We are delighted to announce a record-breaking attendance at our 2021 conference, held online on Sunday 19 September,
Attendees from over twelve countries including the UK, USA, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Estonia, the Philippines, India, Mexico, Mauritius, Germany, Nigeria and Ghana participated in the virtual event, learning about new research and programmatic advances in key areas of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI).
SCAS trustees, Dr. Elizabeth Ormerod and Dr. Sandra McCune, will be presenting at the IAHAIO online conference this weekend (25-26 September 2021):
Human-animal interactions: Conversations and connections in a changed world
Continue reading
A new opportunity for students and professionals interested in expanding their knowledge and expertise in Human-Animal Interaction studies!
Postgraduate Certificate & Master of Arts Degree (MA) in Professional Development in Human-Animal Interactions (via distance learning).
Continue reading
The hour-long event will cover human-dog interaction issues from both ends of the leash – including examining our role in the wolf domestication process, requiring dog consent for participation in studies, and ways to improve the lives of both dogs and humans.
Tune In and Help Us Promote a Special Animal Matters Panel on Saturday 21 August at 12PM PT (8 pm UK time)
Annenberg PetSpace is hosting a special panel discussion with Alexandra Horowitz, Evan MacLean, Sandra McCune and James Serpell. Moderated by Patrick Flynn, the hour-long online discussion will cover a variety of topics from the Frontiers Research Topic, Our Canine Connection: The History, Benefits and Future of Human-Dog Interactions.
#InternationalCatDay a full 24 hours of recognition and veneration of one of humanity’s oldest and most beloved pets.
International Cat Care is the custodian of International Cat Day, an organisation that works internationally to improve cat welfare through collation and promotion of evidence-based research into feline physical and mental wellbeing.
Read more about cats, how to care for cats, and how you and your cat can celebrate #InternationalCatDay:
Continue reading
The SCAS 2021 Virtual Conference ‘Animal-Assisted Interventions: Research meets Practice’ is coming up, and all ISAZ members get a £10 discount off registration costs! (members contact ISAZ for promo code).
In this role you will be the subject-matter expert in Human-Animal Interaction within the WALTHAM research team. You will improve the understanding of the relationship between pets and people by developing, coordinating, and managing research projects relevant to the HAI field, in collaboration with academics across the globe. You will engage diverse audiences through communication of relevant scientific findings; and you will provide expertise and advice within WALTHAM, the global Mars Petcare business and to external stakeholders.
16 July 2021 is Guinea Pig Appreciation Day!
To keep the love of guinea pigs alive, Guinea Pig Appreciation Day celebrates everything that we love about these cutesy critters and celebrates just what it is that makes them great pets.
To learn more about how to take good care of your guinea pigs, check out PSDA’s dedicated webpage.
The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) has funded research by Dr. Marguerite E. O’Haire, Purdue University, to study guinea pigs in classroom settings.
‘SCAS provided instrumental funding to enable our initial research on guinea pigs in school classrooms. With their support, we were able to identify that the presence of guinea pigs in the classroom led to improvements in social functioning for both children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their typically developing peers. These findings led to an ongoing stream of research on animals in school classrooms and for children with autism. I am grateful for their support of my own work and of the broader field’ (Dr. Marguerite E. O’Haire)
Read more about Dr. O’Haire’s research here: Animal-Assisted Intervention for Autism
Some Workers Are Choosing Their Pets Over Their Jobs as Offices Reopen, But Will Animal-Friendly Workplaces Catch On? An article written by Melissa Chan for Time magazine addresses this question.
Are you and your pet preparing for your return to office work now?
Earlier this year, SCAS board members co-wrote an article to support owners to manage pet welfare during and after an extended ‘stay at home’ period.