Study Finds Dogs De-Stress Families with Autistic Children

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced funding for four new research grants focused on the effects of human-animal interaction on human health, including social skills outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder; the physical and developmental health of children living with family pets; and the mental health and well-being of seniors living alone. These four grant projects raise HABRI’s total research funding to more than $2 million. “The companies and organizations that make HABRI’s research program possible deserve the credit for hitting the $2 million dollar milestone,” said Bob Vetere, HABRI President and Chair of the Board of Trustees. “With their support, HABRI is building a strong pipeline of high-quality research projects that are showing how pet ownership is essential for human health and wellness.” Since HABRI’s founding in 2010, HABRI has funded 21 competitive research projects from institutions across the globe, and has supported the creation of the world’s most comprehensive online library of human-animal interaction research, bringing its research funding to more than $2 million. In 2017, HABRI awarded a total of approximately $200,000 to the following four research projects, identified by the expert HABRI Scientific Advisory Board out of a total of 48 proposals received: Heidi Ewen, PhD (University of Georgia Research Foundation): Healthy Aging: Human Companionship Through Fostering Felines Gretchen Carlisle, PhD (University of Missouri): Shelter Cat Adoption in Families of Children with Autism: Impact On Children’s Social Skills and Anxiety as Well as Cat Stress Alexandra Protopopova, PhD (Texas Tech University): Integration of AAI and Applied Behavior Analysis to Improve Academic Performance in Children with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disability Hayley Christian, PhD (The University of Western Australia): The Health and Developmental Benefits of Companion Animals for Young Children: Advancing...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and IDEXX, a global leader in pet healthcare innovation, today hosted a lecture with Dr. Jason Johnson, Vice President and Global Chief Medical Officer at IDEXX, and Steven Feldman, HABRI President, discussing compelling data on the importance of veterinarians as trusted resources for pet owners on the science of the human-animal bond. “IDEXX is incredibly proud of our support for HABRI, its scientific research exploring the health benefits of the human-animal bond, and our partnership on this lecture series,” said Dr. Jason Johnson, VP and Global Chief Medical Officer at IDEXX. “By sharing how the human-animal bond is strengthening and how important it is to the health and well-being of people and their pets, we believe we can make a meaningful difference for the veterinary profession.” The Human-Animal Bond Lecture Series was created to connect animal health professionals and pet owners with the science of the human-animal bond in a free and easy-to-use virtual format. Upcoming lectures in 2022 will feature academic researchers introducing new scientific studies investigating the health benefits of human-animal interaction (HAI), from child health to healthy aging. Lectures will also focus on providing veterinary teams with the tools they need to engage with their clients on these topics, which has been shown to improve compliance and care. “With awareness of human-animal bond science higher than ever before, we want to equip veterinarians to be at the center of these conversations,” said HABRI President Steven Feldman. “HABRI is grateful for the continued support and leadership of IDEXX. Together, we are looking forward to bringing the science of the human-animal bond to a wider audience of animal health professionals and pet owners.” Animal health professionals who view these sessions live will be eligible to receive RACE-approved Continuing Education (CE) credit through the American Association of...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has announced funding for a new research project led by the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine to evaluate the effects of service dogs on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers. The two-year grant from HABRI will enable the research team to conduct a study quantifying the therapeutic effects of service dogs on children with ASD and their caregivers in collaboration with service dog provider Canine Companions for Independence. “While anecdotal evidence suggests service dogs may benefit children with ASD, there is a need for published data on this subject,” said the study’s Principal Investigator, Marguerite O’Haire, PhD, Associate Professor of Human-Animal Interaction, who is part of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University. “As the largest and most extensive study on service dogs for children with ASD and their caregivers to date, we expect the findings to provide critically-needed outcomes for this increasingly prevalent application of the human-animal bond.” The study, called the Purdue Canines for Autism Research Study, or Purdue CARES, will compare up to 50 families engaging in usual care that have an ASD service dog with up to 50 families engaging in usual care while on the waitlist to receive a service dog. Participation will include caregivers completing a 30-60 minute online survey and facilitating three mornings of saliva collection with the child to measure cortisol, a stress hormone. O’Haire and Purdue co-investigators Kerri Rodriguez, Dr. Mandy Rispoli and Dr. Bridgette Kelleher along with Dr. Evan MacLean of the University of Arizona will conduct the study, which focuses on children diagnosed with autism who range from ages 4-17. The researchers will compare the symptoms of children who currently have service dogs in the home and those who are on a waiting list for a service dog. They also will assess participants’ cortisol levels, a...