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Animal-Assisted Therapy for Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Investigation on the Positive Effects of Attachment and Affiliation Behaviors
Posters | Contributor(s): Sara Miele
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in people who have experienced a traumatic event (nimh.nih.gov, 2016). Because PTSD is a chronic disorder, it is associated with impaired quality of life (Stern et al., 2013). A specific population at high risk for developing PTSD is military...
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Implementing Animal Therapy into Current Medicinal Practices
Posters | Contributor(s): Jenna Schiefelbein
• The purpose of this study was to explore an unconventional intervention of medicine; specifically the integration of animals into current healthcare practices. • The review of literature evaluated the implementation of animal therapy in medicine, both in the past and...
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The Effects of Service Dogs in Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Posters | Contributor(s): Angie Slowik
Background: Of the 2 million veterans that have been deployed to combat zones, 13-20% of them most likely have developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Only half of the returning combat veterans seek care, and only about 40% experience significant improvement of their symptoms of PTSD....
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Strategies to Decrease Depression from Social Isolation Among the Elderly Population
Posters | Contributor(s): Erin Gallagher, Megan Russ
Strategies to Decrease Depression from Social Isolation Among the Elderly Population Erin Gallagher and Megan Russ Faculty Sponsor: Christina Lattner, DNP, APRN, AGNP-C, ANP-BC Background: The lack of social interaction among the elderly population has been directly linked with higher...
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Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Behavior in a Domestic Goat Herd
Posters | Contributor(s): Stephanie Peramas
Animal welfare is one of the most important parts of animal management. Apart from other measures of good animal welfare, like being in good health, animal behavior can be indicative of the animal’s internal state and is often one of the first signs of improper welfare. Stereotypies, or...
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What Makes a Good Therapy Dog? Identifying Factors Associated with Calm Behavior in Therapy Dogs
Posters | Contributor(s): Kristen Cunningham, Zachary L. Darwish, Rosemary Strasser
Dogs offer a variety of benefits to society, including the use of therapy dogs to provide therapeutic and physiological benefits, enhancing the lives of a wide range of recipients. Unlike service or emotional support animals, therapy dogs provide support to a multitude of individuals, often in...
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The Effects of Canine Assisted Therapy on Emotionally Stressed Undergraduate College Students: A Systematic Review
Posters | Contributor(s): Mackenzie Hansen
Objective: This systematic review was conducted to review how canine assisted therapy affects emotional stress in undergraduate college students. Methods: Articles were screened on CINAHL and PubMed databases for relationship between canine assisted therapy intervention and emotional stress...
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Costs and Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions in Rural Children
Posters | Contributor(s): Rebecca Garabed
We aim to develop a survey tool and accompanying research methodology that can be used across cultures and species to both quantify and differentiate aspects of human-animal interactions. Those aspects include: opportunities to share pathogens or commensals, health care activities, providing...
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The Human-Animal Bond and Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress
Posters | Contributor(s): Melissa White
This study explored the lived experiences of Operational Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) service members with combatrelated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms who had a companion animal postdeployment. Twelve OEF and OIF veterans participated in...
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The Truth about Humans: The Decision to Adopt Dogs & Cats
Posters | Contributor(s): Leann Stadtlander
Millions of dogs and cats are adopted from animal shelters every year, however, little is known about why specific animals are adopted. This study examines the qualitative comments given by adopters of cats and dogs for selecting specific animals. Differences between the species and insights...
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The Effects of Pet Ownership on Anxiety and Depression Among Trauma-Exposed College Students
Posters | Contributor(s): Dung N. Nguyentran, Marlene A. Michniak, James J. Jung, Christine Q. Do
Rates of anxiety and depression are prevalent in college students and can be attributed in part to stress and trauma-related events. However, studies suggest that pet ownership has the possibility of alleviating symptoms of anxiety, depression, negative emotions, and suicide. The purpose of...
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Dogs: A Prescription for Health Issues?
Posters | Contributor(s): Denise Magallon
The human-‐animal bond has been seen throughout many generations. Pet owners, especially those who own dogs, are known to live a different lifestyle than non-‐pet owners. However, the individuals who can receive the most benefits from dogs are those with certain psychological and...
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A "Pawsitive" Influence of Animals in Long-Term Care Facilities: Animal-Assisted Therapy at St. Peter Regional Treatment Center
Posters | Contributor(s): Hannah L. Winkler
The St. Peter Regional Treatment Center (SPRTC) provides secure, residential, multi-disciplinary treatment services, including psychosocial rehabilitation and skill enhancement, to individuals civilly committed as Mental Ill and Dangerous by the State of Minnesota. Since the treatment process is...
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Natural Connections: A Recommendation to Implement an Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Program within the Shakopee MdewakantonSioux Community
Posters | Contributor(s): Heidi Simon
Currently the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community does not have an Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program. The purpose of this project was to research AAT programs that exist in First Nation Communities. The ultimate goal was to present evidence to support the implementation of a culturally based...
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Does experience with animals improve toddlers' understanding of others' sound perception?
Posters | Contributor(s): Rachelle Stover
Introduction: Much research has examined what children understand about others’ visual perception. For instance, 2-year-olds can determine when an object is hidden from another’s viewpoint (Flavell, 1992). Less is known about children’s understanding of other’s auditory...
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Offender outcomes of training dogs in prison : the Puppies for Parole program
Posters | Contributor(s): Dorothea V. Megarani, Rebecca A. Johnson, George Lombardi, Steven Osterlind, Hayley D. Yaglom, Nicole L. Haarman, Elliot Cade
"Puppies for Parole" is a rehabilitation program based on human-animal interaction (HAI) in the prison. Puppies for Parole aims to reduce the number of homeless canines by producing loving, obedient, and adoptable dogs. Inmates may gain skills to support successful rehabilitation and...
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Shelter Dog Behavior Improvement: Dog Walking as Enrichment
Posters | Contributor(s): Rebecca A Johnson, Charlotte McKenney, Sandra McCune
Background: Several million dogs are euthanized in animal shelters annually after multiple relinquishment reasons (Scarlett, 2002; Salman, 1998; New, 2000 & Kass, 2001). Gains in pet adoptions are happening via shelter enrichment programs. We hypothesized that shelter dogs participating in a...
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Walk A Hound, Lose A Pound, & Stay Fit for Seniors
Posters | Contributor(s): Rebecca Ann Johnson, Charlotte McKenney, Sandra McCune
Background: Obesity rates in older adults are linked with the national problem of limited physical activity (PA), resulting in chronic illness. Obesity-related illness and functional loss require innovative interventions. Older adult dog walkers maintained physical functioning over a 3 year...
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Are Companion Animals the Secret to Good Health?
Posters | Contributor(s): Bradley Smith, Petra Bywood
People keep pets for companionship, recreation and protection rather than for the specific purpose of enhancing health. However, a considerable body of literature supports the idea that companion animals can improve overall quality of life, including physical, social and psychological health, yet...
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Global Vets: Student Vets Sharing a Global Vision
Posters | Contributor(s): K. Tubby, N. Asotra, K. Lillakas, C. Toscano, A. Peregrine
Global Vets is a program run through the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) which offers student veterinarians a unique opportunity to investigate animal health care in developing countries. The program strives to enhance working relationships and the exchange of ideas between Canadian...
