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Behavioral and Perceptual Differences between Sexes in Dogs: An Overview
| Contributor(s):: Anna Scandurra, Alessandra Alterisio, Anna Di Cosmo, Biagio D’Aniello
In this paper, we review the scientific reports of sex-related differences in dogs as compared to the outcomes described for wild animals. Our aim was to explore whether the differences in male and female dogs were affected by the domestication process, in which artificial selection is the main...
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Human Animal Bond Association Newsletter Winter 2019
Disaster Preparation for Your Pets, p2 Human-Animal Bond Certification Program, p3 2019 HABA Board and Advisors, p4
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The impact of poverty on dog ownership and access to canine rabies vaccination: results from a knowledge, attitudes and practices survey, Uganda 2013
| Contributor(s):: Ryan MacLaren Wallace, Jason Mehal, Yoshinori Nakazawa, Sergio Recuenco, Barnabas Bakamutumaho, Modupe Osinubi, Victor Tugumizemu, Jesse D. Blanton, Amy Gilbert, Joseph Wamala
Background: Rabies is a neglected disease despite being responsible for more human deaths than any other zoonosis. A lack of adequate human and dog surveillance, resulting in low prioritization, is often blamed for this paradox. Estimation methods are often employed to describe the rabies...
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Exploring Social Desirability Bias in Perceptions of Dog Adoption: All's Well that Ends Well? Or Does the Method of Adoption Matter?
| Contributor(s):: Courtney Bir, Nicole Olynk Widmar, Candace Croney
Dogs are a popular companion animal in the United States; however, dog acquisition is often a contentious subject. Adoption is often cited as an ethical and popular method of acquisition but interpretation of the term ‘adoption’ may vary. In a nationally representative survey of the...
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"We Always Hurt the Things We Love"—Unnoticed Abuse of Companion Animals
| Contributor(s):: Bernard E. Rollin
Despite the fact that companion animals enjoy the status of “members of the family” in contemporary society, there are numerous diseases affecting the longevity of these animals and their quality of life. Some of the most pervasive and damaging problems accrue to pedigreed animals...
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Recent Understandings of Pet Allergies
| Contributor(s):: Dennis Ownby, Christine Cole Johnson
Allergic reactions to pets have been recognized for at least a hundred years. Yet our understanding of the effects of all of the interactions between pet exposures and human immune responses continues to grow. Allergists, epidemiologists, and immunologists have spent years trying to better...
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Effect of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs
| Contributor(s):: Anastasia Stellato, Sarah Jajou, Cate E. Dewey, Tina M. Widowski, Lee Niel
Many dogs show signs of fear during veterinary appointments. It is widely recommended to use desensitization and counter-conditioning training to reduce this fear. However, the efficacy of this method for reducing veterinary fear has not been examined. We assessed the effect of a standardized...
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Keeping Lily Safe: An Autoethnographic Exploration of Human–Animal Attachment during Adversity
| Contributor(s):: Catherine Lee
This article is an autoethnographic examination of my experiences as a pet owner during a particularly challenging time in my life. Beginning with a summary of a critical incident, it shows the way in which fears for the safety of my pet cat, Lily, and my relationship with her impacted my...
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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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Assessment of separation anxiety in dogs: the search for a diagnostic method
| Contributor(s):: Gahee Kim
The aims of this study were: (1) to explore the environmental factors and behaviors associated with the owners’ perception of separation anxiety based on the questionnaires completed by the owners along with video recordings of their dogs during the owners’ absence, and (2) to...
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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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Pink is the New Bull: The Feminization of Pit Bulls in Visual and Literary Discourses as a Rescue Tactic
| Contributor(s):: Stephanie Hogue
Since the 1980s, pit bulls have been portrayed in a raced, classed, and gendered national discourse that has associated them with minority males of color in low-income urban areas. This discourse has led to a villianization of the breed that has resulted in restrictions on pit bulls and their...
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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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Dognition : the effect of pet ownership on cognition in older adults
| Contributor(s):: Molly McSweeney
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of pet ownership on cognition in older adults. Previous research has indicated that interactions with pets are associated with improved mental and physical health in humans. We predicted that these benefits of human-pet interactions...
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The Dog in the Middle Ages
| Contributor(s):: Luisa Barbano
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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...
