ABSTRACT

In response to a gap in veterinary care for low-income, under-served populations, the Student Health Outreach for Wellness (SHOW) Clinic in Phoenix, AZ took a One-Health initiative to establish a pilot veterinary care program to serve the veterinary needs of the local homeless pet owners receiving human medical care at the clinic. The study examines the pilot program through the lens of the human-animal bond (HAB) and focuses specifically on the attachment dimension of the bond as measured by the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Data was collected from the homeless pet owners, and Rasch modeling was used to investigate the importance of various factors of the owner attachment to pet as described in LAPS items. The results demonstrate the perceptions of the homeless pet owners of ownership. The findings also provide psychometric evidence for revising the LAPS to better serve future research on human-animal relationships. Limitations and possible extensions of the research as related to the HAB and owner attachment to pets are discussed and enhancements proposed for the pilot program to better serve the local homeless people.

摘要

为了应对低收入、服务不足人群的兽医护理差距，亚利桑那州凤凰城的学生健康外展 (SHOW) 诊所采取了一项 One-Health 计划，以建立一个试点兽医护理计划，以满足兽医的需求当地无家可归的宠物主人在诊所接受人类医疗护理。该研究通过人与动物关系 (HAB) 的视角检查了试点计划，并特别关注通过列克星敦宠物依恋量表 (LAPS) 衡量的纽带依恋维度。从无家可归的宠物主人那里收集数据，并使用 Rasch 模型来研究 LAPS 项目中描述的主人对宠物的依恋的各种因素的重要性。结果表明无家可归的宠物主人对所有权的看法。研究结果还为修订 LAPS 以更好地服务于未来人与动物关系的研究提供了心理测量证据。讨论了与 HAB 和主人对宠物的依恋相关的研究的局限性和可能的​​扩展，并为试点计划提出了改进建议，以更好地为当地无家可归的人服务。