Heroes and Horses: Veteran and Equine Experiences with Equine Facilitated Learning and Therapy

Theses | Contributor(s): Karen Elizabeth Krob

Equine-based programs with goals of helping Veterans and those involved in Veterans' lives are quickly gaining in number and popularity. A number of hypotheses exist as to why such programs might be effective, but what is the experience of those participating in such programs? Further, it...

Prison-based animal programs: a descriptive analysis

Theses | Contributor(s): Alicia M. Loe

There are many types of programs used in prisons. One such type is known as prison-based animal programs (PAPs). Prison-based animal programs bring animals into facilities in order to help offenders with emotional and behavioral problems. However promising these programs are, there is little...

A Protocol for Animal Assisted Therapy in a Midwestern Hospital

Theses | Contributor(s): Alexie J. Traiser, Katie J. Huot

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been shown to improve physiological, psychological, social, and physical aspects of clients (Miller & Ingram, 2000; Diefenbeck, Bouffard, Matukaitis, Hastings & Coble, 2010). AAT increases an individual’s strength, cognition, range of motion, and...

The Role of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Communication Skills of Children with Autism

Theses | Contributor(s): Jennifer Friedrich

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with social communication and prosocial behaviors. Due to a lack of social communication and social interaction skills among children with ASD, special education teachers are tasked with providing meaningful social...

An Occupational Therapist's Manual for Animal Assisted Therapy with Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents

Theses | Contributor(s): Ann Marie Bilek, Hannah Osborne

According to the comprehensive literature review, animals are currently being used as an effective tool during therapy and have been reported to promote improvement with communication, behaviors, quality of life, and self esteem of different treatment populations. Since emotionally disturbed...

Captive Audiences: Interactions Between Visitors and Bonobos at the San Diego Zoo

Theses | Contributor(s): Elena Miyoko Carver

Primate exhibits in American zoological parks, especially those featuring the great apes, are among the most compelling, complex, and popular exhibits for visitors, and are a primary way the American public becomes familiar with our closest living relatives. In this study, I approach the...

Secret Psychological Revelations of Dolphins in Captivity

Theses | Contributor(s): Haylee Elizabeth Hilton

As with most things, the early years of Sea Animal training consisted of trials and errors, experimentations and false starts.  Again, as with most things, those early efforts were analyzed and the successful efforts were kept and incorporated into the regular training routines....

Umfrage : Einsatz von Tieren auf Palliativstationen und in stationären Hospizen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz und : Prospektive klinische Studie zur Überprüfung der Wirksamkeit Tiergestützter Therapie (TGT) zur Verbesserung der Befindlic

Theses | Contributor(s): Cora Tews

A Reference Tool for Occupational Therapists to Utilize when Planning Occupation-Based Interventions Using Animal-Assisted Therapy

Theses | Contributor(s): Jennifer L. Hamre, Kathryn E. Nagorka

The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a reference tool for occupational therapists to implement an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program utilizing small animals in preparatory, purposeful, and occupation-based interventions. A thorough literature review was completed using...

Intentional Integration of Service and Therapy Dogs in an Occupational Therapy Program Curriculum

Theses | Contributor(s): Stephanie Rehovsky, Brittni Danner

This scholarly project involves the intentional integration of Buddy, the service/therapy dog of the University of North Dakota’s Occupational Therapy graduate program. This project contains researched evidence regarding the variety of benefits involved with the implementation of animal...

Incorporating Household Pets and Service Animals: Local Government Emergency Preparedness in New Mexico

Theses | Contributor(s): Jesse Austin Sievers

Public Law 109-308, the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2006 (PETS Act), requires states and local governments seeking federal assistance to have emergency preparedness operational plans address the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to a...

Effects of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies on Equine Stress and Welfare

Theses | Contributor(s): Sarah Jean Reega

Equine assisted activities and therapies (EAATs) are becoming an increasingly popular approach for therapy, therapeutic recreation, and learning for a broad range of human clients and participants. In the EAAT field, most research has been human-centric, focusing primarily on benefits of EAATs...

Interspecies Communication in Homo Sapiens and Canis Lupis Familiaris: A Meta Analysis

Theses | Contributor(s): Karissa L. Panzino

Interspecies communication is a fundamental aspect of many creatures. Knowing what another animal is saying could not only prove interesting, it could quite literally save a life. For humans, human-canine communication is arguably the most prevalent form of interspecies communication, and is...

An Evaluation of the Oral Microbiome and Potential Zoonoses of Two Ubiquitous South African Strepsirrhines, Otolemur crassicaudatus and Galago moholi.

Theses | Contributor(s): Michael John Strinden

As Otolemur crassicaudatus and Galago moholi are ubiquitous throughout part of South Africa they are thought to be at little conservation risk. However, this has resulted in a situation where these species are seldom studied. This thesis addresses this lack of knowledge...

The Biocultural Landscape of Zoonotic Disease: Examining Human-Animal Vulnerability to Anthrax on the Colombian-Venezuelan Border

Theses | Contributor(s): Jennifer A. Ida

The focus of this thesis is to provide a holistic understanding of the political, cultural, environmental, and biological factors that may be contributing to increased vulnerability to anthrax in Wayuu and non-Wayuu human and livestock communities in La Guajira, Colombia. Qualitative data...

Pause with Paws: Implementation of an Evidence-Based Animal Visitation Program at a Small Vermont University

Theses | Contributor(s): Angela Smith

This evidence-based practice change pilot project explored college student perceptions of the efficacy of an animal visitation program (AVP) toward reducing perceived stress. Using a quantitative, longitudinal pre- and post-intervention design, a convenience sample of students from a Vermont...

The Biocultural Landscape of Zoonotic Disease: Examining Human-Animal Vulnerability to Anthrax on the Colombian-Venezuelan Border

Theses | Contributor(s): Jennifer Ashley Ida

The focus of this thesis is to provide a holistic understanding of the political, cultural, environmental, and biological factors that may be contributing to increased vulnerability to anthrax in Wayuu and non-Wayuu human and livestock communities in La Guajira, Colombia. Qualitative data...

The effect of a pet's presence upon anxiety during a simulated clinical interview

Theses | Contributor(s): Kenneth G. Weigand

Recognizing the importance of evolutionary parallels between humans and other animals, researchers make use of animals to better the understanding of people in various fields of study, such as history, ecology, medicine, psychology, and sociology (Levinson, 1978). Boris Levinson (1962) was an...

Understanding the Value of Dog Facilitated Psychotherapy, What Theory Emerges?

Theses | Contributor(s): Annemarie Una Harmon O'Brien

Animal Assisted Therapy is a field that is growing substantially with animals purported to be a panacea from everything from autism to prisoner reform. In many countries they are incorporated into psychotherapy process. The researcher wanted to explore if this is a valid form of practice, the...

The Effects of Pet Visitation and Human Interaction on the Happiness of Retirement Home Residents

Theses | Contributor(s): Candace Jean Donaghy, Richard Tucker (adviser)