Nature’s Variety Supports Human-Animal Bond Research

The PAWS Act Coalition, a group of nonprofit and for-profit organizations, is working to raise awareness among the domestic violence shelter community of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Emergency and Transitional Pet Shelter and Housing Assistance Grant Program. This program will support shelter and transitional housing services for survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals, which was made possible by the passage of the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act by Congress in 2018. “The PAWS Act funding and new grants mark an important milestone in keeping more pets and their families together,” said Nina Leigh Krueger, president of Nestlé Purina PetCare. “Purina is committed to continuing to work alongside our partners to increase the number of pet-friendly domestic violence shelters so families and their pets can safely leave an abusive situation and heal together.” “With incidents of domestic violence increasing as a result of coronavirus stay-at-home orders, the need for pet-friendly sheltering will also grow, and this funding could not have come at a better time,” said Steven Feldman, Executive Director of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI). “HABRI is proud to have participated in this two-plus year effort to support the successful implementation of the lifesaving PAWS Act. The PAWS Act Coalition and many in the greater pet care community have worked hard to make this grant program a reality.” The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will provide up to five grants of $400,000 each, to begin on October 1, 2020. The primary goal of this funding is to support shelter and transitional housing services for survivors of domestic violence and their companion animals. With these grants, the DOJ seeks to increase the number of shelter beds and transitional housing options to meet the needs of domestic violence survivors who need shelter or housing for them and their companion animals. Funding provided by this grant will also provide...

As millions of Americans practice social distancing and home isolation to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the nation’s pets are there to help.  Scientific studies show that human-animal interaction can reduce stress and loneliness and improve overall mental and physical health.   The Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), supported by Nationwide, has funded and gathered scientific research that shows how companion animals can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, promote healthy activity and provide a boost to the cardiovascular system.   Research also shows that pets are also a part of the solution to social isolation and loneliness, a growing public health epidemic even before the coronavirus pandemic. A national survey of pet owners and non-pet owners by HABRI and Mars Petcare found that:   85% of respondents agree interaction with pets can help reduce loneliness   76% agree human-pet interactions can help address social isolation   72% believe human-animal interaction is good for their community   “The human-animal bond can help lower stress, and the routine of caring for a pet can provide feelings of security and normalcy for improved mental health,” said Steven Feldman, HABRI Executive Director. “Pet owners are also more likely to achieve recommended levels of daily exercise and have lower blood pressure, contributing to better physical health.”   “Nationwide is focused on supporting pet owners and strengthening the human-animal bond,” said Dr. Jules Benson, Nationwide’s associate vice president of veterinary relations. “HABRI research helps to reinforce the message that having a pet can be a huge benefit during this crisis.”   HABRI and the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) recently certified Nationwide as a Human-Animal Bond Certified Company, a designation bestowed for its commitment to strengthening the human-animal bond through research, education, professional...

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced a new grant for research to examine the effects of therapy dog interactions on heart and brain activity. This grant was awarded to a team of researchers at the University of Wollongong, led by Jillian Teo, PhD Candidate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Wollongong along with Professor Stuart Johnstone at the School of Psychology and Professor Susan Thomas at the Graduate School of Medicine. This study will investigate the changes in heart and brain activity occurring in university students during interactions with therapy dogs and aims to better understand the mechanisms behind the benefits of human-dog interactions on human health and wellbeing. In addition to measurements of heart and brain activity, researchers will also collect self-report measures of emotional states and psychological distress from students. The study hypothesizes that therapy dog interactions will lead to greater relaxation compared to standard relaxation methods which could potentially inform future interventions and policies to optimize student health. “Our preliminary study indicates that therapy dogs can favorably influence multiple human health-related pathways, including the autonomic and central nervous systems, likely through reductions in stress and increases in relaxation,” said Jillian Teo, the Principal Investigator for this project. “This new study will yield insights into the mechanisms underlying these benefits for human health and facilitate the development of evidence-based practices to optimize future animal-assisted interventions for improved health and wellbeing.” This study will adopt a repeated measures design to examine psychophysiological outcomes from 100 university students, combining subjective self-report measures with objective physiological measurements including heart rate, heart rate variability, and an electroencephalogram (EEG). The study will further add to the existing literature...