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The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: "assistance animal", "companion animal", "educational/school support animal", "emotional support animal", "facility animal", "service animal", "skilled companion animal", "therapy animal", and "visiting/visitation animal". At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., "skilled companion animal" and "service animal") due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed.

Simple Summary: Campus-based dog programs can reduce stress and enhance wellbeing in university students and staff. However, most research has focused on adult dogs, who are well-trained and accompanied by a handler. In our study, participants came to the university campus for 20 min interactions with an assistance dog puppy in training and their handler during one visit, and the handler alone in another visit. We asked participants about their stress and vitality levels before and after each interaction. Stress was lower after the interaction with the puppy and handler compared to the handler alone. Vitality was greater after both visits among participants who had their session with the puppy and handler first. This study indicates that assistance dog puppies in training, with knowledgeable handlers, can be effective in campus-based visitation dog programs. Brief interactions with a well-behaved dog can enhance wellbeing, but most campus-based dog visitation programs employ adult, trained dogs. There is little research about the impact of puppies on wellbeing or stress in this context. The aim of this study was to examine changes in perceived stress and vitality after interacting with a puppy. Staff and students (N = 32) at an Australian university attended the campus on two occasions, one week apart, as part of a crossover design. Participants were pseudo-randomly allocated to a group whereby they spent 20 min interacting with a handler alone at Visit 1 and interacted with a puppy and handler at Visit 2, or another group which reversed the interaction order. Perceived stress and subjective vitality were measured before and after each interaction. The increase in vitality was greater in the group experiencing the puppy and handler interaction first (significant main effect, F(1,49) = 646.89, p = 0.024, η2p = 1.00), regardless of the visit, possibly due to a social lubricating effect by the puppy, which carried over to the 'handler alone' second visit. Reductions in perceived stress were greater after the interaction with the puppy, for both groups (significant interaction effect, F(1,49) = 5.13, p = 0.029, η2p = 0.11), indicating that the puppy's presence can reduce stress more than the handler alone. This extends the evidence for university-based dog-facilitated wellbeing programs, by showing that interactions with puppies can also be effective. This is important as it may mean that puppies already on campus as part of a socialization/training program can be incorporated into wellbeing programs for staff and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Companion animals continue to be relinquished by their guardians to shelters. Historically, animal behavior has been seen as the main cause for companion animals to be relinquished. Therefore, we wanted to understand whether companion animals are relinquished due to issues related to the animal themselves or due to challenges in the companion animal's guardian's life. Previous research indicates that socioeconomic difficulties of the guardian, such as financial constraints and inadequate housing, contribute to companion animal relinquishment. Relinquishment data are crucial for a better understanding of how socioeconomic factors intersect with the care of companion animals. This study analyzed relinquishment data from five Australian shelters over the period of Australian Financial Years (FY July 1 to June 30) 2018/19 to 2022/23 and analyzed data on the 46,820 companion animals relinquished. The most common reason for relinquishment was housing for both low and high socioeconomic groups. Financial constraints were reported more in lower socioeconomic groups, whereas healthcare of the human as a reason for relinquishment was greater in the higher socioeconomic groups. This highlights the need for comprehensive, cross-disciplinary strategies that address both human and animal welfare needs holistically. Such integrated approaches can improve outcomes for companion animals and their human caregivers by addressing the underlying socioeconomic factors affecting their well-being. It is important to understand the reasons for companion animal relinquishment to help reduce the financial and ethical problems arising from too many dogs and cats in shelters. This study investigates the socioeconomic factors and reasons behind companion animal relinquishment in Australia, utilizing data from five animal shelters, over a five-year period (Financial Year 2018/19 to 2022/23). Descriptive statistics reveal that the median Index of Relative Socio-Economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) decile of companion animal guardians who relinquished their companion animal was decile 4 out of 10, indicating that they live in areas of lower-than-average socioeconomic status. Cats accounted for 59.4% and dogs for 40.6% of all relinquishments, with more relinquishments from lower socioeconomic deciles (1–5) (cats: 62.6%, dogs: 65.8%). The median age of relinquished cats was 5 months and dogs 16 months, with human factor-related issues (e.g., Housing, Financial Constraints, Human Healthcare) cited in 86% of cases. Descriptive analysis for the five financial years shows a declining trend in numbers of relinquishments, with housing issues (31.2%) identified as the primary reason, followed by ownership decisions (16.2%), financial constraints (11.2%), and human health issues (10.4%). Comparing the reasons for relinquishment between lower (decile 1–5) and higher (decile 6–10) socioeconomic status demonstrated that financial difficulties were a more common reason in lower vs. higher socioeconomic groups, while human health and family-related issues are more common in higher vs. lower socioeconomic groups. These findings highlight the critical role of socioeconomic factors in understanding why people relinquish their companion animals, which can inform targeted interventions to support companion animal welfare across different socioeconomic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The manifestation of complex trauma results from exposure to severe and repetitive stressors occurring within the caregiver system. Frequently associated with child maltreatment, complex trauma can lead to impairments in multiple domains, including attachment, affect and behavioural regulation, and cognition. Treatments, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, have been shown to be efficacious, but high attrition rates point to the need for complementary methods that boost client retention and treatment efficacy. This systematic review examines whether dog-assisted therapy has beneficial impacts on the treatment of complex trauma and whether it can decrease treatment attrition among children presenting with complex trauma exposure. Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines to locate relevant research reports. Seven published research reports matched the inclusion criteria. Results: Dog-assisted therapy may increase the efficacy of standard interventions for complex trauma, although only one study formally assessed treatment retention. Across most studies, there is an overall lack of detailed information on the nature of therapeutic activities involving the dog and how these activities may complement or enhance therapy as usual. Studies were of varying methodological quality, impacting the reliability of findings. Conclusions: Future studies should aim to better describe and justify dog-assisted therapy techniques and evaluate these in comparison with standard evidence-based approaches to the treatment of childhood complex trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People have kept companion animals for millennia, a tradition that implies mutual benefits due to its persistence; however, scientific investigations present mixed results. Some research suggests pet owners are less lonely than non-owners, but other findings suggest pet owners have higher psychological distress. Research comparing owners with non-owners is limited, and methodological inconsistencies need to be addressed. This study investigated social support and wellbeing (positive functioning) in cat and dog owners, informed by social support theory, attachment, and social exchange theories. It was hypothesized that (1) pet support would predict wellbeing in addition to human support and (2) at least one aspect of pet–owner relationship quality would influence the relationship between social support and wellbeing. An adult sample of 89 cat owners and 149 dog owners (n = 238; 205 females and 33 males) completed an online survey comprising a demographics questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Cat/Dog–Owner Relationship Quality Scale, the Psychological Wellbeing Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale. Social support measures included some demographics on theoretical grounds to measure the construct multidimensionally. Hierarchical and multiple regressions were conducted, and results indicated that both hypotheses were supported: having more pets significantly predicted greater psychological wellbeing in addition to human social support. Unexpectedly, perceived pet support significantly, positively predicted life satisfaction when perceived emotional closeness with pet was low. These findings indicate that pets may improve psychological functioning and that emotional closeness is an important moderating factor. Practical implications include the social benefits of pets for those who could benefit from greater psychological functioning and improved life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]