New Study to Investigate the Impact of Pets on the Mental Health of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners today announced new funding for a research project to investigate the health and wellbeing benefits of equine-assisted services (EAS) for survivors of trauma and the horses in the program. This grant of $55,212.30 was awarded to a team of researchers at The Ohio State University led by Kimberly Cole, Extension equine specialist and professor of animal sciences. “Pet Partners is thrilled to support this study on the healing influence of equine-assisted therapy for survivors of trauma,” said C. Annie Peters, president & CEO of Pet Partners. “Understanding the impact of EAS on not only the trauma survivors, but also on the participating horses represents an important contribution to the field of human-animal interaction research.” “An increasing number of programs rely on the positive influence of horses, but we still need more evidence on the specific mechanisms for which human-equine interaction leads to positive health outcomes in human participants,” said Cole. “This research, which utilizes the biopsychosocial model to measure specific biomarkers such as oxytocin, aims to advance the science of animal-assisted therapy in this important area.” Using a within-subject repeated measures design, this study will examine health and wellbeing for both human and equine using outcome measures within a biopsychosocial framework. Participants between 18-55 years of age with trauma symptoms will participate in four consecutive weekly sessions with the same equine. Equine-assisted services (EAS) is a broad term used to describe all ways humans interact with horses and other members of the equine species, including therapeutic, learning, and horsemanship services, with activities such as therapeutic riding as well as grooming. Salivary samples will be collected before and after each session from both humans and equine and analyzed for oxytocin and pro-inflammatory cytokine, hormones associated with...

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) today announced it has awarded a $13,000 grant to the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies for a new study, Listening EARS: How Does Reading to Rabbits Affect Reading Skills of Third Grade Students?, to uncover how reading aloud to a non-threatening presence, like a classroom rabbit, helps improve students’ reading skills. “The human-animal bond can lessen the stress young children can feel when taking on challenging tasks in the classroom, like reading aloud,” said Dr. Annie Petersen, Ed.D., Principal Investigator in the Listening EARS study. “This study will provide us with a valuable tool to understand and act on the benefits of small animals to student learning and development.” By utilizing small animals already present in classrooms (e.g. rabbits and guinea pigs), it is predicted that classroom interactions with an animal will improve 3rd grade students’ oral fluency and reading comprehension, two essential measures of academic success. “HABRI is committed to studying the impact of companion animals on child health and development,” said Steve Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI. “This new research will contribute to the growing body of scientific evidence that demonstrates the benefits of pets in the classroom.”

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced today that LifeLearn Animal Health has become an official supporter of HABRI and its research on the mutually beneficial health benefits of companion animals. “LifeLearn is proud to become a HABRI supporter,” said Randy Valpy, President and CEO of LifeLearn. “The bond between people and their pets has been shown to influence the care that pet owners provide for their pets. So, supporting HABRI aligns with LifeLearn’s core commitment to advance animal health and education worldwide.” “LifeLearn is a leader in delivering innovative, trusted, and expert-vetted education resources for both veterinary teams and pet owners, which is what makes them such a good fit for a HABRI partnership,” said Steven Feldman, HABRI Executive Director. “LifeLearn can spread the word to key audiences about the strong connection between human and animal health.” HABRI research shows that when pet owners are educated about scientific research on the health benefits of pets, 92% say they are more likely to maintain their pet’s health, including keeping up with vaccines and preventative medicine. Additionally, 88% of pet owners are more likely to provide their pet with quality nutrition and 66% are less likely to skip visits to the veterinarian’s office when educated on the science behind the health benefits of pet ownership. “By creating education platforms that make it easier for people to communicate within the animal health profession, LifeLearn is making an important contribution towards strengthening bonds and improving lives on both ends of the leash,” Feldman added. About LifeLearn Animal Health Celebrating 25 years of continuing innovation and excellence, LifeLearn Inc. provides education and communications products and services to the veterinary profession, animal health organizations, and pet service businesses. LifeLearn’s award-winning competencies in digital media, combined with longstanding veterinary...