Regency Supports Human-Animal Bond Research

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and EveryCat Health Foundation today announced the results of a new study published in the open-access Journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, “Exploratory Study of Fecal Cortisol, Weight, and Behavior as Measures of Stress and Welfare in Shelter Cats During Assimilation Into Families of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder”, providing preliminary evidence that temperament screened shelter cats adopted by families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) did not experience a significant increase in stress after adoption by their new families. “Benefits of companion animals in homes of families of children with autism have been identified, but little is known about the welfare of pets in these homes,” said Dr. Gretchen Carlisle, Research Scientist at the University of Missouri and Principal Investigator. “These results provide a starting point for future research exploring cat welfare, while also identifying a set of steps families can take to effectively mitigate stress in their new feline family members.” “HABRI is particularly proud to have supported the Feline Friends study, which has already demonstrated that temperament screened shelter cats can help families of children with ASD,” said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. “Results from this new publication focused on cat welfare are important to ensuring successful, long-lasting human-animal bonds.” “We know how meaningful companion animals are to those with ASD and are honored to have supported this groundbreaking research showing that cats can safely and healthily fill this role is truly a win for the cats and their people,” expressed Jackie Ott Jaakola, Executive Director of EveryCat Health Foundation. This exploratory study measured stress in temperament screened shelter cats adopted by families of children with ASD by using fecal cortisol, weight and a behavior stress measure. Findings suggest that the cats in the study acclimated...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) today launched the new-and-improved Human Animal Bond Certified course for veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary practice managers.   Initially launched in 2018, Human Animal Bond Certified has become the one-and-only certification for animal health professionals looking to engage with their clients through the communication and the science of the human-animal bond. With veterinarians and staff in high demand since the pandemic, significant changes have been made to the course, including the addition of new modules on hot topics such as aftercare and access to care. Human Animal Bond Certification will now be offered as a tiered system, with three, six-hour modules to make the course more manageable to complete. Practice certification is also now available.  “The pandemic has not only accelerated the importance of pets in people’s lives, but it has also created more attentive pet owners who want the best care for their pets and who expect to hear from their veterinarians about the human-animal bond,” said Steven Feldman, HABRI President.   “Human Animal Bond Certified 2.0 equips veterinarians and their teams with the resources they need to support and acknowledge the human-animal bond.”  “Passion for the human-animal bond is an important driver for veterinary professionals,” said Gene O’Neill, CEO of NAVC. “In helping educate veterinarians and staff about the science of the human-animal bond, Human Animal Bond Certified 2.0 is the new gold standard for veterinarians looking to reconnect with their purpose and engage with their clients in a meaningful and effective way.”  Human Animal Bond Certified 2.0 provides veterinarians and staff the tools needed to maintain client relationships and better meet their needs. Program modules focus on the science, communication, community engagement, animal welfare and wellness, and medical care needed...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has hailed the results of a HABRI-funded study led by researchers at the Telethon Kids Institute and The University of Western Australia (UWA) that found dog ownership to be positively associated with physical activity in preschool-aged children. The study was just published in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports. “Our research found that engaging with the family dog through playing and going on family walks was positively associated with young children’s physical activity, sleep, and negatively associated with screen time,” said Telethon Kids and UWA Associate Professor Hayley Christian, who was Principal Investigator on the study. “With many young children not meeting the recommended levels of physical activity, screen time and sleep, we hope these results will help parents, children and pets be more active and healthy.” “With these new research findings, we have solid evidence that pet dogs can benefit physical health in young children,” said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. “HABRI looks forward to sharing these results and encouraging families to spend more quality time playing with and walking their dogs.” The research team, led by Dr. Christian, analyzed data from 1,336 children aged 2-5 years in the ‘Play Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity’ (PLAYCE) study, an observational study investigating the influence of the childcare environment on young children’s physical activity. Parent-report surveys collected information about socio-demographic characteristics, family dog ownership, physical activity, outdoor play, family dog walking and play, screen time and sleep. Preschoolers wore ActiGraph accelerometers to measure physical activity. Findings indicate that dog-owning preschoolers did eight more sessions per week of unstructured physical activity than those from non-dog households. Dog-owning preschoolers who played with their dog three or more times per week...