This thesis explores how design settings foster rehabilitation in humans and canines through mutual interaction. A synergy must be created between the 3.3 million dogs put into shelters in the U.S. every year (ASPCA) and the 11-20% of children in the U.S. who have a mental disorder (CDC). An interactive facility can make this connection between abandoned animals and troubled children who are in need of therapeutic solutions. The thesis methodology includes literature review, precedent study, development of design principles, and application of these principles to the design for dog adoption and child/dog therapy. The approach will result in a building design on a selected site where the impact of spatial strategies of interaction can be examined and evaluated. These principles can inform architects who design facilities that will further the mental and physical well being of humans and animals.