A Deep Dive into Cats Protection’s Cats and Their Stats (CATS) Report 2023 – Thursday 2 November 2023, 7-8pm
Discover the findings of the Cats Protection’s latest Cats and Their Stats (CATS) report, the most comprehensive survey of UK cat owners
Dogs for Good: activity group for adults with learning disabilities – Thursday 5th October 2023, 7-8pm
Hayley Ring: recently joined dogs for good as the engagement officer on this project . Hayley has experience in client support for AAI sessions , and a background working in social care services.
Selina Gibsone: Development Manager at Dogs for Good for 11 years, overseeing the project and supporting the development of AAI.
Dogs for Good is a charity who offers a range of services supporting people with a variety of health and social needs through specially trained dogs. We are now in the process of bringing these to the Bracknell area with a new project being rolled out specifically for the Bracknell Community. It is designed to be a flexible service offering the opportunity for adults and children with a range of individual needs in the Bracknell community to spend time with a specially trained dog and their handler.
As a starting point, we aim to build knowledge of the needs of this community, so in time we can shape our services to meet identified needs to support potential outcomes and benefits. There are so many ways we can help, from enabling people to keep active/exercise, motivated and connected with their families and communities, build relationships, and encourage social interaction, communication and confidence. We are supporting people with learning disabilities , dementia, autism , mental health challenges as well as physical disabilities, to feel more confident to go out and about, helping bring people together and enjoy being part of a community. One of our first groups to be established is an activity group for adults with learning disabilities. It is this group that I will be talking about in detail including who attends , the aim of sessions , the activities, benefits/ outcomes , any personal goals , feedback and support, and how it has developed to date .
Understanding landlord decisions in relation to pet friendly renting in the UK: how we can minimise concerns – Thursday 7th September 2023, 7-8pm
By Dr Luciana Santos de Assis, Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, University of Lincoln, UK
Luciana Santos de Assis is a researcher in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Lincoln. She is from Brazil where she graduated as a veterinarian, performed residency in internal medicine of small animals and obtained her master’s degree. She came to the University of Lincoln for her PhD where she worked with separation related problems in dogs. Since then, she continued conducting research projects in animal behaviour, welfare and human-animal interaction.
The availability of pet friendly housing is clearly an issue in the U.K with the number of pet-friendly properties much lower than the number of tenants that have pets. In the U.K., 23% of housing is rented, 53% of UK adults own a pet, but only 7% of rental properties across UK cities are advertised as pet friendly. Consequently, many tenants must choose between pet ownership and the type of housing they can access. This can have wider impacts since there is evidence that humans can benefit in many ways from their interactions with animals. However, it must be recognised that some interactions are negative, and these can have a long-term impact by changing the behaviour, thought and/or emotional response underpinning a specific attitude towards animals. Such experience might drive private landlords of residential properties to exclude pet owners. However, there may be other factors driving these decisions. Accordingly, it is essential to identify the reasons why landlords choose not to accept companion animals in their rental properties and not assume it is just based on bad experience if we wish to identify effective solutions to this problem.
The results of the study will be presented, where 19 U.K. landlords owning rental properties (pet friendly or not) and one letting agent were interviewed to investigate their perceptions about:
1) the main concerns of landlords about allowing pets to live in their rental properties,
2) the issues experienced by landlords when allowing pets in their properties,
3) the sources of influence affecting landlords’ opinions,
4) and perceived alternative strategies that might alleviate or resolve landlords’ concerns about companion animals living in their rental properties (including regulations).
How Dogs Can Lower Children’s Stress Levels – effects of dog-assisted interventions in schools – July 2023
By Prof Kerstin Meints PhD, MA, CPsychol, AFBPsS, University of Lincoln, UK
Prolonged exposure to stress can have negative effects on learning, behavior, health and wellbeing in children. Several approaches to alleviating stress have been explored in schools, for example, yoga, meditation, physical activity, teaching style interventions and animal-assisted interventions. In the current study, we carried out dog-assisted interventions in schools and measured stress levels in children over time. The children took part in one of three groups over 4 weeks: either a 20-minute dog-assisted intervention group, a 20-minute relaxation intervention group or a control group (school as normal). Intervention sessions were carried out twice a week.
The role of an Animal Companionship Practitioner and the provision of Animal Companionship Support Services – June 2023
By Belinda (Bin) Johnston MA VetMB MRCVS
Scientific evidence demonstrates that a positive relationship between humans and animals can have a vast impact on a person’s mental, emotional and physical health. Pet ownership is proven to be particularly beneficial for those experiencing social isolation and/or mental health issues. Our Special Friends (OSF) is an innovative, grassroots charity supporting people who are experiencing difficulty and where ownership of a pet, or contact with an animal, is crucial to enable them to cope.
Every day, OSF is approached by, or on behalf of, people facing all kinds of adversity who are desperate not to relinquish their beloved companion and vital source of comfort, stability and normality – or people who have lived with animals all of their lives but whose health or circumstances now make pet ownership impossible. OSF is committed to breaking down any and all barriers which prevent people from benefitting from animal companionship. Through our overt focus on animals, OSF is able to access hard-to-reach people normally averse to agencies becoming involved, particularly where they are socially isolated. We are therefore able to identify unmet health and social care needs and make appropriate referrals earlier than many other services.
OSF has established the need for an Animal Companionship Practitioner and offers a variety of animal companionship support services, delivered predominantly by volunteers in the community, to meet the plethora of needs our clients have and completely transform difficult situations in their lives. OSF currently works in West Suffolk supporting around 500 people every year and has ambitious plans for growth.
Coddled Companions or Pet Prisoners? Understanding ‘pet parenting’ types in relation to the ‘indoor versus outdoor cat’ debate – May 2023
By Kristine Hill, BSc (hon), MSc, MA, PhD (Plant Physiology), PhD Candidate (Anthrozoology). Exeter Anthrozoology as Symbiotic Ethics (EASE) working group, University of Exeter, UK.
Analysis of discourses surrounding roaming cats and case-studies of cat-human relationships provide insight into the concept of ‘pet parenting’ types and reveal different ideas about guardian responsibilities and the rights of cats. Whether guardians believe they are morally obligated to protect their feline companions, or must respect their cat’s freedom to roam, largely depends upon how cats are perceived. At one end of the spectrum cats are viewed as helpless dependents (‘fur babies’), while the other extreme sees them as semi-wild or wild-like animals (‘nobody owns a cat’). However, cats, like humans, are individuals, and this is often overlooked in discussions about what is ‘best for cats’ including their right to roam. Drawing upon my case studies, I demonstrate how what is best for one cat is not necessarily best for all cats in similar circumstances.
How to be a Happy Dog Owner: Findings from research and practice – April 2023
By Professor Carri Westgarth BSc MPH PhD PGCert FHEA ABTC-CAB, Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Liverpool
What if your dog could teach you a few new tricks for living a happier, healthier life?
Based upon the book, “The Happy Dog Owner” (and more research since), this webinar will summarise the key points dog owners need to know in order to maximise the benefits and minimise the risks of dog ownership, so you can be a happy, healthy, dog owner. The media would lead us to believe that owning a dog will improve our health and happiness, but what is the actual scientific evidence behind this? How do we develop a relationship with our dogs that positively impacts our physical and mental health, rather than creating extra stress and upset in our lives? The advice within “The Happy Dog Owner” comes from Carri’s scientific research into human-animal relationships and dog welfare, and her experiences working as a behaviour counsellor, assistance dog trainer, in animal rescue, and of course owning and training her own lovely but challenging dogs.
When dogs bite back – Reducing dog bite incident risks – March 2023
By Dr Jacqueline Boyd BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, PGCHE, CHES, FHEA, MRSE, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science at Nottingham Trent University
Dog bite incidents regularly attract media attention. When serious incidents occur, much debate centres around the characteristics of the dog, including discussion about dog breed or type, rather than the overall context of the situation. In this webinar, the variable nature of dog bite incidents will be considered. This will include discussion about specific risk factors associated with increased occurrence of bite incidents, in order to consider how our relationships with dogs can impact on their behaviour and bite risk. This has clear applications in terms of supporting canine caregivers in the management, training and even selection of dogs for their individual circumstances, whilst also taking a canine-centric approach to mitigating bite risk. This webinar explored how appreciating the intersectionality of the human-dog relationship can aid our understanding of dog bites and support a move towards reducing the occurrence of bite incidents.
Dealing with inter-cat tension in multi-cat households – February 2023
By Dr Sarah Heath BVSc PgCertVetEd Dip.ECAWBM(BM) CCAB FHEA FRCVS
With the increase in popularity of the cat the number of multi-cat households has increased. While some of these households are harmonious that is not always the case and tension between cats living in the same home can sometimes be significant. Living in a state of protective emotional bias can not only affect the behaviour of these cats but also their physical health. This talk will discuss the issue of inter-cat tension in the context of the health triad and the Heath model of Emotional health, in order to increase understanding of the situation from a feline perspective. It will discuss the various possible manifestations of social tension both in the form of reported behavioural problems, such as house soiling or confrontational behaviours, and concerns about physical health manifestations, such as feline idiopathic cystitis, gastrointestinal concerns and dermatological issues. The impact of feline social behaviour on the multicat household will be considered and the subtle manifestations of social tension, which may go unnoticed by caregivers, will be highlighted. The concept of feline environmental needs will be used to discuss how feline home environments can be optimised and some of the potential limitations to achieving harmony will also be considered.
Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid service – Supporting keeping people and pets together – January 2023
By Gilly Mendes-Ferreira MSc BSc, Head of Innovation and Strategic Relations, Scottish SPCA
The Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid service has been launched to support the challenges that pet owners currently face so that unintentional neglect can be tackled at an early stage and ultimately prevented, enabling people and animals to be kept together where possible. Providing a dedicated Pet Aid service can make a real difference and enables the Society to support animal welfare on doorsteps, and in the heart of communities instead of picking up the pieces when things have gone wrong and an animal and person has suffered. This webinar provided details of Pet Aid, and allowed delegates to share their experience to help ensure Pet Aid meets the needs of those who are doing all they can to support and stay with their pet.