Since December 2011, Zoetis and the Pfizer Foundation have sponsored American Humane Association in developing and executing the Canines and Childhood Cancer (CCC) Study to investigate the effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on pediatric oncology patients, their families, and the therapy dogs who visit them. In collaboration with children’s hospitals and universities across the country, American Humane Association has completed a comprehensive needs assessment, including a literature review on AAT and pediatric oncology (visit www.caninesandchildhoodcancer.org), as well as a pilot study to inform the design and implementation of a full clinical trial scheduled to begin in late 2013. Unlike the majority of existing research in the human-animal interaction field, this rigorously designed pilot study took place at multiple sites, and incorporated a randomized control cohort and validated instruments to evaluate how the addition of AAT to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) treatment impacts the distress levels of children, parents/guardians, and therapy dogs. The CCC Study is anticipated to be a milestone in understanding the vital bond shared between people and animals