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  1. Serving Pets in Poverty: A New Frontier for the Animal Welfare Movement

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Amanda Arrington, Michael Markarian

  2. Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Ann-Sofie Sundman, Enya Van Poucke, Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm, Åshild Faresjö, Elvar Theodorsson, Per Jensen, Lina S. V. Roth

    This study reveals, for the first time, an interspecifc synchronization in long-term stress levels. Previously, acute stress, has been shown to be highly contagious both among humans and between individuals of other species. Here, long-term stress synchronization in dogs and their owners was...

  3. On God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion for Animals [review] / Stephen H. Webb.

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Brian W. Hopper

  4. Free Mate Choice Enhances Conservation Breeding in the Endangered Giant Panda

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Meghan S. Martin-Wintle, David Shepherdson, Guiquan Zhang, Hemin Zhang, Desheng Li, Xiaoping Zhou, Rengui Li, Ronald R. Swaisgood

    Conservation breeding programmes have become an increasingly important tool to save endangered species, yet despite the allocation of significant resources, efforts to create self-sustaining populations have met with limited success. The iconic giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) embodies the...

  5. The State of Research on Human–Animal Relations: Implications for Human Health

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Deborah L. Wells

    Since the late 1970s, scientific evidence has accumulated showing that pet ownership can have positive effects on people’s physical and mental wellbeing. This paper reviews the current state of affairs regarding the relationship between companion animals and human health, focusing on both...

  6. A One Health Research Framework for Animal-Assisted Interventions

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Karin Hediger, Andrea Meisser, Jakob Zinsstag

    Background: The integration of animals into healthcare, referred to as animal-assisted intervention, is a rapidly growing research field and was previously related to One Health. However, the assessment of synergistic effects of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) has been poorly addressed to...

  7. Brexit and Animal Protection: Legal and Political Context and a Framework to Assess Impacts on Animal Welfare

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Steven P. McCulloch

    The British people voted to leave the European Union (EU) in a 2016 referendum. The United Kingdom (UK) has been a member of the EU since the Maastricht Treaty was signed in 1993 and before that a member of the European Communities (EC) since 1973. EU animal health and welfare regulations and...

  8. Understanding how dogs encourage and motivate walking: cross-sectional findings from RESIDE

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Carri Westgarth, M. Knuiman, H. E. Christian

    Background: Many people live with dogs but not all walk with them regularly. This study examines the demographic and behavioural factors that contribute towards owners reporting having a strong sense of encouragement and motivation to walk provided by their dogs, which we call ‘the Lassie...

  9. Talking to Dogs: Companion Animal-Directed Speech in a Stress Test

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Raffaela Lesch, Kurt Kotrschal, Iris Schöberl, Andrea Beetz, Judith Solomon, W. Tecumseh Fitch

    Companion animal-directed speech (CADS) has previously been investigated in comparison to infant-directed speech and adult-directed speech. To investigate the influence of owner caregiving, attachment pattern, and personality on CADS, we used the Ainsworth strange situation procedure. It...

  10. Contexts and consequences of dog bite incidents

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): James Andrew Oxley, Rob Christley, Carri Westgarth

    Dog bites are a contentious issue within the United Kingdom due to their effect on public health and increasing incidence. Despite multiple expert-led dog bite prevention schemes being available, there is limited evidence regarding the surrounding factors and likely causes of a dog bite (e.g.,...

  11. Evaluation of an open source method for calculating physical activity in dogs from harness and collar based sensors

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Carri Westgarth, C. Ladha

    Background: The ability to make objective measurements of physical activity in dogs has both clinical and research applications. Accelerometers offer a non-intrusive and convenient solution. Of the commercialy available sensors, measurements are commonly given in manufacturer bespoke units and...

  12. Efforts to Ban the Routine Tail Docking of Pigs and to Give Pigs Enrichment Materials via EU Law: Where Do We Stand a Quarter of a Century on?

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Elena Nalon, Nancy De Briyne

    In its role as guardian of the Treaties, the European Commission must ensure that Member States enforce EU law within their territories. If adequate enforcement is found to be wanting, the Commission also has the power to take infringement procedures as a corrective measure. The case of...

  13. How many people have been bitten by dogs? A cross-sectional survey of prevalence, incidence and factors associated with dog bites in a UK community

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Carri Westgarth, Megan Brooke, Robert M Christley

    Background Dog bite studies are typically based on hospital records and may be biased towards bites requiring significant medical treatment. This study investigated true dog bite prevalence and incidence at a community-level and victim-related risk factors, in order to inform policy and...

  14. Portion size and meal consumption in domesticated dogs: An experimental study

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Inge Kersbergen, Alexander J. German, Carri Westgarth, Eric Robinson

    Increases in food portion sizes have been identified as a possible contributor to the increased prevalence of obesity in humans. However, little is known about the origin of behavioural tendencies to overeat from larger portion sizes or whether other non-human animals are affected by meal...

  15. Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog: An investigation of the association between dog ownership and physical activity levels in a UK community

    Full-text: Available

    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Carri Westgarth, Robert M. Christley, Christopher Jewell, Alexander J.German, Lynne M. Boddy, Hayley E. Christian

    Previous research suggests that dog owners are slightly more physically active than those without dogs, but have only studied one household member, and it is unclear whether time spent dog walking replaces other physical activity (PA). A survey of 191 dog owning adults (DO), 455 non-dog owning...

  16. Lameness in Sheltered Cows and Its Association with Cow and Shelter Attributes

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Arvind Sharma, Clive J. C. Phillips

    The sheltering of old, unproductive and abandoned cows in traditional cow shelters, known as gaushalas, has been practiced in India since ancient times. Cows are kept in these shelters until they die of natural causes. The welfare of the cows in these shelters was assessed through a...

  17. Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Tove Fall, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Keith Dobney, Carri Westgarth, Patrik K. E. Magnusson

    Dogs were the first domesticated animal and, according to the archaeological evidence, have had a close relationship with humans for at least 15,000 years. Today, dogs are common pets in our society and have been linked to increased well-being and improved health outcomes in their owners. A dog...

  18. Leaner, Healthier, Happier Together––A Family-Centred Approach to Weight Loss with the Overweight Dog and Her Caregivers

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Alessia Candellone, David Morgan, Simona Buttignol, Giorgia Meineri

    Obesity represents a one of the most significant healthcare issues facing human and companion animal populations worldwide. A complex relationship commonly exists between owners and their companion animal, particularly around feeding behaviour. Obese companion animals commonly live alongside...

  19. Identification of Meat Species in Pet Foods Using a Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Assay

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Tara A. Okuma, Rosalee S. Hellberg

    Product mislabeling, adulteration, and substitution are increasing concerns in highly processed foods, including pet foods. Although regulations exist for pet foods, there is currently a lack of information on the prevalence of pet food mislabeling. The objective of this study was to perform a...

  20. Effect of Pets on Human Behavior and Stress in Disaster

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    Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Aki Tanaka, Jun Saeki, Shin-ichi Hayama, Philip H. Kass

    Animal-related consequences were not anticipated in disaster preparedness planning in Japan at the time of its massive earthquakes in 2011. Evacuation failure was quite common due to pet ownership in this disaster. Public attention to the welfare of affected animals in this disaster triggered an...