Vacancy: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT)

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General Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic is seeking a postdoctoral Research Fellow to join their team under the mentorship of Dr. Arya Mohabbat to research the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) on patient stroke rehabilitation. This research involves a collaborative study between Purina and Mayo Clinic. A clinical trial will evaluate the possible benefits of the presence of a therapy dog for patients seen for inpatient acute stroke rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic. 

In particular, it will assess the emotional and well-being state of the patients and the therapy dogs, as well as changes in rehabilitative status during these sessions.

More information here.

International Stress Awareness Week: Reducing stress in dogs during AAI

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Whilst a lot of the time when we think of animal-assisted interventions we think of the potential benefits to the people involved, it is so important that the welfare of the animals is paramount and they also enjoy the experience.

Back in May, SCAS trustee, Evangelos Diamantakos (an ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), carried out a webinar on recognising signs of stress in dogs involved in dog-assisted interventions.

The webinar is free to watch at https://youtu.be/T7uuztOemw4

#InternationalStressAwarenessWeek #StressAwarenessWeek

International Stress Awareness Week: Can animals prevent stress in university students?

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This International Stress Awareness Week we take a look at some of the studies that have taken place with university students to look at the potential stress relieving effects of animal-assisted interventions on this group of people. Research in this area is vital to ensure the wellbeing of both students and animals. #InternationalStressAwarenessWeek #StressAwarenessWeek

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CfP: UFAW conference Advancing Animal Welfare Science, Edinburgh June 2002

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The Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) International Conference, Advancing Animal Welfare Science, Edinburgh UK 28-29th June 2022

Call for papers and workshop proposals

The conference will be feature talks from established animal welfare researchers and those at the beginning of their career to hear about the latest research, innovations and thinking across the spectrum of animal welfare science.

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A Special Issue of Veterinary Sciences ‘Interdisciplinary Considerations in Human-Animal Interventions’ has new publications

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A Special Issue of Veterinary Sciences ‘Interdisciplinary Considerations in Human-Animal Interventions’ has new publications, including:

A review by Lisa Townsend and Nancy R. Gee ‘Recognizing and Mitigating Canine Stress during Animal Assisted Interventions’ Read here.

And a review by Lisa Maria Glenk and Sandra Foltin.  ‘Therapy Dog Welfare Revisited: A Review of the Literature’ Read here.

HABRI funding for HAI research!

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Funding available for research that addresses evidence-based health benefits of human-animal interaction (HAI).

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is issuing a call for research proposals from institutions and organizations across the globe to investigate the health outcomes of pet ownership and/or animal-assisted interventions (AAI) or therapy, both for the people and the animals involved.

Deadline 24 Feb 2022

For more information: Click here

Two recent publications on human-dog interactions

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Two recent publications are now available from the Frontiers special edition, Our Canine Connection: The History, Benefits and Future of Human-Dog Interactions.

The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions

Written by Mia Cobb, Cynthia Otto and Aubrey Fine, this paper reviews the last decade of animal welfare science of working dogs in relation to modern ethics, human interaction, and the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, behavioral interaction, physical health, and mental state. Additionally, the article suggests areas of further research to help ensure that working dogs have the best lives possible.

Read here

Advancing Genetic Selection and Behavioral Genomics of Working Dogs Through Collaborative Science

By Frances Chen, Madeline Zimmermann, Jessica Hekman, Kathryn Lord, Brittney Logan, Jane Russenberger, Eldin Leighton and Elinor Karlsson. The authors encourage the modernization of canine breeding programs, especially as it relates to working dogs, and advocate for the implementation of a data-driven method called estimated breeding values (EBVs).

Read here