Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies
Exploring the Interconnectedness Between People and Animals
May 23, 2019 Beautiful older lady, Parisa, was in need of some veterinary care. As an older 10 year old pup she had some special needs and we were happy to assist! Thanks to Woodside Animal Hospital for working with us!
March 20, 2019 Are you enchanted by Tigi’s beautiful green eyes? This 17 year old girl was in need of a good checkup and we were able to help her get her senior wellness blood panel. Thank you to the kind people at Dr. Pearson Animal Hospital for working with us to help get Tigi her wellness check.
February 12, 2019 Sweet Bentley was hit by a car and suffered a fractured femur which needed surgery. Unfortunately, his family was unable to afford the necessary radiographs before surgery so they contacted the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies and we were able to help. Bentley got his surgery and is back at home taking it easy while he heals. Thank you El Cajon Valley Veterinary Hospital for working with us so we could help!
December 31, 2018 Thank you to EVERYONE for a wonderful year! We couldn’t have helped out the many animals we supported in 2018 without the assistance of our fantastic veterinary hospitals and our amazing donors. Cheers to all of you!!
December 17, 2018 Oreo is a sweet, young, one year old pup who was very sick. Oreo’s mom was sick too going through rounds of chemotherapy. PAWS San Diego reached out to us to partner with them to help this sweet pup and his mom and we were more than happy to help! So much can be accomplished when groups work together. GO TEAM!!
November 21, 2018 Princess Daffany is a lady of a certain age (14 years) who was in need of some much needed care and we were happy to help! We also received a beautiful thank you from Daffany’s mom “Without your generosity their was no way I could afford to have the surgery done, and I most likely would have lost my precious girl. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, so very much.”
October 24, 2018 Did you know that our Veterinary Diagnostic Fund helps small pets too? This is Lima Bean the hamster! She had an overgrown tooth and needed some dental work to help her stay healthy. Thank you Dr Cecil and the Pet Emergency & Specialty Center for the fabulous care. As you can see Lima Bean is feeling much better 💗
October 2, 2018 This pretty little princess is actually named Queen! The wonderful staff at Mast Blvd Pet Hospital reached out to us when Queen’s pet parent brought her in. Queen was diagnosed with pyometra which is a painful and deadly infection that unspayed females can get. Due to the severe infection she needed diagnostics and surgery immediately and we were happy to help! Queen is now recovering back at home with her family.
September 12, 2018 One day, little Tiger wasn’t feeling very ferocious. His family took him to VCA Animal Medical Center of El Cajon to get his thyroid checked and we were happy to help out with the diagnostics! Now Tiger is living up to his name and feeling feistier.
August 23, 2018 Happy pup Chelly needed a cyst removal but her mom was in a tight spot financially. Fortunately, Surfside Animal Hospital was able to work with us to help get Chelly her xrays for the procedure. Thank you Surfside and you, our donors, in helping Chelly and other pets get the help the need!
August 1, 2018 Sweet Boxer Reeses was in need of some xrays to find out why she wasn’t feeling well. Her Mom reached out to the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies to help with funding for an xray of her thorax. We were so glad to be able to help out this little 11-year-old girl so that she can continue to live a happy and healthy life with her family!
July 25, 2018 Don’t let the name fool you! “Killer” is a super peaceful dog who needed a Blood Glucose Series and we were happy to help! Thank you to El Cajon Valley Veterinary Hospital for working with us. We’re so fortunate to work with great pet families and great veterinary hospitals!
July 3, 2018 We’re so happy to have been able to help another family with their furry family member! Little kitten Teddy was in need of help from a neurologist and we were able to help. Thanks to VCA Animal Specialty Group for working with us! PAWS – San Diego Humane Society referred Teddy’s family to the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies. We were all able to work together to get this little kitten the care he needed!
June 25, 2018 Our financial assistance fund is already hard at work! We are thrilled to have helped Pooka and her family. This sweet girl had gotten into a scuffle with another dog and sustained a broken jaw. Her parents contacted the wonder FACE Foundation for assistance with her surgery and the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies was able to help with her X-rays. We love it when groups can work together to help animals!
WASHINGTON, D.C. (PRWEB) AUGUST 19, 2015
The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) today announced it has awarded a $13,000 grant to the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies for a new study, Listening EARS: How Does Reading to Rabbits Affect Reading Skills of Third Grade Students?, to uncover how reading aloud to a non-threatening presence, like a classroom rabbit, helps improve students’ reading skills.
“The human-animal bond can lessen the stress young children can feel when taking on challenging tasks in the classroom, like reading aloud,” said Dr. Annie Petersen, Ed.D., Principal Investigator in the Listening EARS study. “This study will provide us with a valuable tool to understand and act on the benefits of small animals to student learning and development.”
By utilizing small animals already present in classrooms (e.g. rabbits and guinea pigs), it is predicted that classroom interactions with an animal will improve 3rd grade students’ oral fluency and reading comprehension, two essential measures of academic success.
“HABRI is committed to studying the impact of companion animals on child health and development,” said Steve Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI. “This new research will contribute to the growing body of scientific evidence that demonstrates the benefits of pets in the classroom.”
The 12-month study will use the 2015-2016 school year to examine two groups of 50 3rd grade students from the same elementary school; one receiving Listening EARS three times a week for 20 minutes and the other will receive usual instruction. Teachers and school administrators will also be interviewed as well as focus groups conducted with students to gather qualitative data, which will be analyzed via content analysis.
Founded by sponsors Petco, the American Pet Products Association, and Zoetis, the HABRI Foundation maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal bond research and information; to date has funded more than half a million dollars in innovative research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals; and informs the public about human-animal bond research and the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information about the HABRI Foundation, visit http://www.habri.org.
The Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies is a research-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization comprised of professionals in the fields of animal welfare, education, child development, and public health. The Association strives to explore the complex relationships between people and animals through scientific research. For more information, please visit http://www.animalbondstudies.org.
So…what makes you so unique?
We work solely with companion animals (pets). If you’re trying to find out what the best pet for your child may be, this is a great way to find out! The kids have fun while both you and your child learn “the basics” of taking care of a small pet.
We focus on bringing animals that can be adopted from Humane Societies and other animal rescue organizations. Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies encourages people to adopt a pet and to be sure he/she will fit into your lifestyle.
Awesome! My kids have been begging for a puppy! Can we have a Puppy Party?
We don’t bring dogs or cats, but we will supply LOADS of information about caring for them and a list of local animal shelters where you can adopt! Your choice of three animal visitors include, guinea pig, bearded dragon (lizard), rats, or a dove!
This is the cool part…the animals we do bring are all touchable (yes, even the dove)! If you are thinking of adopting an animal, of course you want to be able to touch the animal!
How does this program work?
Critter Companions is 45-minutes to one hour in length. A Critter Companions program is not a formal “assembly-type” presentation but an interactive experience where we want the kids to handle the animals while learning how to care for and respect them. Also, we are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization!
If there is a birthday child, along with meeting 3 great animals, your child will receive a $10.00 gift certificate to Wee Companions (small pet adoption center) AND a Critter Companions t-shirt!
Can Critter Companions visit our Girl Scouts?
Absolutely! We are a Girl Scouts San Diego Community Partner! With our Critter Companions program Brownies can earn their “Pets” badge and Juniors can earn their “Habitats” badge. This fun and interactive 90-minute program meets all requirements for the badges and will have the girls working in teams to help decide what animals need or the best habitats for animals…and they get to meet an animal visitor! We are excited about our new Women in Wildlife program for Juniors and Cadettes! Fee is $12 per child (including siblings) and includes the badge. Just call (619) 405-3207 or email Info@animalbondstudies.org for more information and to schedule a Critter Companions program for your Girl Scout troop!
Are the animals healthy?
Yes, the animals are healthy! All of our Critter Companions representatives have been checked by a veterinarian who specializes in small animal/avian care. They have all been adopted from humane societies or other animal rescue organizations and most of them have been members of animal-assisted therapy programs.
All of our animals are handled regularly and are part of Critter Companions/Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies because they are socialized and like to be around, and handled by people.
How do I schedule a Critter Companions program?
Just call us at (619) 405-3207 or email Info@animalbondstudies.org and we’ll work with you on set-up. This will be dependent upon the number and ages of participants. Our fees begin at $175 and we ask for a $50 deposit to hold your date and time (the deposit is applied toward the final cost of the program). Also, Critter Companions Educators’ have received background checks and are professionals in the fields of animal welfare, education and early childhood development.
Donations to Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies/Critter Companions are tax-deductible (check with your tax advisor). All funds stay within the organization and go directly to the care of the animals you will meet!
Want to see us in action? Watch this video of us helping out at a Nature and Me storytime at the San Diego Natural History Museum
Video credits: Channel 4 SD , COX Media and NBC 7/39
Presented by Rachel O’Connor, ISAZ conference, University of Vienna, Austria University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
Human expectations can greatly affect the human-companion animal bond, sometimes putting companion animals at risk for relinquishment. Understanding potential adopters’ expectations will benefit animal sources in developing relevant screening and educational programs that can assist in managing adopter expectations and can inform prior knowledge. The intention of this research was to explore the associations between adopter lifestyle and animal-care knowledge with expectation of companion-animal ownership prior to adoption.
The type of animal of interest during the adoption process appears to play a significant role in adopters’ expectations of their future dog or cat. As a result, shelters should pay particular attention to the expectations of dog owners, ensuring that the individual’s expectations are realistic at the time of adoption. In addition, it may be valuable for shelters to focus on raising the expectation of people planning to adopt a cat in terms of the effort required and the emotional benefits that can be gained. It would be beneficial for animal sources to explore potential adopters’ individual expectations for an adopted companion animal in order to identify and allocate educational resources that are specific to each adopter’s needs. Understanding adopters; expectations will help animal shelters better match, educate, and prepare adopters for their lieves with their adopted companion animal.
Presented by Lynette Hart, ISAZ Conference University of Vienna, Austria University of California, Davis
This project was based on the proposition that children with autism could benefit emotionally, and perhaps cognitively, from the warmth and affection that might be supplied by an appropriate pet cat. Even the most caring parents cannot be expected to supply the round-the-clock contact affection that might be expected of some cats. Before considering a project where a kitten would be placed with a family that has an autistic child, for study of the therapeutic effects, it was necessary to determine if cats that already share a home with an autistic child can be affection and non-aggressive to the child, and if the the autistic child likes to hold the cat.
The results reveal that these cats were not aggressive, and were generally affectionate, with the autistic children, albeit noticeably less affectionate than with typical children. Autistic children generally liked holding the family cat (some were even “crazy” about the cat). It now seems feasible to explore the therapeutic benefits of placing a well-selected cat (kitten) with a family with an autistic child in a controlled trial.
Presented by James Serpell. University of Pennsylvania, 2014 ISAZ conference Vienna, Austria
Companion animals or “pets” have a long history that precedes the domestication of animals. The earliest evidence of a probable human-pet relationship dates from the 17,000 – 14,000 year old site of Uyun al-Hamman in Jordan. The animal involved was neither a wolf or a wildcat, but a fox (Vulpes vulpes). whose remains were found in a human grave. Later buriel sites (c. 12,000 years BP) in Israel contained the remains of early wolf/dogs, while the earliest human-cat buriels, dating from roughly 9,500 BP, have been found on the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus. Since these early beginnings, the practice of keeping animals primarily or exclusively for companionship has waxed and waned throughout human history – popular and widespread in some cultures and periods, and rare or tabooed in others.
Authors: Alison Selaey and Nickie Charles
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