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Abstract

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic led to federal, state, and local measures that paralyzed businesses across the nation. Among them were behavioral and mental health nonprofit organizations. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of the pandemic on nonprofit programs that train and place service dogs with veterans/service members. Six service dog managers completed eight reflection probe questionnaires and participated in three focus groups. This study found that facility shutdown, businesses shutdown, and social distancing resulted in a training bottleneck for both canines and humans. These primary challenges created secondary and tertiary challenges that mirror and lend support to themes found in other studies, namely funding, welfare, and space. In addition to these challenges, managers found opportunities in the face of adversity, namely partnerships, flexibility, and innovation. This study also adds 45 specific opportunities as a practical guide for animal-assisted activities managers. The authors hope that this guide will introduce innovative solutions to improve normal operations and help mitigate the consequences of future crises.

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