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Therapeutic Riding and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Program Evaluation
Theses | Contributor(s): Brenna Goodwin
Therapeutic riding is a commonly used therapeutic approach for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research supports therapeutic riding for children with ASD; however, the effect of specific sub-types of therapeutic riding (e.g., therapeutic riding drill team) has been under...
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Extraction of Antioxidants from Animal Blood and its Potential Application as a Pet Food Preservative
Theses | Contributor(s): Chengyi Tu
Nowadays, more and more people are having pets as members of their family. To the year of 2012, there are 78.2 million dogs and 86.4 million cats owned in the U.S according to the report of the Humane Society of the U.S. The pet food industry as a result has been prosperous, with an estimated...
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Laurel Wilt Disease: Early Detection through Canine Olfaction and "Omics" Insights into Disease Progression
Theses | Contributor(s): Julian L. Mendel
Laurel wilt disease is a vascular wilt affecting the xylem and water conductivity in trees belonging to the family Lauraceae. The disease was introduced by an invasive species of ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus glabratus. The beetle, together with its newly described fungal...
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Investigating the Cultural Context for Big Cat Conservation Around the World
Theses | Contributor(s): Kathleen Elizabeth Krafte
Populations of predators are in decline worldwide as human growth and development destroys and alters their habitats. At the same time, large predators are a tourist attraction in many regions of the world, bringing essential income to governments and local communities. The complex interactions...
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The Effectiveness of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Reducing Student Anxiety in School Settings
Theses | Contributor(s): Emily Stables
Anxiety has a detrimental effect on child development in numerous capacities including academics, peer relationships, and long-term effects if left untreated (Nail et al., 2015; Siegel, LaGreca & Harrison, 2009; Van Ameringen, Mancini & Farvolden, 2001). The use of animalassisted...
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The Effects of Equine-Assisted Activities on the Attachment Security of Abused Women
Theses | Contributor(s): Ilana B. Silver
The present study was designed to explore the impact of equine-assisted activities on attachment security among women who have experienced intimate partner violence. Attachment security was assessed at three different time points using the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR)...
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It's Not Just A Dog: The Role of Companion Animals in the Family's Emotional System
Theses | Contributor(s): Cassandra Leow
Past studies have looked into the role of companion animals in families. This study intended to explore the role of companion animals in the family’s emotional system through the lens of Bowen Family Systems Theory. Data from a study on companion animal loss and grief were used. A...
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The Influence of Flagship Species on In situ and Ex situ Wildlife Tourists' Connection to Wildlife and Pro-Conservation Behaviors
Theses | Contributor(s): Jeffrey Skibins
Annually, millions of tourists visit natural areas and zoos primarily to view flagship species such as lions and elephants. Venues rely on the inherent charisma of these species to increase visitation and anchor conservation efforts. Expected visitor outcomes from the use of flagships include...
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An Analysis of Innovate Training with Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Theses | Contributor(s): Raymond John Van Steyn
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland conducted a training program in 2014 to develop a gestural command for their dolphins called “innovate”. This training paradigm was developed to resemble the seminal research by Pryor, Haag and O’Reilly (1969), as well as more...
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Therapy Dogs in the College Classroom: The Effect of Dogs on Stress, Anxiety, and Spanish L2 Phonological Learning and Performance
Theses | Contributor(s): Elaine Maralee Henry
Anxiety and stress invoked by the second language classroom setting has the ability to cause numerous detrimental physiological changes which impair the learning process. A more natural, “immersion” type atmosphere is often desired when teaching a second language; however, this is...
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Domestic Cat Ethology: Evaluating Social Media for Data Collection
Theses | Contributor(s): Patricia Casey
This study looked at whether user-submitted videos of cats could be used to increase understanding of their behavior. The findings suggest that the behaviors observed were consistent with prior research, and contain typical cat behavior. Depending on the research question, user-submitted videos...
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Trap-Neuter-Return Programs and the Importance of Associated Public Awareness
Theses | Contributor(s): Nicolette Sliwa
The focus of this paper is to describe a typical Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program and highlight the major pros and cons surrounding this somewhat controversial method of managing the overwhelming free-roaming cat population. The effects of the species’ overabundance on the environment and...
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The Effects of Environmental Education on Children's Knowledge of Elephant Conservation in Rural and Urban Thailand
Theses | Contributor(s): Tamara Aird
Think Elephants International’s EE program educated students on issues surrounding elephant conservation. One open-ended response question from surveys was analyzed to determine whether there was a knowledge difference between locations. After participation, urban students referenced more...
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Performance characteristics of adult one dog canicross runners
Theses | Contributor(s): Ashlyn Marie Jendro
Canicross is competitive team sport in which a human athlete is towed via a canine athlete on an elastic gangline. Although drastically understudied, it is likely that canicross performance comes down to differences in human aspects, canine aspects and the interaction between human and canine....
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Importance of Vaccinating for Canine Parvovirus: Best Practices for Prevention
Theses | Contributor(s): Ariel Gorham
This University Honors Thesis combines my cutting edge research on canine parvovirus and how to refine professional practice for optimal prevention. Canine parvovirus is a highly transmissible virus that infects the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and spreads through secretions of infected...
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Does Clicker Training Lead to Faster Acquisition of Behavior for Dog Owners?
Theses | Contributor(s): Brian J. Burton
Clicker training is a method of dog training that has increased in popularity over the past 20 years (Feng et al., 2017). However, while there has been an increased use of clicker training, studies examining the claims that clicker training leads to faster acquisition of new behavior (Skinner,...
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Living With Coyotes
Theses | Contributor(s): Owen H. Agnew
Coyotes have been slowly moving into New York State from Canada since the 1930s. They reached Westchester County and the Bronx decades ago, and their numbers have been slowly rising. Sighting in Manhattan reached an all-time high last spring, and pet attacks in Westchester County have increased...
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The Efficacy of Equine Assisted Therapy in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders
Theses | Contributor(s): Amy Hofmann
This study examines the effects of equine-assisted psychotherapies in children with an autism spectrum disorder. The CARS-2 and Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire parent-report questionnaires were used for evaluation, as well open-ended questions. A single researcher contacted and...
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The Influence of Pointing Accuracy in an Object-Choice Task with Domestic Horses (Equus caballus)
Theses | Contributor(s): Elizabeth A. Krisch
This study evaluated the influence of pointing accuracy and experimenter identity on domestic horse (Equus caballus) behavior in an object-choice task. Results suggest that after receiving inaccurate pointing cues, horses adapt their responses based on their familiarity with an experimenter,...
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Determining the Relationship Between Mean Paraspinal Muscle Area Ratios and Percent Inter-Vertebral Foraminal Area Change in Flexion Versus Extension Positions of Military Working Dogs Using Computed Tomography
Theses | Contributor(s): Krystina Lynn Rowland
Core (paraspinal) muscle strengthening exercises are increasingly applied as methods for management of lower back pain in military working dogs. However, more evidence-based studies are needed to justify these methods. A previous publication correlated increased flexion/extension changes in...
