280 Results Found

In recent years, the socio-legal concept of emotional support animals (ESAs) has come under increasing scrutiny in the U.S. Widespread confusion about the legal status of ESAs versus service animals and concerns about misrepresentation have resulted...

Human–animal bonds, by providing social support, have been shown to improve the health and wellbeing of pet owners, especially those experiencing a crisis situation. The human–animal bond for people in crisis situations is complex and mul...

The human–animal relationship is ancient, complex and multifaceted. It may have either positive effects on humans and animals or poor or even negative and detrimental effects on animals or both humans and animals. A large body of literature has...

This study examined to what extent the human–animal bond (HAB) had a positive impact on stress and self-esteem among detained juveniles participating in the prison-based dog training program Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD). Participants were 75 detained...

Access to human–animal interactions (HAI) have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Service animals that were trained and accustomed to daily access to public places had to adjust to staying at home. Therapy animals and their handlers who previo...

The emergence of human–animal support services (HASS)—services provided to help keep people and their companion animals together—in the United States has been driven by two global public health crises. Despite such impetuses and an...

Today, the pet effect is a powerful symbol for advancing the understanding and acceptance of the human–animal bond in societal and policy arenas. The primary aim of this commentary is to clarify the concept of the “pet effect” and demonstrate how adv...

The mental and physical human costs of social isolation and loneliness—and their possible amelioration through human–animal interaction (HAI)—have both received intense attention since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its lockdowns, quarantine...

The study of human–animal interactions has become a prominent research field. The presence of pets in our daily lives has meant a change in the perception of our relationship with pets. One of the new lines of research that has opened up in thi...

Background: The human–animal bond is crucial for the proper development of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) sessions. However, in specific cases such as in AAT focused on psychiatric patients who are admitted to acute units, there is only a short...

Animals under human care interact with their caretakers, potentially resulting in human–animal bonds (HABs), which can enhance wellbeing for both. Previous research has suggested that keepers perceive bonds with their animals, but investigation...

Modern lifestyles are increasingly plagued by physical inactivity, social disconnection, digital addiction, and excessive time indoors—factors that negatively impact the health and well-being of both humans and their companion dogs (Canis famil...

Human–animal relationships have been demonstrated to have impacts on animal and keeper welfare, although their impacts on zookeepers have been less studied outside of evaluating job satisfaction. Many zoological facilities are active in support...

Studies in the field of human–animal interaction tend to highlight the positive results of the influence of animals on humans, which supports the popular belief that the human–animal bond positively affects humans’ well-being (&ldqu...

Although many companion animal (or “pet”) owners report that their relationships with their pets are important, we know little about how animal ownership duration and animal life stage are related to relationship quality. In a sample of 1...

Over time the human–animal bond has been changed. For instance, the role of pets has changed from work animals (protecting houses, catching mice) to animals with a social function, giving companionship. Pets can be important for the physical an...

Research investigating health benefits from household human–animal bonds has focused mostly on bonds with companion dogs, cats, and horses. Wellbeing benefits associated with other companion animal species such as birds, fish, and reptiles are...

Available research on the link between domestic cats’ environment and welfare has primarily been conducted in animal shelters or research facilities; a better understanding of the welfare of cats living in homes is needed. This study measured t...

Human–animal relationships have long been idealized as universally positive, but recent studies highlight the complexities and contradictions inherent in this bond. This study re-analyzes previously published data to examine the nuanced effects...

“One Health”, also called “One Medicine”, began as an initiative advocating greater integration of human and animal medicine, in the 1800s. This concept has recently come to prominence, driven by the recognition that 75% of the newly emerging infect...

Companion animals play a central role in many families and are especially valued by those who are socially isolated. Crisis situations such as acute hospitalizations, homelessness, and natural disasters can make it difficult to preserve the human&nda...

Human-animal bond is defined as the mutually beneficial relationship between humans and animals. Recent years have seen increasing research regarding the benefits of interaction with animals for autistic children. However, there continue to be limite...

The loss of a companion animal can provoke grief whose intensity rivals human bereavement, yet its biological basis remains largely uncharted. This structured narrative review synthesizes neurobiological, endocrinological, immunological, and psychoso...

Euthanasia is a valuable management tool utilized on dairies to end the suffering of sick or debilitated cows. Euthanasia should be implemented if an animal’s pain cannot be adequately alleviated and if there is a limited chance of recovery. To...

The objectives of this study were to identify caretakers’ perceptions and stressors related to performing on-farm euthanasia as well as potential ideas for intervention strategies to alleviate negative effects of performing euthanasia on careta...

Dogs play an important role in many western societies, providing companionship, emotional support, and assistance, as well as other more specialist roles. The literature reveals that many human–animal interaction (HAI) questionnaires exist to m...

Working dogs are an essential part of modern society, and police canines (K9s) in the United States are amongst the most recognizable of all working dogs. Given the dearth of published data on active police canines in the U.S. and the calls for polic...

The health of adult dogs and cats is affected positively or negatively by their development in utero and throughout postnatal growth. Preventive veterinary care is particularly important when animals are physiologically immature and sensitive to modi...

There is growing evidence for trained assistance dogs promoting the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of people in a variety of circumstances, including for those with dementia. Little is known about people with younger (early)-onset dementia (Y...

Companion animals in the U.S. are increasingly regarded as members of the family with whom one may share a strong emotional bond. However, despite an evolving social construction that has elevated their status in the dominant culture, companion anima...

Dogs, and other companion animals, are currently classed as “property” in theft sentencing legislation for England and Wales. This means that offenders who steal dogs are given similar sentences to those that steal inanimate objects. This...

Millions of animals are adopted from animal shelters in the United States each year, although some are returned post-adoption, which can decrease both the animals’ chances of future adoptions and the owners’ willingness to adopt again. In...

The adoption of exotic animals as pets is increasing across Europe. This study explores the human–chelonian relationship in the Italian population, specifically the motivations for acquiring reptiles as pets and the nature of the emotional bond...

Currently, domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are the most common species among companion animals. The close bond that can grow between owners and their dogs could be worn out and finally broken due to various causes. One main cause is canine beh...

Brachycephalic dogs remain highly popular despite the well-documented health problems associated with their conformation. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in the bonding between humans and dogs, behavioral characteristics, awarene...

Companion dogs are increasingly popular, 38.4% of households in the United States include at least one dog. There are numerous benefits to sharing one’s home with a dog, but because they age more rapidly than people and have shorter lifespans,...

The purpose of this manuscript is to enhance the understanding of how racial, social, and cultural factors influence animal-assisted counseling (AAC). As AAC gains popularity, there is an increasing need for clinicians to practice cultural humility a...

Understanding the social relationships and behaviours of pet rats is important, particularly because they are comparatively understudied compared to their laboratory and wild counterparts, and little is known about their welfare. Here, open-ended int...

Companion animals have been identified as a unique source of social support and as contributors to mental wellbeing. This study uses the Experience Sampling Method to test whether this effect is due to stress-buffering. A total of 159 dog and cat own...

This study explores the challenges facing a pilot project aiming to foster homeless cats in an Australian residential aged care facility. The global COVID-19 pandemic stalled the project but also presented an opportunity to gain reflective insights i...

There is growing interest in the health-promoting potential of human-companion animal relationships from a broad public health perspective while acknowledging barriers to ownership, particularly for older adults. Companion animal fostering is an alte...

The benefits of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) involving animals in therapy are widely accepted. The presence of animals in therapy can decrease a patient’s reservation about therapy and promote a sense of comfort and rapport during the th...

Pet ownership is the most common form of human–animal interaction, and anecdotally, pet ownership can lead to improved physical and mental health for owners. However, scant research is available validating these claims. This study aimed to revi...

Interspecific contagious yawning (CY), whereby yawns from one species trigger yawning in different species, has now been reported across various taxa. This response to human yawning appears common among animals in captivity and has been interpreted a...

Human-dog interaction is the working tool through which the therapeutic, educational and recreational goals of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are achieved. A better understanding of the characteristics of this interaction could improve the effecti...

Understanding human–nature–animal relationships is central to conservation and visitor management, yet these relationships are commonly studied through language-based surveys that may exclude participants across age groups and diverse cul...

This study analyzes the decision making that underlies the choice of terms we use to refer to companion animals. Three focus groups were developed, including participants from different demographic backgrounds who answered questions about their exper...

Research suggests that older adults might obtain health benefits from pet ownership; however, results are mixed. Pet attachment is suggested as both a mechanism for the relationship and a reason for differences in the association of pet ownership wit...

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 comp...

Foster care programs in animal shelters have been shown to benefit animals and shelters, but little is known about what motivates foster caregivers to volunteer. This cross-sectional study explored the motivations and expectations of 131 foster careg...