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An elementary teacher discusses her methods of dealing with a fourth grader who threw temper tantrums when he could not do his work. She offered to bring her dog to school if he showed self-control for a week. He worked hard, avoided temper tantrums, and his positive behavior was rewarded. (SM)

Surveyed 242 couples whose pet had died during 3 years prior to survey. About one-half of wives and over one-quarter of husbands reported being "quite" or "extremely" disturbed by pet death. Husbands rated pet loss about as stressful as loss of close friendship; wives rated it about as stressful as losing touch with married children. (Author/NB)

Attempts to increase awareness of counselors about topic of pet loss. Discusses how counselors can be actively involved through practice, consultation, and research to help people deal with emotional impact of pet loss. (Author/NB)

This annotated subject guide to Web sites for grades K-8 focuses on chemistry, U.S. Civil War, drawing and cartooning, gravity and magnetism, motion, pets, science fiction and fantasy literature, and calendar connections for May observances. Specific grade levels are indicated for each annotation. (LRW)

A center for retarded students provided students contacts with animals on a regular basis to help students overcome their fear, increase self-confidence and self-esteem, develop nurturing skills, and learn cooperation. Case studies of six children who showed special benefits from the program are included. (CL)

Describes an activity designed to improve students' skills at solving mathematical word problems through an awareness of the pet overpopulation problem. Uses the concept of cumulative female offspring as a focal point in assisting students to analyze and work through word problems. (ML)

Describes results of a research project on the relationship between 4- to 6-year-old kindergarten children and pet animals. One finding noted is that young children are not capable of expressing in words what animals mean to them. (JN)

Presents an 11-lesson mini unit overview on wild and domestic pets. Lessons contain teacher preparation information and student activities. Skills, discipline orientation, and the humane concept associated with each lesson are also outlined. (ML)

Contains curriculum-oriented activities on various aspects of dog and cat care. Organizes the exercises by reading levels and identifies each activities-related subject and skills area. Includes student work sheets that can be duplicated for classroom use. (ML)

Compared four samples of elderly women: living alone, with other persons, and with and without a pet. Pets only made a difference for those living alone. At best, pets only attenuate the sense of loneliness. In intervention with the elderly, the provision of human supports should remain a priority. (Author/BL)

Investigated impact of pet ownership on the health status of recently widowed urban middle-class women. Findings suggest pet ownership may have a salutary effect on the adjustment of recently widowed women in terms of symptom experiences and proneness to utilization of medication. (Author/KS)

Reviews literature focusing on six aspects of pet-person relationships that are most relevant to the growing child. Areas include love, attachment, and comfort; sensorimotor and nonverbal learning; responsibility, nurturance, and competence; learning about the life cycle; therapeutic benefits; and nurturing humaness, ecological awareness, and ethical responsibilities. Curricular recommendations are offered. (BB)

Describes a game in which students deal with some of the factors involved in being a responsible pet owner. Includes a list of the materials needed for the game and provides the game board and the game pieces, along with a fold-out poster about neutering and spaying pets. (TW)

Presents a set of teaching activities which deal with the pet overpopulation problem while improving students' persuasive writing skills. Includes activities that focus on how people can solve problems by working together. The activities range from songs to a computer simulation. (TW)

Compared effects of different visiting programs (people, people and pets, pets, no visit) on behaviors of nursing home residents. Found all three visiting programs increased behaviors of smiling and alertness in comparison to control conditions. Close proximity to person-alone visitor was associated with greatest number of positive resident behaviors. (Author/NB)

Provides an overview of the rapidly expanding area of human-animal bonding. The historical background of human-animal bonding, the current multidisciplinary interest in companion animals, and theoretical perspectives are reviewed. The article examines programmatic and legislative developments in which social workers have participated and presents implications for practice, along with relevant examples. (Author)

Results from an investigation of 614 adolescents' ratings of forms of child and pet maltreatment indicated that adolescents were highly critical of acts which constitute maltreatment, more critical of abusive than neglectful acts, less tolerant of child abuse than pet abuse, but more tolerant of physical force directed toward a child if they had cared for a pet. (Author/ABB)

Conducted telephone interviews with 320 pet owners and 116 nonowners. Found sociodemographic differences between groups. Remarried people, families with children, and families in middle stages of life cycle were most likely to have pets. Widows, empty-nesters, families with infants, and those with annual incomes of $8,000 or less were least likely to have pets. (Author/NB)

Explains a program designed to get students involved in encouraging local pet owners to license their animals. Discusses the possibilities this program offers in teaching citizenship. Includes five teaching activities intended for use in elementary language arts and social studies lessons. (TW)

Explains a teaching activity designed to help students develop an appreciation of the role of animal control officers in the community and the importance of licensing their pets. Includes playing instructions, reproducible game cards and a game board, and a supportive statement from the director of a state humane society. (TW)

Promotes value of using animals in therapeutic, vocational, and recreational education for children. Describes educational approaches, suggesting animals promote a sense of affection, understanding, self-worth, and responsibility among children. Discusses safety and hygienic considerations for having animals in both urban and rural environments. (TES)

Examines the nature and consequences of pet-associated injuries to children. Topics discussed include animal bites, the kinds of injuries inflicted, fatalities due to animal bites, and also the treatment and prevention of animal-related injuries. (RJC)

Discusses the potential benefits of having pets for self-care children. Researchers suggest that companion animals can lower blood pressure, show up high on a list of children's helpers and indirectly increase feelings of safety. (RJC)

Examines the epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapy related to common pet-associated diseases and injuries. Discusses transmission of pet-related health hazards and methods of treatment. Describes preventive measures aimed at safe animal care and control. (RJC)

Used Family Life Space Diagram to compare relationship between human family members with the human-canine relationship. Subjects were 29 dog enthusiasts, 66 typical pet owners, and 27 elementary school students with dogs. Results suggest that individuals may perceive their relationship with their pet dog as being as close as their relationship with a spouse, child, or parent. (NB)

Surveyed elderly women in two New Zealand cities; one allowed pet cats, one did not. Attitudes toward pet cats were more positive in city allowing pets and among pensioners who owned, or wished to own, cats. Since positive attitudes outweighed negative ones, City Authority banning cats reversed its policy. Found conflicting evidence about cats' role in reducing loneliness. (Author/NB)

Examined the perceptions and social interactions of patients (n=20) and staff after introducing a resident dog to a nursing home. Results showed a significant increase of interactive behaviors for both staff and residents after 6 weeks. After 22 weeks, behavior for residents had reverted to base-line levels. (Author/BHK)

Studies reveal that potential health values exist in use of pets in the rehabilitation process. Animal therapy can be a salutary form of rehabilitation if the program is organized, supervised, and implemented in a professional manner. (JD)

The therapeutic use of animals with specific populations has gained increased attention and interest. Pet placement in special settings such as prisons, mental institutions and hospices have shown beneficial results. Development of a pet visitation program requires specific planning and organization. (JD)

The veterinary curriculum at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine has developed an undergraduate professional training program in companion animal preventive medicine--a new area of specialization--as a field of clinical practice. Curricula for years three and four are described. (Author/MLW)

A survey of case histories, anecdotal evidence and pilot studies shows that, as therapeutic adjuncts, pet animals facilitate rapport and enrich the treatment milieu. Pets enhance the lives of their owners in the community. Pet-facilitated psychotherapy can increase social interaction, provide comfort, and reinforce feelings of independence. (Author)

The author suggests eight ideal classroom pets: hamsters; turtles; snakes; spiders; frogs and toads; fish; and birds. For each he gives suggestions on selecting the pet and housing and feeding it in the classroom. Desert terrariums and home pet care training are also discussed. (SJL)

Advocates a sensory approach, involving care for plants and animals, to help children understand the nature of life and death. (Author/RH)

Suggestions from four humane educators and a child psychologist are offered to parents wanting to teach the humane ethic to children so that it becomes a lifestyle. Initial steps to be taken and how parents should build child/pet relationships are also discussed. (JN)

Discusses factors to consider when deciding on the kind of pet to obtain and keep in the classroom, indicating that when the pet is responsibly chosen, cared for, and integrated into the classroom, it can provide many positive learning opportunities for children. Several of these opportunities are outlined. (JN)