Healthy Paws Foundation Joins Forces with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) announced today it has awarded a $44,000 grant to Duke University School of Medicine’s Division of Pediatric Cardiology for a new research study titled Impact of Animal Assisted Therapy on Quality, Completeness, and Patient and Parental Satisfaction in Children Undergoing Clinical Echocardiography. This study will examine the influence of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) on young children undergoing an echocardiogram. It is hypothesized that children will have a more complete and higher quality echocardiogram in the presence of therapy dogs. In addition, parents are expected to report higher visit satisfaction scores and greater exam comfort for their children. “Echocardiography is an effective way to use ultrasound to ‘see’ inside the heart, and while taking the pictures is non-invasive, it can still be a scary procedure for young children,” said the study’s principal investigator, Dr. Piers C.A. Barker, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine. “Typically, we must sedate children who have trouble holding still so that we can get adequate pictures. This study aims to evaluate whether animal-assisted therapy could serve as an effective alternative technique to comfort the children and put them at ease, potentially resulting in more complete echocardiograms, higher quality images, and avoidance of sedation drugs.” “We know from previous scientific research that animal-assisted therapy is effective in alleviating anxiety in hospital patients,” said co-investigator, Margaret Gruen, DVM, PhD, DACVB of Duke. “This is one of the first studies to focus on the potential of animal-assisted therapy to impact a clinical outcome. If results are successful, this study could potentially add non-pharmacologic, low-cost options to improve diagnostic quality for children having medical imaging procedures and could encourage broader use of therapy dogs in other pediatric cardiology settings.” The...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) lauded the passage of H.R. 1448, the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, which was signed into law by President Biden yesterday. The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program and authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses. “HABRI is proud to have funded key scientific research demonstrating the efficacy of service dogs as a complimentary therapy for veterans with PTSD,” said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has documented that PTSD affects more than 15 percent of post 9-11 war veteransi. With an alarming 17 suicides per dayii, addressing the mental health of veterans is an urgent crisis. With the support of the pet care community, HABRI funded the first pilot study investigating the efficacy of service dogs as a complementary, therapeutic intervention for veterans with PTSD. Results of this study, conducted by Dr. Maggie O’Haire and team at Purdue University, indicate that veterans with a service dog exhibited significantly lower overall PTSD symptom severity, including increased overall psychological well-being; a better ability to cope with flashbacks and anxiety attacks; a lower frequency of nightmares and less overall sleep disturbance; lower overall anxiety, depression, and anger; higher levels of companionship and social reintegration; and lower levels of social isolationiii. Participants of this first-of-its-kind study were recruited from a database of individuals provided by K9s for Warriors. “The results of our research consistently showed that on average, veterans with service dogs had lower PTSD symptom severity,” said Maggie O’Haire, PhD, Associate Professor...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Synchrony (NYSE: SYF), a leading consumer finance company, today announced a strategic partnership to advance the companies’ shared goal of strengthening the human-animal bond. “At Synchrony, we’re continually looking for ways to equip pet parents and veterinarians with the knowledge, resources and financial solutions to provide all pets with the care they need, over the course of their lifetime,” said Boo Larsen, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Veterinary and Pet Care, Synchrony. “By joining forces with HABRI, we hope to help everyone in the relationship with the animal truly understand the mutually beneficial power of the bond, which will in turn lead to better veterinary care.”[1] Synchrony is committed to empowering the health and wellness of people and their families, including their pets, through its flexible financial solutions including the CareCredit health and wellness credit card and Pets Best, as well as partnerships such as this one with HABRI.  HABRI’s efforts to demonstrate and substantiate the positive impact of this special bond on the health of pets, individuals, families and communities align perfectly with Synchrony. Synchrony will help HABRI fulfill its mission of building the human-animal bond by: Funding HABRI’s impactful research that documents the positive benefits of companion animals for personal and public health and addresses major industry issues. Amplifying HABRI’s science-based education to CareCredit’s network of 25,000 veterinary providers – which reaches 95% of veterinary university hospitals and ~75% of veterinary hospitals nationwide – to increase public awareness of the human-animal bond’s essential role in human and animal health and wellness. Participating in HABRI’s public policy initiatives and advocating for legislative solutions that support pet owners and help increase access to pet care. Synchrony executives recently participated...