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

Purpose This 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. Method Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, four 6-week groups were implemented in a county jail (n = 31), including two therapy dog-assisted groups (n = 20) and two non-animal-assisted groups (n = 11). Results Within-group analyses indicated significant reductions in bereavement symptoms in the therapy dog-assisted groups, whereas non-animal-assisted groups did not show statistically significant within-group change. However, between-group change-score analyses did not show statistically significant differences between conditions. Secondary combined analyses indicated significant overall decreases in bereavement and prolonged grief symptoms across participants. Resilience scores did not significantly change. Discussion Findings suggest grief support groups may benefit incarcerated individuals experiencing bereavement, with therapy dogs potentially enhancing emotional support and engagement.