Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound: How you and your dog can lose weight, stay fit, and have fun together

25 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Phil Zeltzman, Rebecca A Johnson, Alan M. Beck

A dog is an ideal workout partner: always supportive, happy to go for a walk, and never judgmental. When people and dogs exercise together, fitness and health happen on both ends of the leash. As the obesity epidemic spreads, 70 percent of Americans and 50 percent of dogs are overweight or obese, …

The Health Benefits of Dog Walking for People and Pets: Evidence and case studies

25 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Rebecca A Johnson, Alan M. Beck, Sandra McCune

Obesity is at epidemic levels worldwide. In the U.S. alone, it is estimated that by 2018 the cost of treating weight-related illnesses will double to almost $350 billion a year. A 2010 report by the U.S. Surgeon General estimates that two-thirds of American adults and almost one in three children …

A Perfect Harmony: The Intertwining Lives of Animals and Humans throughout History

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Roger A. Caras

Caras views humanity's ascent from Stone Age hunter-gatherers to modern apartment-dwelling cat-and dog-owners as inextricably woven with animals. As beasts of burden, means of transport, and protein source, animals made possible agricultural surpluses, triggered cultural cross-pollination, …

Afternoons with Puppy: Inspirations from a Therapist and his Animals

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Aubrey H. Fine, Cynthia J. Eisen

Afternoons with Puppy is a heartwarming account of dynamic relationships and outcomes involving a therapist, his therapy animals, and his patients over the course of almost two decades. It is a narrative of Dr. Fine's experiences and the growing respect for the power of the animals effect on his …

Animal Control Management: A new look at a public responsibility

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Stephen Aronson

This book is the first of its kind to discuss in detail the actual management of local animal control programs as opposed to the care of the animals. The book covers those financial, personnel, legal, health, and safety issues that animal control directors and management staff need to know in …

Animals in Schools: Processes and Strategies in Human-Animal Education

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Helena Pederson

Animals in Schools explores important questions in the field of critical animal studies and education by close examination of a wide range of educational situations and classroom activities. How are human- animal relations expressed and discussed in school? How do teachers and students develop …

Assessing the Human-Animal Bond: A Compendium of Actual Measures

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): David C Anderson

This book gathers, in one place, those measures presently used to study the human-companion animal bond. The measures chosen for inclusion are the most heavily used by researchers, as well as measures that appear to be innovative or relate to the different aspects of the human-companion animal …

Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Alan M. Beck, Aaron Katcher

Pets play a greater role in our emotional and physical health than ever before, according to this volume. The book by Alan M. Beck of Purdue's School of Veterinary Medicine and Aaron H. Katcher, psychiatrist and professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the emotional and …

Bridging the Bond: The Cultural Construction of the Shelter Pet

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Tami L. Harbolt

What happens behind the doors of the animal shelter? This book will introduce the reader to the work culture of animal shelter employees, volunteers, activists, educators, and pets. By weaving together her own personal memoirs with interviews with workers, the author describes the traditions, …

Brood Bitch: A mother's reflection

21 Oct 2011 | Books | Contributor(s): Celia Townsend Wells

Brood Bitch is a mother's reflection inspired by her hand-raising a litter of Pembroke Welsh corgis whose own mother died after a Caesarian delivery. Devastated by the loss of her only companion and awed by the task of saving the puppies, the author is surprised to discover she enjoys this …