The Human Animal Bond Research Institute and Pet Partners Award Grant to the University of British Columbia
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners today announced a new grant for research that seeks to understand how individual differences in dogs predict their interest in participating in different types of animal-assisted interventions (AAI). This grant was awarded to Principal Investigator Dr. Sasha Protopopova, Associate Professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and co-Investigator Dr. Camila Cavalli, Postdoctoral Fellow in UBC's Animal Welfare Program.
This project will examine how individual differences influence the willingness of therapy dogs to take part in different types of human-animal interactions with a focus on enhancing animal welfare. This knowledge could lead to the development of guidelines for selecting therapy dogs based on their genuine interest in participation rather than just tolerance, thereby improving dog welfare and leading to more effective therapeutic outcomes.
"Pet Partners is dedicated to advancing high standards in the field of animal-assisted interventions," said C. Annie Peters, president & CEO, Pet Partners. "We are proud to be supporting this work with HABRI, which will help to advance our understanding of therapy dog welfare, helping to ensure only the most suitable animals are involved in these therapeutic interventions."
"Therapy dogs often do not have the ability to express their preferences within an AAI session, which could potentially lead to stress or reduce the effectiveness of their work," said Dr. Sasha Protopopova, the Principal Investigator of this project. "We aim to improve the welfare of therapy dogs by understanding their preferences and interests during AAI."
Researchers will enroll 25 therapy dogs and 25 pet dogs, matched by breed and age. Dog owners will complete two dog behavior questionnaires, and each dog will attend two mock AAI sessions at the University of British Columbia's Human Animal Interaction Lab, where their behavior will be videotaped and analyzed to determine preferences. Dogs will also complete socio-cognitive tasks aiming to explore behaviors towards humans as well as willingness to persist in problem-solving activities. Researchers expect to uncover behavioral predictors of engagement in AAI sessions according to these measures. By also analyzing pet dogs, researchers will be able to disentangle the specific effects of prior therapy dog training to validate the study. If researchers find behavioral predictors of engagement in AAI sessions in pet dogs, it may suggest underlying personality effects that make dogs suitable for different types of AAI separate from their training.
"HABRI and Pet Partners are committed to strengthening the human-animal bond," said Steve Feldman, President, HABRI. "We are excited to partner together in funding this research to better support the welfare of therapy dogs."
About HABRI
HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org.
About Pet Partners
Pet Partners is the leader in the therapy animal field for registering volunteer teams. Since 1977, we have supported thousands of teams in making millions of meaningful visits across the country and around the world. Through the human-animal bond, we can improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved. Pet Partners supports volunteer teams by offering the highest quality preparation, an unmatched approach to evaluation and registration—for nine different types of animals, and a focus on connections. We elevate the importance of therapy animal visits, and our teams help build a healthier and happier world for us all. Whether or not you have a pet, learn more about sharing the human-animal bond by visiting petpartners.org.
Media Contact
Hayley Maynard, Human Animal Bond Research Institute, 6147018205, [email protected], www.habri.org
SOURCE Human Animal Bond Research Institute; Human Animal Bond Research Institute
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