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Animal Visitation Program (AVP) Reduces Cortisol Levels of University Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
| Contributor(s):: Patricia Pendry, Jaymie L. Vandagriff
University students report high levels of stress. Although causal work is limited, one popular approach to promote stress relief is animal visitation programs (AVPs). We conducted a randomized trial (N = 249) examining effects of a 10-minute AVP on students’ salivary cortisol levels....
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Companion animals and disasters: The role of Human Services Organisations
| Contributor(s):: John Darroch, Carole Adamson
INTRODUCTION: Companion animals have often been treated as an afterthought, or ignored, by those involved in planning for and responding to disasters. This omission in planning for the needs of companion animals has been predicated upon a failure to recognise the emotional bond between...
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Risk of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) Infection in Pet Cats in Australia is Higher in Areas of Lower Socioeconomic Status
| Contributor(s):: Vivian Tran, Mark Kelman, Michael Ward, Mark Westman
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline calicivirus (FCV), and feline herpesvirus (FHV-1) are common viral infections of domestic cats in Australia. A study was performed to investigate the possible effect of area-based socioeconomic factors on the occurrence of FIV, FCV, and FHV-1...
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Motivation of Owners to Purchase Pedigree Cats, with Specific Focus on the Acquisition of Brachycephalic Cats
| Contributor(s):: Liran Plitman, Petra Cern ˇ á, Mark J. Farnworth, Rowena M.A. Packer, Danièlle A. Gunn-Moore
Background: Cats are globally popular pets and pedigree cats are increasingly prevalent, with brachycephalic breeds being the most registered breeds. How owners decide upon and acquire their cats is poorly understood. Moreover, there are growing concerns about the health and welfare of...
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A case study of the patient wait experience in an emergency department with therapy dogs
| Contributor(s):: Colleen A. Dell, James Stempien, Lindsey Broberg, Alicia Husband, Lacey Jurke, Betty Rohr, Jane Smith, Joseph Rubin, Susan Tupper, Donna Goodridge, Cathie Fornssler, Logan Fele-Slaferek
The quality of patient healthcare is a growing concern in Canada’s hospital emergency departments (ED) due to increasing wait times and associated adverse outcomes. A developing body of literature indicates that therapy dogs can positively impact the patient experience. In 2016, members...
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Animal Hoarding by Humans: A Literature Review
| Contributor(s):: Corina L. Schroeder
I review the origin and treatment of animal-hoarding disorder in humans and its relation to hoarding disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, showing that it seems to be more closely related to object hoarding. The disorder often originates in a traumatic life event, which triggers a...
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Serving Pets in Poverty: A New Frontier for the Animal Welfare Movement
| Contributor(s):: Amanda Arrington, Michael Markarian
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Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners
| Contributor(s):: Ann-Sofie Sundman, Enya Van Poucke, Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm, Åshild Faresjö, Elvar Theodorsson, Per Jensen, Lina S. V. Roth
This study reveals, for the first time, an interspecifc synchronization in long-term stress levels. Previously, acute stress, has been shown to be highly contagious both among humans and between individuals of other species. Here, long-term stress synchronization in dogs and their owners was...
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The State of Research on Human–Animal Relations: Implications for Human Health
| 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...
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Understanding how dogs encourage and motivate walking: cross-sectional findings from RESIDE
| 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...
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Talking to Dogs: Companion Animal-Directed Speech in a Stress Test
| 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...
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Contexts and consequences of dog bite incidents
| 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.,...
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Evaluation of an open source method for calculating physical activity in dogs from harness and collar based sensors
| 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...
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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
| 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...
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Portion size and meal consumption in domesticated dogs: An experimental study
| 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...
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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
| 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...
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Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations
| 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...
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Leaner, Healthier, Happier Together––A Family-Centred Approach to Weight Loss with the Overweight Dog and Her Caregivers
| 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...
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Identification of Meat Species in Pet Foods Using a Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Assay
| 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...
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Effect of Pets on Human Behavior and Stress in Disaster
| 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...
