Joan Hall has had an intense interest in and love of animals since her childhood. Early in her professional life she was an Elementary School Teacher and Remedial Reading Teacher. Later, she joined her love of animals and children and became an Instructor for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. It was at the Cincinnati Zoo that she witnessed many profound encounters between vulnerable people and animals. Because of these experiences she became certified as a Human-Animal Intervention Specialist through Oakland University. She has initiated the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s ground-breaking Human-Animal Intervention Program by providing Human -Animal Intervention for Incarcerated Teens, At-Risk Pre-Schoolers, and Middle School students with Autism.
