Virtual Pet Week on Capitol Hill to Celebrate Growing Importance of Pets in America

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is proud to announce a new partnership with Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice, a nationwide veterinary practice dedicated to providing in-home hospice and euthanasia care for pets. Together, HABRI and Lap of Love will work to increase awareness and understanding of the healing power of the human-animal bond, particularly during a pet’s end-of-life journey. Lap of Love is honored to partner with HABRI to expand education to support the human-animal bond in all stages of life. “The human-animal bond doesn’t diminish in a pet’s final moments; it grows even stronger. By joining forces with HABRI, we’re committed to enhancing the understanding of this bond and providing pet owners with the compassionate care they deserve during life’s most tender goodbyes,” said Dr. Mary Gardner, CEO and Co-Founder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice. Through this collaboration, HABRI, Lap of Love, and the Companion Animal Euthanasia Training Academy (CAETA) will support educational initiatives and promote research on the positive impact of compassionate pet care at life’s end. “It’s important for us to find ways to protect the bond during end-of-life appointments, in particular during the sensitive act of euthanasia,” Dr. Kathleen Cooney, Research Director for CAETA shares. By combining HABRI’s expertise in human-animal bond research with Lap of Love and CAETA’s commitment to pet-centered end-of-life care, this partnership aims to enhance both the emotional support for pet owners and the quality of life for pets during end-of-life transitions. “Pet owners want more assistance and less anxiety when it comes to planning for euthanasia,” said Steven Feldman, President of HABRI. “We are honored to partner with Lap of Love to deepen our understanding of how the human-animal bond can help bring comfort and healing to those facing pet loss.”

Mars Petcare and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), with support from a broad consortium of partners, today released a report that offers a roadmap for advancing research and best practices that address how human-animal interaction can serve as an important solution to the growing epidemic of loneliness and social isolation. “There is increasing evidence that pets can play an important role in helping people feel less lonely and more socially connected,” said Steven Feldman, Executive Director, HABRI. “Together with the leadership of Mars Petcare and a group of other experts and stakeholders, HABRI will work to address the crisis of loneliness in our society with the power of the human-animal bond.” Loneliness currently affects three in five Americans[i] and 9 million people in the United Kingdom.[ii] Loneliness can be as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, making it a serious threat to public health.[iii] Mars Petcare and HABRI surveyed 2,000 people in the United States, finding that 85 percent of respondents believe interaction with companion animals can help reduce loneliness.[iv] “We have a responsibility to take the scientific exploration further when evidence to date shows us that pets can be part of addressing such a significant societal issue,” commented Rena Crumplen, Global Vice President of Research and Development, Mars Petcare. “It’s important that we undertake rigorous studies to understand how companion animals may provide  a benefit for those suffering from conditions associated with social isolation and loneliness.” The new report, Addressing the Social Isolation and Loneliness Epidemic with the Power of Companion Animals, brings forward the recommendations from the Summit on Social Isolation and Companion Animals, along with the continued work of a broad consortium of human health advocates, mental health practitioners, veterinarians and human-animal interaction researchers. The report outlines the following three-pronged...

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) announced today it has awarded a $27,000 grant to Lincoln Memorial University, for a study titled, Measuring the Impact of a Mutually Reinforcing Relationship Between Pet Owners and Their Pets. This research project will analyze data collected via a series of public health fairs and develop a general model of health and wellness behavior to examine the relationship between the health of humans and their pets and whether patterns of health and health-associated behaviors are similar. It is anticipated that the model will help determine that pets share the same health benefits and risks as their owners. “Healthy pets make healthy people,” said HABRI Executive Director Steve Feldman. “Lincoln Memorial University can help us establish this important connection so that the human-animal bond is universally accepted as an essential element of human wellness.” The one-year pilot study will aim to obtain data sufficient to describe the current state of health and health associated behaviors in pet owner-pet pairs in the Cumberland Gap Region (CGR) of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Health metric data including body weight, heart rate, blood pressure and height will be collected for 300 human subjects and their pet dogs or cats through conducting a series of public health fairs. The investigators seek to use the data to formulate a general model of health and health associated behavior. “Few studies have simultaneously investigated the health and health promoting behaviors of owners and pets,” said principal investigator Dr. Charles Faulkner, Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. “We believe the model developed in this study will help provide evidence that the relationship between humans and companion animals mutually reinforces their health and quality of life. This is especially important in a geographic region where residents rank at the bottom in health outcomes for heart...