COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE AND ETHICAL IMPLEMENTATION OF CANINEASSISTED PROGRAMS IN ARAB MUSLIM SOCIETY IN ISRAEL

Abstract

This integrative narrative review examines how community
acceptance of canine-assisted programs is formed and how such programs can be implemented
ethically in Arab Muslim society in Israel. Review approach: The review synthesizes 51 supplied
sources, including empirical and qualitative studies, systematic and narrative reviews, books,
professional standards, policy and religious guidance, and culturally focused scholarship. It is not
a systematic review, and no independent database search was conducted. Principal synthesis:
Acceptance depends on voluntariness, prior experience, religious interpretation, family
relationships, institutional credibility, safety, professional conduct, and animal welfare rather than
on attitudes toward dogs alone. Limitations: The bounded corpus may omit relevant literature,
source-selection and publication bias cannot be excluded, and direct local evidence remains
limited. Conclusion: A staged, locally grounded approach may support responsible implementation
when it protects refusal, preserves participant autonomy, distinguishes evidence from authorial
proposals, and treats animal welfare as a core condition of quality.