HABRI Central

An International Survey of Animals in Schools: Exploring What Sorts of Schools Involve What Sorts of Animals, and Educators' Rationales for These Practices

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Helen Lewis, Russell Grigg, Cathryn Knight

Over recent decades, the use of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) in educational settings has attracted growing international interest both among educators and the research community. However, there has been little comparative analysis of the demographics of participants and the rationale...

Preference Ranking Procedure: Method Validation with Dogs

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Han Li, Rachel Wyant, Greg Aldrich, Kadri Koppel

The growth of the number of pet products and the pet food industry is continuous. This is partially driven by palatability and perceptions of preference. A preference ranking procedure for dogs has been proposed in order to suggest a more efficient method to study the palatability of food...

Effects of Dog-Assisted Therapy on the Physical Function and Communication Skills of Adults with Autism: A Study Protocol for a Controlled Study

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Isabel Gómez-Calcerrada, Ana Myriam Lavín-Pérez, Santos Villafaina, Juan Carlos Rueda-Rubio, Beatriz Rivera-Martín, Israel González-García, Eugenio Merellano-Navarro, Marta Mateo-Garitagoitia, Carlota González-Plaza, Daniel Collado-Mateo

Background and Objectives: Despite the scientific evidence of the positive effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is not still considered an evidence-based practice for this population. The proposed study will aim to evaluate the effects of a...

Contagious yawning is not a signal of empathy: no evidence of familiarity, gender or prosociality biases in dogs

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Patrick Neilands, Scott Claessens, Ivy Ren, Rebecca Hassall, Amalia P. M. Bastos, Alex H. Taylor

Contagious yawning has been suggested to be a potential signal of empathy in non-human animals. However, few studies have been able to robustly test this claim. Here, we ran a Bayesian multilevel reanalysis of six studies of contagious yawning in dogs. This provided robust support for claims...

First Evidence of Natural SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Domestic Rabbits

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Matthieu Fritz, Daphné de Riols de Fonclare, Déborah Garcia, Stéphanie Beurlet, Pierre Becquart, Serge G. Rosolen, Alexandra Briend-Marchal, Eric M. Leroy

We tested 144 pet rabbits sampled in France between November 2020 and June 2021 for antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by microsphere immunoassay. We reported the first evidence of a natural SARS-CoV-2 infection in rabbits with a low observed...

Public Investment in Animal Protection Work: Data from Manitoba, Canada

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Kendra Coulter, Brittany Campbell

There is a dearth of research on animal cruelty investigations policy and work, despite its importance for protecting animals from illegal forms of cruelty. This study provides baseline data about the approach used in Manitoba, one of the only Canadian provinces where animal protection is...

Pain and Emotion in Fishes – Fish Welfare Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Culum Brown, Catherine Dorey

Scientists have built a significant body of research that shows that fishes display all the features commonly associated with intelligence in mammals, and that they experience stress, fear and pain. These findings have significant ramifications for animal welfare legislation, an area from which...

Evaluation of the syndromic characterization and diagnostic criteria of the concept of anxiety in animal ethology professionals

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Aline Morales-Estrada, Andres Ducoing-Watty, Itzcoatl Maldonado-Resendiz

There is a wide range of reported signs for anxious patients in veterinary medicine but specific diagnostic criteria to characterize them is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the variability in the concepts of anxiety and the criteria used to diagnose anxiety disorders in...

Blind Trading: A Literature Review of Research Addressing the Welfare of Ball Pythons in the Exotic Pet Trade

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Jennah Green, Emma Coulthard, David Megson, John Norrey, Laura Norrey, Jennifer K. Rowntree, Jodie Bates, Becky Dharmpaul, Mark Auliya, Neil D’Cruze

Extensive numbers of Ball pythons are caught, bred, traded and subsequently kept in captivity across the world as part of the exotic pet industry. Despite their widespread availability as pets, relatively little is known about the potential welfare challenges affecting them. We reviewed the...

Understanding the Attitudes of Communities to the Social, Economic, and Cultural Importance of Working Donkeys in Rural, Peri-urban, and Urban Areas of Ethiopia

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Martha Geiger, Jo Hockenhull, Henry Buller, Gebre Tefera Engida, Mulugeta Getachew, Faith Adelaide Burden, Helen Rebecca Whay

Working donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) are vital to the development and support of people’s livelihoods in rural, peri-urban, and urban areas of Ethiopia. However, despite their critical role in providing transport, food security, and income generation to some of the poorest and most...

Netting Nemo: A Moral Ontology for the Scaled and Slimy

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Zachary Piso

Here I develop an ontology of aquarium fish that articulates the relationships that many fishkeepers hold with their fish and considers how these relationships generate moral responsibilities. The investigation explores the norms already regulating hobbyist discourse and practice, charting the...

Opinions towards Companion Animals and Their Welfare: A Survey of Croatian Veterinary Students

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Tomislav Mikuš, Mario Ostović, Ivana Sabolek, Kristina Matković, Željko Pavičić, Ornella Mikuš, Željka Mesić

This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated...

Methodological Considerations in Canine Olfactory Detection Research

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Lucia Lazarowski, Sarah Krichbaum, Lauryn E. DeGreeff, Alison Simon, Melissa Singletary, Craig Angle, L. Paul Waggoner

Dogs are increasingly used in a wide range of detection tasks including explosives, narcotics, medical, and wildlife detection. Research on detection dog performance is important to understand olfactory capabilities, behavioral characteristics, improve training, expand deployment practices, and...

Managing Urban Crow Populations in Japan

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Tsuyoshi Yoda

Crow (Corvus spp.) populations are increasing globally. This is cause for concern because overabundant crow populations can damage agricultural crops, harm native wildlife, and become a nuisance in urban areas. In Japan, the carrion (C. corone) and large-billed crow (C. macrorhynchos) can...

Generation of Domains for the Equine Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Outcome Score: Development by Expert Consensus

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Gillian Tabor, Kathryn Nankervis, John Fernandes, Jane Williams

Outcome measures (OMs) are a requirement of professional practice standards in human and canine physiotherapy practice for measurement of health status. Measures such as pain and functional capacity of specific regions are used to track treatment impact and can be used to develop optimal...

Difficulties experienced by veterinarians when communicating about emerging zoonotic risks with animal owners: the case of Hendra virus

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Diana H Mendez, Petra Büttner, Jenny Kelly, Madeleine Nowak, Rick Speare

Background Communication skills are essential for veterinarians who need to discuss animal health related matters with their clients. When dealing with an emerging zoonosis, such as Hendra virus (HeV), veterinarians also have a legal responsibility to inform their clients about the associated...

Elevated Sensitivity to Tactile Stimuli in Stereotypic Horses

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Sabrina Briefer Freymond, Déborah Bardou, Sandrine Beuret, Iris Bachmann, Klaus Zuberbühler, Elodie F. Briefer

Although stereotypic behaviors are a common problem in captive animals, why certain individuals are more prone to develop them remains elusive. In horses, individuals show considerable differences in how they perceive and react to external events, suggesting that this may partially account for...

'Animals Are Their Best Advocates': Interspecies Relations, Embodied Actions, and Entangled Activism

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Gonzalo Villanueva

Since 1986, the Coalition Against Duck Shooting (CADS) has sought to ban the practice of recreational duck hunting across Australia. Campaigners have developed techniques to disrupt shooters, rescue injured water birds, and gain media coverage. The campaign is underpinned by embodied processes...

Pre- and Post-Race Intestinal Microbiota in Long-Distance Sled Dogs and Associations with Performance

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Kristoffer Relling Tysnes, Inga Leena Angell, Iselin Fjellanger, Sigrid Drageset Larsen, Silje Rebekka Søfteland, Lucy J. Robertson, Ellen Skancke, Knut Rudi

Although our understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in different diseases is improving, our knowledge regarding how the gut microbiota affects functioning in healthy individuals is still limited. Here, we hypothesize that the gut microbiota could be associated with sled dog...

Greyhounds and Racing Industry Participants: A Look at the New South Wales Greyhound Racing Community

Journal Articles | Contributor(s): Justine Groizard

Subsequent to the exposure of live baiting and animal cruelty within the NSW greyhound racing industry in 2015, a public debate emerged about animal welfare, oppression and exploitation. It resulted in a community outcry, an inquiry into live baiting and animal welfare within the industry and a...