Although the healing and therapeutic power of animals has been utilized for hundreds of years, the first documented case of animals assisting at the scene of a crisis happened fairly recently.

In May 1998, in Springfield, Oregon. A shooting spree by a Thurston High School student had left 25 people injured and 4 dead. Survivors and witnesses struggled to cope with their horror and shock. The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) were called in and 2 registered Delta Society Pet Partners, Sandy Arrington and her dog, Garth and Cindy Ehlers and her dog, Bear were asked to respond and work with the NOVA team. Mental health counselors and NOVA teams that were present watched in amazement as 'Bear' a Keeshond, worked her way through the crowd to help some of the students who were withdrawn and not responding to the traditional methods of the human counselors. Bear's owner and handler, applied animal behaviorist Cindy Ehlers, came away from the Thurston High School crisis with the realization that animals can also bring hope, and help in the emotional rescue, recovery and on-going support in large scale, critical incidents and disasters, and are a beneficial resource in the healing process. With new insight and a powerful conviction she was determined to bring this awareness to others. Thus began Hope Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR), In November 2001, the name was changed to HOPE Crisis Response AAES.

From AAES Team Training Manual.