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The human–animal bond (HAB) is a powerful emotional attachment which often elevates pets to the status of a family member. Because companion animals typically live much shorter lives than humans, grief and loss is a problem that is frequently encountered. Disenfranchised grief over the loss of a companion animal is an area that is often overlooked by mental health professionals. Sife has developed a model for the stages of grief and loss specific to companion animals. Questions about pets should be a part of every initial assessment done on a client. Effective interventions include understanding the significance of the HAB and grief and loss; bibliotherapy; psychoeducation; the importance of rituals; and the use of pet loss support groups.

Grief over companion animals is prevalent but few studies provide empirical comparisons to grief over people. The aim of the current study was to extend previous findings by (1) asking identical questions to participants bereaved of a person or a pet, respectively, and (2) correlating grief level with an improved measure of closeness to the deceased.Method: Two standardized grief scales were reworded to be applicable across species, and closeness was measured by 8 items representing two dimensions of attachment. An open invitation from the study elicited 366 participants, of whom 58% had lost a person and 42% a pet. Results: Measures proved reliable (chr α = .89-.94). For neither grief measure did level of grief significantly differ between those having lost a person and those having lost at pet (t-tests, ps > .4). Attachment consistently correlated with level of grief across species and across grief measures (rs =39-53, ps < .001).Limitations: Convenience sample and few male participants.Conclusion: Attachment seems a better predictor of grief than whether the deceased was a person or a pet. This deserves further study. The revised grief measures and the derived attachment measure are useful.

What can we know about human–animal interactions (HAI) research by looking at information about its research articles, such as publication information, text of abstracts or author keywords, or cita...

The human–animal bond (HAB) has been shown to provide a buffering effect for stress and adversity, particularly when individuals experience lower social support networks. This study aimed to explor...

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has gained popularity within K-12 schools for the emotional-social support, academic support, and sense of belongingness animals provide, however, concerns still arise...

In response to a gap in veterinary care for low-income, under-served populations, the Student Health Outreach for Wellness (SHOW) Clinic in Phoenix, AZ took a One-Health initiative to establish a pilot veterinary care program to serve the veterinary needs of the local homeless pet owners receiving human medical care at the clinic. The study examines the pilot program through the lens of the human-animal bond (HAB) and focuses specifically on the attachment dimension of the bond as measured by the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Data was collected from the homeless pet owners, and Rasch modeling was used to investigate the importance of various factors of the owner attachment to pet as described in LAPS items. The results demonstrate the perceptions of the homeless pet owners of ownership. The findings also provide psychometric evidence for revising the LAPS to better serve future research on human-animal relationships. Limitations and possible extensions of the research as related to the HAB and owner attachment to pets are discussed and enhancements proposed for the pilot program to better serve the local homeless people.

Pets provide companionship and social facilitation among excluded populations, including homeless people. However, having a pet may restrict access to services, including accommodation. The aims of...

Individuals in many cultures have a close relationship with their pets and think of them not only as companion animals but also as family. Research on the ways in which people memorialize their dec...

Human-animal-environment interaction (HAEI) is increasingly used in special education. While most research of HAEIs has identified effects that broadly support positive special education outcomes, further research of HAEI-based interventions in these environments is needed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 teaching staff at a special education school that utilizes a range of HAEIs. The teachers are responsible for implementing evidence-based interventions to facilitate social-emotional learning (SEL), so assessing their unique perspectives on the impacts of HAEIs on student SEL outcomes is imperative. Phenomenological coding of the interviews identified 9 major themes that represented positive impacts as well as barriers and challenges experienced by students during HAEIs.

Adult attitudes toward animals have received extensive research attention. By contrast, despite the importance of child-animal interactions for children’s development and animal welfare, children’s attitudes toward animals have not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to examine Spanish children’s attitudes toward animals. A twelve-item scale named the 'Brief Attitudes Towards Animals scale for Children (BATAC) was designed and completed by 416 Spanish primary school children aged between 6 and 13 years. Analyses revealed that the attitude scale had very good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.75; Revelle's omega = 0.75; Sijtsma's glb = 0.84) and three factors, referred to here as ‘compassion’, ‘friendship’ and ‘opinion on ownership’, explained 56.47% of the variance. The sub-scales were used in subsequent analyses alongside the total score. Demographic variables such as age, school year group, ownership of a companion animal, and children's beliefs about animal mind were shown to be associated with children's attitudes toward animals. Being older, being in a higher school year, having a dog or a small mammal at home, and scoring animals higher on sentience capabilities were associated with higher pro-animal attitudes. Other pet types (i.e. cats, birds, reptiles or fish) and children's gender were not associated with attitudes to animals. This study is the first to explore attitudes toward animals among Spanish primary school children, and it highlights attitudinal differences regarding animal species and child demographic variables.

Simple Summary Guide dogs assist people who are blind or visually impaired by primarily functioning as mobility aids, but also as companions and facilitators of social interactions. The level of success of the partnership depends on factors relating to work (mobility) as well as non-working (social) aspects of the relationship. This study examined how compatible 50 people (handlers) were with their first guide dogs, and how well the handlers’ expectations regarding mobility and social factors related to guide dog usage were met to assess the outcome of the partnership. Results indicate that dogs are meeting or exceeding the handlers’ expectations. Ratings of compatibility were high, especially concerning the emotional compatibility between handler and dog. However, the quality of the working relationship defined whether people considered the partnership to be successful or not. A tool to measure compatibility (accommodating both positive and negative aspects of the relationship) would be beneficial when matching a person with a suitable dog and to maximize the success of the guide dog partnership. Abstract The main function of a guide dog is as a mobility aid, but they can also fulfill psychosocial roles as companions, social facilitators, and objects/providers of affection. This study examined the outcome of 50 peoples’ (handlers) partnerships with their first guide dog. Overall compatibility and the fulfilment of the handlers’ expectations regarding mobility and social factors related to guide dog usage were measured, and relationships between putative risk factors and the outcome of matching success were identified. The findings demonstrate that the dogs are generally exceeding expectations. The high average ratings of compatibility were notable, particularly with respect to the emotional compatibility between handler and dog. Comparing responses of those who felt the handler-dog pairing was a good match with those who felt it was a mismatch revealed it was the working aspects of the relationship that differentiated the two groups. However, the many aspects of life with a guide dog, beyond the complexities of the working relationship, suggest that a more nuanced compatibility measure accommodating both positive and negative aspects of the relationship could assist with matching, training and follow up of the handler-dog team to maximize success.

Human–animal interaction research is growing in popularity and methodological rigor; however, there remains a need for psychometrically validated measures and inclusion of broader populations. This study addressed these gaps by reporting on the psychometric properties of the Comfort from Companion Animals Scale (CCAS) in a sample of sexual and gender minority emerging adults. Participants included 138 emerging adults between the ages of 18–21 years (M = 19.33 years, SD = 1.11; 38.4% racial/ethnic minority) who identified as a gender (48.6%) and/or sexual minority (98.6%) and who reported living with a companion animal in the past year. We utilized the following analytic methods: (a) confirmatory factor analyses to compare the unidimensional structure of the CCAS with the two alternative models, (b) multiple group analyses to test measurement invariance across demographic groups, and (c) structural equation models to evaluate construct validity. Preliminary analysis found that the majority of participants did not endorse the two lowest response options. To conduct invariance testing, we eliminated items 3, 5, and 8 from the CCAS and collapsed the lowest response options. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis supported the use of this revised unidimensional model. We found evidence of measurement invariance across gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity groups. Construct validity was supported by comparing the CCAS with factors on the Pet Attachment and Life Impact Scale; the positive association between the CCAS and anxiety are discussed in the context of prior research. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of validating human–animal interaction measures across samples from diverse backgrounds. We recommend that future studies continue to test the CCAS and other measures of human–animal attachment among diverse samples to delineate which aspects of human–animal interaction may be most beneficial in promoting mental health in vulnerable populations.

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the bereaved Older males’ experiences with the interaction and ownership of a companion animal after the death of their partner. The primary researcher recruited 13 participants via a criterion-based purposeful sampling method to assure the quality of the information collected. Results revealed six themes: (a) bonds with their pets grew stronger and closer after the loss of their wife; (b) men were able to express their grief to their pets; (c) companion animals helped the men psychologically during grief; (d) pets were influential during times when the wife’s presence would have been valuable; (e) companion animals helped men with loneliness and social connection; and (f) companion animals helped men find a new normal by providing a purpose and routine during bereavement. The pets proved to be a source of support for these widowed men.

There are no studies on the capture phase of stray dogs, although this can be very stressful and have a significant impact on dogs’ welfare. In this preliminary study, we propose a simple qualitative evaluation system of the dog’s behaviour during the capture phase. The assessments of the Animal Control Officers (ACO) were compared with qualitative and quantitative evaluations carried out by two Testers to verify their reliability and validity. The agreements and correlation analysis showed that the qualitative score of the Testers was reliable and valid. Conversely, the scores attributed by the ACO were not in agreement and not consistent with the behavioural observations of the Testers. These results suggest that the ACO did not have the necessary familiarity with behavioural assessments. It should also be considered that the Testers made their observations in a different context, and the dog can react differently to different stressors according to his personality and past experiences. In conclusion, the qualitative assessments during the capture phase require implementations and further investigations.

I am the Director of Human-Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC)—and HAI Center housed in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University. HABIC has approximately 150 volunteers who provide AAI with their certified HABIC animals in various treatment settings including schools, hospitals, hospices, mental health treatment centers, and long-term care facilities. HABIC is unique because we provide the training, screening, and insurance required to volunteer in a wide variety of settings. Our volunteer Human-Animal teams typically spend one hour per week working with clients and professionals (i.e., social workers, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists) on therapeutic goals. In addition to AAI programs, we are currently creating an online certificate program for people wanting to learn more about the Human-Animal Bond and how to conduct AAI and relevant research.

This chapter discusses the history of the relationship between people and animals. A discussion of the evolution of animal-assisted interventions includes early interventions by famous historical figures such as Florence Nightingale and Sigmund Freud. The chapter concludes with current research that is being conducted in HAB.

Family dogs (Canis familiaris) seek human contact from an early age, can discriminate and prefer their caregivers over other humans. To investigate if being kept as a family animal is sufficient to induce similar early human proximity-seeking in another domestic mammal, here we directly compared such behaviours in dogs and similarly raised domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus). We used a preference test to measure proximity-seeking behaviours of 4-month-old family pigs and dogs in the presence of their caregiver and either a stranger or a familiar object, in a novel environment. We found that both pigs and dogs preferred their caregivers over the familiar object but not over the stranger. However, when the caregiver and the stranger were present, only dogs showed an overall preference for human proximity, and pigs spent more time away from both humans. These results suggest that both dogs and pigs seek the proximity of their caregiver, but there is a difference in how each species generalizes their experience to other humans. Species-specific predispositions, including that dogs have a longer socialization period and that humans are more salient as a social stimulus for them, may be important for the early development of an overall preference for humans.

Dogs live in 45% of households, integrated into various human groups in various societies. This is certainly not true for wolves. We suggest that dogs’ increased tractability (meant as individual dogs being easier to control, handle and direct by humans, in contrast to trainability defined as performance increase due to training) makes a crucial contribution to this fundamental difference. In this study, we assessed the development of tractability in hand-raised wolves and similarly raised dogs. We combined a variety of behavioural tests: fetching, calling, obeying a sit signal, hair brushing and walking in a muzzle. Wolf (N = 16) and dog (N = 11) pups were tested repeatedly, between the ages of 3–24 weeks. In addition to hand-raised wolves and dogs, we also tested mother-raised family dogs (N = 12) for fetching and calling. Our results show that despite intensive socialization, wolves remained less tractable than dogs, especially in contexts involving access to a resource. Dogs’ tractability appeared to be less context dependent, as they followed human initiation of action in more contexts than wolves. We found no evidence that different rearing conditions (i.e. intensive socialization vs. mother rearing) would affect tractability in dogs. This suggests that during domestication dogs might have been selected for increased tractability, although based on the current data we cannot exclude that the differential speed of development of dogs and wolves or the earlier relocation of wolves to live as a group explains some of the differences we found.

Le parc zoologique peut être considéré comme un dispositif culturel qui structure les relations entre des êtres humains et des animaux captifs. Dans l’étude présentée ici, nous avons cherché à savoir quels sont les modèles de relation au monde animal qui sont expérimentés/appris par les visiteurs au cours d’une visite au zoo. Nous avons enregistré les discours et ethnographié les interactions de visiteurs devant les cages de deux espèces de primates, des orangs-outangs (Pongo pygmaeus) et des cercopithèques de Brazza (Cercopithecus neglectus), à la ménagerie du jardin des plantes à Paris, dans le but de comprendre comment s’effectue, en situation et dans la confrontation avec des animaux vivants, la différenciation humain/non humain. Notre hypothèse est que le zoo, par son dispositif de mise en spectacle, offre un cadre paradoxal, analogue au jeu, où l’anthropomorphisation des animaux renforce la frontière homme/animal plutôt qu’elle ne l’efface. Ce serait de cette manière, complexe mais efficace, que la visite au zoo contribuerait à l’apprentissage culturel de la distinction humaine. The zoo might be regarded as a cultural device that structures the relationships between human beings and captive animals. In this study we searched to identify the patterns that connect visitors and captive animals during the zoo visit experience. We recorded and analysed the speech and interactions of visitors in front of the cages of two primate species: Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) and braza monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus) with the aim of understanding how the human/non human boundary is practically accomplished. El zoológico puede ser visto como un dispositivo que estructura las relaciones entre los seres humanos y los animales en cautiverio. En el estudio publicado aquí, hemos tratado de determinar qué modelos de relación con el mundo de los animales tienen experiencia / aprenden los visitantes durante una visita al zoológico. Se registran y analizan el discurso y las interacciones de los visitantes a las jaulas de dos especies de primates, los orangutanes (Pongo pygmaeus) y los cercopitecos De Brazza (Cercopithecus neglectus), en Jardín de plantas de París, con el fin de comprender como en la práctica la frontera hombre-animal está cumplida. Nuestro análisis nos lleva a concluir que el antropomorfismo es el principal modo de relacionarse con los animales en cautiverio, pero que a través de la parte divertida de la visita, se inscribe en el naturalismo más que el contrario.

The urgent need to reduce the number of dogs that are abandoned or relinquished to shelters is now widely recognised by the scientific community, veterinarians, dog trainers and breeders. The occurrence of problematic behaviours is the most common reason why dogs are relinquished, abandoned or, in countries where it is allowed, even euthanased.1 Such behaviours can be a significant source of distress for owners,2,3 and this may eventually lead to a breakdown in the dog-human relationship. Early separation of a puppy from its mother and littermates is a husbandry strategy that may increase the animal’s chances of exhibiting potentially problematic behaviours as an adult.4 The reason for this is rooted in a puppy’s ontogenetic dynamics. Dogs go through a socialisation period that ranges from the end of the neonatal period (ie, two-and-a-half to three weeks of age) to between 12 and 14 weeks of age,5,6 although the effective period can be significantly shorter.7 During this period, social experiences and stimuli have a greater effect on the development of social and environmental behaviour patterns, including those associated with learning, which will define a dog’s temperament and behaviour in later life.8,9 When exposure to these experiences and stimuli is traumatic or absent, the puppy’s social behavioural patterns may develop abnormally.10 Dogs that are appropriately socialised as puppies are less likely to exhibit behavioural problems as adults,11 and this has been highlighted in a recent study evaluating whether where puppies are sourced from (ie, pet shop or breeder) is associated with potentially problematic behaviours later in life.12 The …

Human-animal interaction has clear positive effects on people's affect and stress. But less is known about how animal interactions influence cognition. We draw parallels between animal interactions and exposure to natural environments, a research area that shows clear improvements in cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether interacting with animals similarly enhances cognitive performance, specifically executive functioning. To test this, we conducted two experiments in which we had participants self-report their affect and complete a series of cognitive tasks (long-term memory, attentional control, and working memory) before and after either a brief interaction with a dog or a control activity. We found that interacting with a dog improved positive affect and decreased negative affect (in one of the two experiments), stress, and anxiety compared to the control condition. However, we did not find effects of animal interaction on long-term memory, attentional control, or working memory. Thus, we replicated existing findings providing evidence that interacting with animals can improve affect, but we did not find similar improvements in cognitive performance. These results suggest that either our interaction was not of sufficient dose or timed appropriately to elicit effects on cognition or the mechanisms underlying effects of human-animal interaction on cognition differ from effects generated by other cognition-enhancing interventions such as exposure to nature. Future research should continue to increase knowledge of the connection between nature exposure and human-animal interaction studies to build our understanding of cognition in response to animal interactions.

The chapter engages with historical processes and contemporary conditions of animal domestication, arguing that domestication might best be seen as at least as much an emotive or affective process as an instrumental one. It draws on the notion of `corporeal generosity’ to suggest that there are ongoing, generative and unpredictable flows between human and animal bodies that live in close proximity, and that animal domestication has resulted in unforeseen transformations in the bodies of both human and animal participants. It is also argued that pathogen exchange between different species is one of the most important unforeseen outcomes of domestication- and should be viewed both as a destructive and a generative process.