Unravelling the science behind the human-animal bond
Decades of research have shown us that the special bond we share with animals is as nuanced as it is rewarding. At a time when the global pandemic continues to keep us physically apart from loved ones...
How pets can benefit our mental health
Millions of people around the world had been suffering from loneliness and social isolation even before the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. However, the pandemic has only exacerbated this criti...
Why walking shelter dogs could benefit military veterans struggling with PTSD
The 8-week study is one of the first designed to examine if dog interaction might benefit military veterans’ mental health. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University, the University of Ma...
Human-animal interaction: the hormonal connection
Human Animal Interaction Human animal interaction (HAI) studies have traditionally relied on observed behaviour to gain insights into how people and animals engage with each other. But such appro...
First-of-its-kind risk assessment tool ensures the highest standards for animal-assisted interventions in schools
In any animal-assisted therapy setting, the safety and welfare of all involved are paramount – from the students and other participants to the staff and the animals.To ensure these interventions ...
Researchers call for more studies looking at role of pets in healthy aging
Across the developed world, populations are ageing. On one level this is great news: we are all living longer. But the downside is a growing raft of health and social problems that can make the later ...
Could pets make good study buddies?
Young people are often sagely advised that their schooldays are the “best days of their life”, but could they be made even better by the addition of a non-human classmate? In some schools, along with ...
Is the pressure to be a ‘responsible’ pet owner increasing?
Britain has long been thought of as a nation of pet lovers. Nearly half of UK households have at least one pet, but the last 40 years have seen many changes in attitudes to animals and their ownership...
