With Announcement of 2017 Research Grants, Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) Hits $2 Million Level for Research Support

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) virtually delivered the message that pets are good for our health and wellbeing through Pet Week on Capitol Hill. Pet Week featured conversations with pet care leaders and members of Congress about the importance of pet ownership in America and the scientific evidence that shows how pets and people are good for each other. “HABRI is proud to host Pet Night on Capitol Hill, but since we couldn’t be together in person, we decided to build a virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill,” said Steven Feldman, HABRI’s Executive Director. “The entire pet care community came together to share the power of pets with Congress, and we ended up with even greater participation, which shows how the human-animal bond has grown even stronger during the pandemic.” Pet Week highlighted timely issues including the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on pet adoption in America and the importance of passing lifesaving pet-related legislation aimed at improving the lives of veterans with PTSD and survivors of domestic violence. Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-5) discussed the importance of One Health Act legislation aimed at helping protect people and pets from zoonotic diseases, and the key role of veterinary medicine in preventing future pandemics. Thousands of participants experienced the human-animal bond from afar, with virtual visits from Pet Partners therapy animals and adoptable pets from the Humane Rescue Alliance. Pet Week also featured a special guest appearance from baseball Hall-of-Famer Tony La Russa, who spoke on the lifesaving impact of service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress. For Pet Week’s closing celebration, the Animal Health Institute crowned the winners of the Cutest Pets on Capitol Hill contest, recognizing the most adorable congressional companions from both sides of the aisle. Dog: Sergeant Pepper Owner: Syd Terry Office of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9) Cat: Jackson Owner: Liz Leibowitz Office of Senator Cardin...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners today announced a new grant for research that seeks to understand how individual differences in dogs predict their interest in participating in different types of animal-assisted interventions (AAI). This grant was awarded to Principal Investigator Dr. Sasha Protopopova, Associate Professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and co-Investigator Dr. Camila Cavalli, Postdoctoral Fellow in UBC’s Animal Welfare Program. This project will examine how individual differences influence the willingness of therapy dogs to take part in different types of human-animal interactions with a focus on enhancing animal welfare. This knowledge could lead to the development of guidelines for selecting therapy dogs based on their genuine interest in participation rather than just tolerance, thereby improving dog welfare and leading to more effective therapeutic outcomes. “Pet Partners is dedicated to advancing high standards in the field of animal-assisted interventions,” said C. Annie Peters, president & CEO, Pet Partners. “We are proud to be supporting this work with HABRI, which will help to advance our understanding of therapy dog welfare, helping to ensure only the most suitable animals are involved in these therapeutic interventions.” “Therapy dogs often do not have the ability to express their preferences within an AAI session, which could potentially lead to stress or reduce the effectiveness of their work,” said Dr. Sasha Protopopova, the Principal Investigator of this project. “We aim to improve the welfare of therapy dogs by understanding their preferences and interests during AAI.” Researchers will enroll 25 therapy dogs and 25 pet dogs, matched by breed and age. Dog owners will complete two dog behavior questionnaires, and each dog will attend two mock AAI sessions at the University of British Columbia’s Human Animal Interaction Lab, where their behavior...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners today announced funding for a new study to evaluate how resident facility dogs in police stations, also known as “Station Dogs”, may impact officers’ job-related well-being and mental health. This funding was awarded to a team of researchers at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine led by Dr. Kerri Rodriguez. “Pet Partners is proud to fund this research to evaluate the impacts of trained facility dogs within police stations,” said C. Annie Peters, President & CEO of Pet Partners. “Our nation’s hard-working first responders deserve every form of mental health support, and this research will show how the positive effects of the human-animal bond can be part of that equation.” “Previous research has found that facility dogs can reduce stress and provide emotional support for both staff and clients in schools, hospitals, and courthouses- but their effectiveness in police stations has been minimally studied,” explained Dr. Kerri Rodriguez, principal investigator for the project. “Our research hopes to describe how facility dogs may be similarly beneficial for promoting wellness within law enforcement.” This study proposes to evaluate the impact of facility dogs, a type of therapy dog trained to provide daily comfort and support in a facility setting, as a workplace intervention in law enforcement stations. Researchers will use a cross-sectional study design to measure self-reported outcomes among an estimated 300 law enforcement officers across stations currently placed with a facility dog or on the waitlist to receive one. “Station Dogs” will be trained and placed free of cost by the non-profit organization K9s For Warriors, which has already placed over 40 Station Dogs in police and fire stations across the US. Researchers hypothesize that the presence of a facility dog will be significantly associated with better self-reported outcomes among first responders...