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Nina Wiebalk Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Douglas Judge, Ph.D., Committee Chair

John Scott, Ph.D., Committee Member

Kristine Tucker, Ed.D., Committee Member

Keywords

Animal Assisted Intervention, Humane Education, Trauma Studies, Scholarly Personal Narrative

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

The burgeoning fields of trauma-informed therapy and humane education are increasingly incorporating Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI). Given the growing understanding of trauma’s impact on developing brains, implementing humane education and AAI programs, such as the one I created, is crucial. This study will detail my efforts establishing and managing this program at a small non-profit within a major metropolitan city located within the Eastern United States, an agency dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse and trauma. To support this mission, I collaborated with our Executive Director to launch an AAI and humane education program, training and partnering with two facility dogs to address trauma. Through the application of a Scholarly Personal Narrative, I will provide accounts of when the utilization of service dogs, trained to be facility dogs, have been applied as an accompaniment to Evidence Based Treatments (EBT) in the intervention of trauma. Mac and Cheese, our English Labradors, joined us as 8-week- old puppies and are approaching their two-and-a-half-year mark, the anticipated completion of their service dog training. Alongside their formal training, Mac and Cheese actively participate in our programs, where we’ve observed increased trust between therapeutic staff and clients (individuals or families), leading to improved appointment adherence and overall well-being. The goal of the program is supporting recovery and autonomy for those with trauma, strengthening caregiver protective factors, and safeguarding the well-being of both people and animals within their homes. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No. 0009-0003-2723-4202

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