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.

Follow @AnimalBonds

Child victims of sexual and physical assault can sometimes be too anxious to testify against the perpetrator, especially if the perpetrator is a family member.  The result of the continued trauma from being on the stand can sometimes challenge the court’s ability to have the child testify; sometimes resulting in a mistrial.   In an effort to decrease this possibility and to address and alleviate the increased anxieties that many children have when needing to testify attorneys have begun to look for ways to make the process smoother by utilizing therapy animals, specifically dogs.

In partnership with the group Paws’itive Teams, members of The San Diego County District Attorney’s office have begun incorporating dogs for children during victim/witness testimony and is known as the Victim/Witness Support program.  This program is staffed by Paws’itive Teams volunteers and currently there are no age restrictions on who can receive support from a dog.

Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies has received funding from St. Germaine Children’s Charity in order to develop formal training materials for prospective Teams.  As the request for dogs during testimony increases, so does the need for the development of formal guidelines, training materials, and evaluation processes.

We are working in partnership with both Paws’itive Teams and the San Diego District Attorney offices to help develop plans and tools that will expand this program.  The result being the ability for the District Attorney’s office to fulfill all requests for dogs as comfort items for the victim/witness child during testimony.

Presented by Jessica Bell, M.A., Michigan State University

“Statistically significant increases in the frequency, depth and emotion of Kinship and Sentience/Individuality responses indicate that the animal portraits encouraged participants to conceptualize animals as conscious beings with emotional and mental states similar to humans. Encouraging students to view animals as sentient beings is a key goal of many humane and environmental education programs because it is often the prerequisite for perceiving animals as capable of suffering and worthy of protection.  This study offers convincing evidence that certain approaches to animal portraiture can increase acknowledgement of animal sentience and individuality and thus play an important role in humane and environmental education.”

Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies is thrilled to attend the International Society for Anthrozoology conference in Chicago this weekend.  We are looking forward to coming back with some great information on the Human-Animal Bond to share with you!

We are thrilled to announce that 30 organizations have been selected as semi-finalists for Advance San Diego! Each non-profit will be paired with a mentor, and participate in summer workshops designed to define measurable outcomes and craft a compelling story.

On October 9th, the final Advance San Diego event will give 15 finalists the opportunity to deliver their pitch to an audience comprised of 500 funders, business leaders, and community members. More than $75,000 in cash and in-kind services will be awarded.

With all of the summer fun did you “fall” out of touch with San Diego’s nonprofits?  Well here’s a way for you to start giving again and donate to an organization the benefits people and animals! That’s exactly what the Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies aims to do!  Support our work and help to support your friends (human and furry).  Call 619-405-3207 or just click here http://www.animalbondstudies.org/2012/01/22/43/ to donate…it’s tax deductable and that always makes people feel good.  Thank you!

Thank you Booker T. Washington for your words of wisdom

Association for Human-Animal Bond Studies has been accepted as a member into the International Society for Anthrozoology.  We look forward to sharing more information with you from ISAZ.

What is ISAZ?

The International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) was formed in 1991 as a supportive organization for the scientific and scholarly study of human-animal interactions. ISAZ is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization with a worldwide, multi-disciplinary membership of students, scholars and interested professionals.