel should review any indemnification wording before it goes into use.
Liability insurance is separate from the release but worth mentioning on the form if it applies. Alliance of Therapy Dogs maintains a $5,000,000 liability policy per volunteer team covering accidents during visits, provided the team follows all organizational rules.3Alliance of Therapy Dogs. ATD Insurance vs. Work Insurance Pet Partners also provides commercial general liability coverage to registered volunteer teams. Noting the handler’s coverage on the consent form adds a layer of transparency.
Signing It Correctly
Start at the top. Fill in the client’s full name, the clinician’s name and credentials, and the therapy animal’s name and breed. If the form has fields for the certifying organization and registration status, complete those from the handler’s current registration documents.
Then customize. If the template uses generic phrasing, replace it with the specific animal and the type of therapy planned. A form that identifies “Bella, a three-year-old golden retriever” is more informative and more legally specific than one that refers only to “the therapy animal.”
Before the client signs, walk them through the form out loud. Informed consent is a process, not a signature. The client should understand what animal-assisted therapy involves, what risks they are accepting, and that they can withdraw at any time without it affecting their other treatment. A patient can refuse or withdraw consent at any point during treatment.4National Center for Biotechnology Information. Informed Consent
Each person then signs and dates. At minimum, the client (or guardian) and the clinician sign. A witness signature line strengthens enforceability by giving you a third party who can verify the signing happened. If the form serves both adults and minors, use separate signature blocks for each situation.
Electronic Signatures
If your practice uses electronic intake, the form can be signed digitally. The Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that electronic informed consent is acceptable, provided the process documents that the client gave legally effective consent.5U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use of Electronic Informed Consent – Questions and Answers For FDA-regulated research, electronic signatures must meet 21 CFR Part 11, which requires at least two identification components (such as a username and password) and a signature unique to one individual.6eCFR. 21 CFR Part 11 – Electronic Records; Electronic Signatures For routine clinical practice outside research, standard e-signature platforms that verify identity and produce an audit trail are generally sufficient.
Minors and Vulnerable Clients
When the client is a minor or an adult under guardianship, the form needs extra signature lines. The parent or legal guardian signs on the client’s behalf, and many practitioners also have the minor sign if they are old enough to understand what they are agreeing to. One clinical form sets the threshold at age twelve for a separate client signature alongside the guardian’s.
For young children, spell out whether the parent or guardian must remain in the room. At least one practitioner’s form requires parents or guardians of children under ten to stay present during sessions. Writing this expectation into the form avoids a disagreement later.
Clients who are immunocompromised, elderly, or cognitively impaired bring additional considerations. The CDC discourages using animals younger than one year in therapy programs in healthcare settings, citing unpredictable behavior and elimination control.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Animals in Health-Care Facilities If your facility serves vulnerable populations, note any additional infection control measures in the form, such as hand hygiene after animal contact.
After It’s Signed: Storage and Retention
Once signed, the original goes into the client’s clinical file. A consent form created or received by a healthcare provider that identifies the client and relates to their health condition or treatment qualifies as protected health information under HIPAA and must be safeguarded accordingly.7eCFR. 45 CFR 160.103 – Definitions Store it with the same access controls you apply to the rest of the client’s record, electronic or paper.
HIPAA itself does not set a retention period for medical records. The Privacy Rule requires covered entities to keep compliance documentation (policies, training records, business associate agreements) for six years, but how long you keep the actual consent form is governed by state law.8U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Does the HIPAA Privacy Rule Require Covered Entities To Keep Patients’ Medical Records for Any Period of Time? State retention periods typically run five to ten years from the last date of service, with longer periods for minors. Check your state’s medical record retention statute and your facility’s policy for the applicable timeline.
Give the handler a signed copy as well. Handlers need proof they were authorized to bring the animal into the clinical setting, and keeping their own copy protects them if a question comes up later. When the therapist and handler are different people, both should retain copies.