About us
The International Community of Anthrozoology
Founded in 2004 by Dyrebar Omsorg in Norway, ICofA is a global network of professionals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality and advancing the development of animal-assisted services (AAS) internationally.
Our vision
Commitment to High Quality and Expertise:
Through collaboration with the right partners, we aim to elevate the quality of animal-assisted services (AAS) and establish an international standard for education and screening tests for animals. Our expertise spans diverse fields, including psychology, anthrozoology, ethology, pedagogy, and public health.
Certified Teams as Assets to AAS:
Our high-quality courses provide students with a strong foundation and confidence as they become certified professionals, ready to pursue careers or start their own businesses. We are committed to ensuring that certified teams contribute significantly to the reputation and quality of AAS.
Animal Welfare:
All animals certified for AAS undergo a personality assessment (PADA) conducted by an ethologist to ensure they are well-suited and will thrive in human-related work. This process is crucial for safeguarding animal welfare, minimizing risks, and enhancing the quality of services. We believe animals should benefit from these experiences just as we do.
Meet the team
Christine Olsen
President and Manager
Dr. Christine Olsen has a master degree in ethology, higher education in special needs education and rehabilitation, and a PhD in public health focusing on animal-assisted services. Her research is frequently cited and is rated in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Almetric. Dr. Olsen is also a dog behaviorist and dog trainer, and screens dogs personality around the Europe. She travels with her lectures about AAS, dog mental test and animal welfare as a speaker on international conferences.
Line Sandstedt
Vice president of ICofA
She is a lector in science and a postgraduate in special needs education and coaching. Sandstedt is also a dog behaviourist and dog trainer, and screen dogs personality for AAS. Sandstedt gives courses in dog training both nationally and internationally. She is responsible for all of the education given by Dyrebar Omsorg, both dog training and training of human-animal teams. Line has worked for the organization since 2006.
Melissa Winkle
Senior coordinator
Melissa is an Occupational Therapist, Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, & Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She is founder and President of Dogwood Therapy Services and co-founder and vice chair for Animal Assisted Intervention International. She has 23 years’ experience as a practitioner, consultant, research team member, author, and speaker.
Melissa designs and delivers curriculum internationally for universities, professional conferences, and organizations. She is a consultant for animal assisted services program development and offers in person and virtual human-dog team coaching. She began collaborating with ICofA in April of 2019.