HABRI Central

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

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...

A One Health Research Framework for Animal-Assisted Interventions

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

Contexts and consequences of dog bite incidents

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.,...

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

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...

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?

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

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

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...

Effect of Pets on Human Behavior and Stress in Disaster

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...

Small Pilot Survey on Parents' Perception of the Relationship between Children and Pets

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Natalia Russo, Diana Vergnano, Domenico Bergero, Liviana Prola

Since companion animals are taking on more important roles in family life, the aim of this study was to evaluate the perception of parents about the relationship between their children and pets. A number of parents were asked to fill in a questionnaire; the principal topics were: pet ownership,...

One Health Surveillance: A Matrix to Evaluate Multisectoral Collaboration

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Marion Bordier, Camille Delavenne, Dung Thuy Thi Nguyen, Flavie Luce Goutard, Pascal Hendrikx

The international community and governmental organizations are actively calling for the implementation of One Health (OH) surveillance systems to target health hazards that involve humans, animals, and their environment. In our view, the main characteristic of a OH surveillance system is the...

Medical Updates and Appointment Confirmations: Pet Owners' Perceptions of Current Practices and Preferences

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Lori Kogan, Regina Schoenfeld, Stacee Santi

Pet ownership is increasing, in large part due to the number of millennial pet owners. More pet owners as well as the advent of extensive veterinary care options have resulted in a substantial increase in veterinary care spending. Yet, regardless of client cohort or type of medical procedure...

Integrated Return-To-Field and Targeted Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return Programs Result in Reductions of Feline Intake and Euthanasia at Six Municipal Animal Shelters

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Daniel D. Spehar, Peter J. Wolf

For decades, animal shelters in the U.S. have sought to reduce the number of cats that are impounded and euthanized. Since the 1990s, low-cost sterilization campaigns aimed at owned cats have achieved varying levels of success in meeting these objectives. Over a similar time period, the use of...