New Study to Investigate Impact of Pets on Recovery of the Gut Microbiome Following Antibiotic Regimen in Older Adults

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced today a new research grant to The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) School of Public Health to investigate how pet ownership and cruelty to animals impacts the decisions and mental health outcomes of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). “Pet abuse has been identified as a predictor of IPV, but there is a lack of data to fully understand the role of pet ownership in relationships where IPV is occurring,” said Alaina Beauchamp, MPH, Principal Investigator. “Quantifying the link between intimate partner violence and animal cruelty will help identify ways to protect people and pets and lower the barriers to seeking help.” One in 4 women and 1 in 9 men reported IPV in 2019 alone. 41 percent of men arrested for IPV reported committing acts of animal cruelty, compared to a nationally representative sample of adult men who reported a 2 percent incidence of animal cruelty. Up to 48 percent of domestic violence victims remain in abusive situations out of fear for their pet’s safety, and only 15 percent of U.S. domestic violence shelters are pet friendly. This new research study led by Alaina Beauchamp, a doctoral student, and Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, assistant professor at UTHealth School of Public Health, will collect data from women residing in emergency and transitional housing at a domestic violence shelter in the southern United States to examine their experiences of animal cruelty and the barriers it created when seeking help. Data will be used to capture the burden of animal cruelty in this population, assess the role emotional manipulation by an abuser plays in choices made for an IPV survivor and their pet, and evaluate the impact of the human-animal bond on the resiliency and mental health of these IPV survivors. “HABRI is proud to be funding this important research, which will bring data to a critical issue facing survivors of IPV and their pets,” said...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced today it has awarded a $33,717 grant to the Texas Tech University for a new study, Integration of AAI and Applied Behavior Analysis to Improve Academic Performance in Children with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability (IDD). This study will examine the effect of an integrated animal-assisted intervention (AAI) in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) on children’s academic performance and physiological stress. “The goal of this study is to determine if interaction with a therapy dog during an ABA-based intervention results in improved academic response and a decrease in child stress levels,” said the study’s principal investigator, Alexandra Protopopova, PhD, Texas Tech University. “The results of this study may provide support for incorporating animals into ABA-based therapy, a bridging of two beneficial therapies for individuals with ASD/IDD that could result in the emergence of advancements in behavioral science.” The one-year, single-subject designed study will examine 6 children between the ages of 4 and 13 with ASD/IDD. The unique, within-subject design will use the 6 participants to address each aim of the study. Dr. Protopopova, Assistant Professor of Animal and Food Sciences and co-investigator Breanna N. Harris, PhD, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Biological Sciences, will expose each child to 5 conditions, 5 times each in a random sequence and will measure on-task behavior and collect saliva for measurement of cortisol levels. The investigators will then compare each condition on an individual basis. It is expected that when provided with a therapy dog during the ABA-based intervention, the children will have significantly lower stress and that the dogs will be a more potent and durable reward for children, resulting in educational improvements. “Scientific research, including results of previous HABRI-funded studies, has shown that therapy dogs can have a positive...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and IDEXX today hosted a virtual lecture highlighting a HABRI-funded research project investigating the benefits of engaging in a dog training program for young people aged 10-17. This lecture is a part of the IDEXX Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series, which explores impactful scientific research on the health benefits of the human-animal bond and the importance of veterinary medicine in strengthening human-animal bonds. The lecture, titled “The Impact of a Dog Training Program on the Physical Activity, Quality of Life, and Social Wellbeing of Adolescents”, featured a discussion led by Oregon State University professors Dr. Megan MacDonald, Ph.D, and Dr. Monique Udell, Ph.D, on their study examining a Do as I Do (“DAID”) dog training program, which emphasizes an active partnership between dog and owner by demonstrating a particular behavior for the dog to repeat. The study aims to assess whether youth who undergo the DAID dog training program will experience an improved child-dog bond, increased mutual physical activity as well as higher feelings of responsibility, quality of life and social wellbeing. Partial findings indicate that dogs show great potential to learn when trained by adolescents. “HABRI was proud to host Dr. MacDonald and Dr. Udell as they shared details about their research which addresses the potential of the human-animal bond to support adolescent wellbeing, a group at high risk for physical inactivity, anxiety and depression,” said HABRI President Steven Feldman. “HABRI is grateful to IDEXX for sponsoring this lecture, helping connect veterinarians with the health benefits of the human-animal bond for the entire family.” Veterinary professionals who viewed this session live will be eligible to receive RACE-approved Continuing Education (CE) credit through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). The lecture will remain available on-demand at http://www.habri.org/HAB-Lectures....