Latest Entries

1. Temporary Account Access Issues

   Entry #293

   13 Jul 2017

   4:00 am

   Christopher C Charles

   Comments off

   Recently, the HABRI Central Team discovered that several member accounts had been inadvertently disabled following routine maintenance activities. We are currently working to assess the scope of the issue and to restore access to any accounts that may have been inadvertently disabled. In the...

2. A Perfect Human-Animal Bond Storm

   Entry #292

   03 Jul 2017

   11:15 am

   Myrna Milani

   0 comments

   Nothing is more sad than the death of an illusion. Arthur Koestler While many items appear on my list of enjoyable activities, reading mysteries remains a life-long favorite. This ongoing exploration of the who-what-where-when-how and why of hundreds plots and thousands of characters...

3. Transport Dog Lessons

   Entry #258

   03 Aug 2016

   4:07 am

   Myrna Milani

   1 comments

   I’m one of those people who enjoys optimism far more than pessimism. And because the animal transport scene sometimes really gets me down, I decided to list the benefits I’ve gained since this process began. I limit these remarks to those benefits related to transport dogs. Even...

4. An Environment for Empathy and Empowerment: An Interview with Carol Rathmann of Forget Me Not Farm

   Entry #249

   02 Aug 2016

   12:02 pm

   Katie Carroll

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   Founder of Forget Me Not Farm Carol RathmannAfter spending over 20 years as a veterinary technician, Carol Rathmann began working with the Sonoma Humane Society and took an interest in the connection between child and animal abuse.  At the time, she did not see many people using...

5. Galloping Toward Recovery: An Interview with Dave Beck of Cirque Lodge

   Entry #251

   05 Jul 2016

   12:27 pm

   Katie Carroll

   0 comments

   Cirque Lodge Director of Experiential Therapies Dave Beck Many recovering alcoholics and drug addicts feel powerless and shameful.  When they first enter Cirque Lodge, a residential addiction treatment center, they may struggle to open up to other people and often prefer to be alone....

6. A Beneficial Partnership for Everyone Involved: An Interview with Alyson Cox of NEADS

   Entry #250

   02 Jun 2016

   9:00 am

   Katie Carroll

   0 comments

   NEADS Manager of Communications Alyson CoxLike most service and therapy dog organizations, National Education for Assistance Dog Services (NEADS) puts an emphasis on their dogs’ thorough training and ability to perform well after being placed with a handler.  However, unlike most...

7. Prescribing Animals for Human Health: Above all, do no harm

   Entry #252

   01 Jun 2016

   4:27 am

   Myrna Milani

   0 comments

   Increasingly I encounter situations that involve the prescription of assistance or support animals for people with various health issues. There are two primary groups of prescribers: human healthcare professionals and self-prescribers, i.e., those who decide that one of these animals would...

8. A New "PHARM" Hand: An Interview with Jackie Allenbrand of PHARM Dog USA

   Entry #248

   03 May 2016

   3:37 pm

   Katie Carroll

   0 comments

   PHARM Dog USA Founder and Director Jackie AllenbrandWhen a farmer is confronted with an illness or injury, his or her life and farming operation can take a huge hit.  The financial consequences can be huge, but, often, the emotional side effects are most devastating.  Aware of the...

9. Four-Legged Companions and Guardians for Rape Survivors: An Interview with Michael Hosto

   Entry #246

   11 Apr 2016

   9:00 am

   Katie Carroll

   0 comments

   Guardian Therapy Dogs founder Michael HostoOne night when Michael Hosto was 12 years old, someone broke into his family’s St. Louis home and raped his mother.  This event traumatized his family and left his mother feeling helpless and afraid.  After watching his mother spend...

10. Horses and Speech Therapy - The Unexpected Connection: An Interview with Tina Rocco, M.A. CCC-SLP, HPCS

    Entry #244

    01 Mar 2016

    1:39 pm

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    Growing up around horses, Tina Rocco, M.A. CCC-SLP, HPCS knew that one day she would love to incorporate the majestic creatures into her career.  While studying speech language pathology at Long Island University, she discovered the perfect way to work with two of her favorite subjects:...

11. Doug the Pug Finds His Niche as a Therapy Dog: An Interview with Cate Archer

    Entry #243

    02 Feb 2016

    10:20 am

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    Doug the Pug, the therapy dog, is a little dog who makes a big impact.  With his gentle demeanor and loving nature, Doug can often be found bringing smiles to the faces of children, cuddling with isolated senior citizens, and, most recently, starring in a children’s book that...

12. Service Dog Devaluation

    Entry #242

    01 Feb 2016

    7:48 am

    Myrna Milani

    0 comments

     With each passing decade, the respect with which US society views service dogs and their handlers sadly steadily declines. This poses increased problems for these animals and their handlers and those around them. Recently I saw something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime: an...

13. Incorporation of Aquarium into Special Education Classroom goes Swimmingly: An Interview with Christine Holton

    Entry #240

    12 Jan 2016

    11:23 am

    Katie Carroll

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    Two members of Christine Holton’s special education class receive a lot of extra attention from the other students.  These two members of the class help teach the students responsibility, communication, motor skills, and self-control.  However, these class members can usually be...

14. The Squawk about Hen-Keeping in Elderly Care Facilities: An Interview with Douglas Hunter

    Entry #239

    14 Dec 2015

    2:39 pm

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    For many centuries, people living in rural areas and on farms have kept laying hens either as a way to get fresh eggs for their families or as a way to make a profit by selling the eggs.  More recently, hen-keeping has become a trendy urban and suburban hobby, with coops popping up in...

15. A Real Win-Win: Saving Dogs and Saving Veterans: An Interview with Susan Hinkle

    Entry #238

    12 Nov 2015

    1:38 pm

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    “I find it fascinating how a dog can change a person’s life,” said Susan Hinkle, Founder and Program Director of Missouri Patriot Paws. Missouri Patriot Paws Founder and Program Director Susan HinkleAn Idea Takes Off Before starting Missouri Patriot Paws, an organization that...

16. Internal Clocks and the Human-Animal Bond

    Entry #237

    07 Nov 2015

    2:17 pm

    Myrna Milani

    0 comments

    Particularly in areas with temperate climates, November is a transition month. In the northern hemisphere summer has yielded to fall and signs of winter become more common. In the US, November also signals the arrival of that abomination known as the time change. It’s an abomination for...

17. Does "can" mean "should"?

    Entry #236

    23 Oct 2015

    4:16 am

    Myrna Milani

    0 comments

    Two recen articles illustrate a disturbing trend in science: the use of domestic animals for genetic manipulation research and subtly or not-so-subtly marketing their results to the general public in one way or...

18. Using Howls to Empower: An Interview with Giulia Cappelli

    Entry #235

    20 Oct 2015

    12:36 pm

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    When envisioning wolves, the first image that comes to most of people’s minds is one of a large pack perched on a hillside, howling at the moon, or one of a determined, agile creature galloping through the forest in pursuit of his prey.  However, Giulia Cappelli, Lead of Programs and...

19. The Ethology of the Bond

    Entry #234

    04 Oct 2015

    12:06 pm

    Myrna Milani

    0 comments

    In a a commentary I wrote for my website, I explored some basic concepts of ethology as they relate to human and animal behavior. Writing that  got me thinking about the ethology of the human-animal bond. I’m the first to admit that when I was younger, my views of...

20. A 1,200 Pound Therapist and Window to the Mind: An Interview with Hayley Sumner

    Entry #233

    15 Sep 2015

    12:58 pm

    Katie Carroll

    0 comments

    “You have to earn a horse’s trust by being true, honest, and aware of both the horse and yourself,” said Hayley Sumner, Founder and Executive Director of Berkshire HorseWorks. Berkshire HorseWorks' Founder and Executive Director Hayley SumnerBefore founding Berkshire...