This paper analyzes human–animal relations with protected predators in central-southern Chile, focusing mainly on the case of foxes. It is based on 12 months of anthropological research undertaken in the Araucanía Region, using an ethnographic approach that combined participant observation with in-depth, semi-structured interviews. It covers field material relating to cases where protected predators

A robust debate regarding the ideal legal status of nonhuman animals has been taking place for some time among legal scholars, philosophers, animal scientists, social scientists, and humanists. Significantly less attention has been paid, however, to exploring how members of the public conceptualize the legal treatment of animals, including what they see as the primary merits and drawbacks of proposed

The study aim was to investigate the associations between personality factors, attitudes to animals, moral values, and delinquent behaviors, and to examine the moderating effects of gender, age, and country of origin on these associations. This was a cross-cultural comparison of residents of Cyprus and the UK. A total of 526 people completed an online questionnaire and a path analysis was carried out

Pets live in nearly two-thirds of US households and are thought to increase wellbeing. However, previous research is mixed regarding the extent to which pets actually provide benefits. One understudied factor that may help clarify these findings is pet preference, or the extent to which a person prefers dogs and cats, and how that preference aligns with the presence of the pet in the home. As such

Making the right decision before acquiring a dog may help prevent the development of canine behavior problems and increase the likelihood of a satisfactory relationship. In this study, social-cognitive factors in decision-making were assessed in the phase before the acquisition of a dog (the motivational phase) to see whether they were associated with later canine behavior problems and satisfaction

The effects of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on human cerebral activity are not clearly understood, although many studies have reported psychological and physiotherapeutic benefits associated with it. Any benefits of AAT are likely to be closely related to brain activity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of stroking a horse on brain activity in humans, specifically the frontopolar

(2020). A Reason to Live: HIV and Animal Companions. Anthrozoös: Vol. 33, No. 5, pp. 685-687.

Contact with nature and experiences with nonhuman animals have been shown to contribute to nature connection and human wellbeing, both of which are innate needs according to the biophilia hypothesis. This study explores what marine mammal encounters mean to people and how they affect connection to and understanding of nature. It was hypothesized that individuals who had wild random vs ecotour vs captive

At zoos, and some sanctuaries, members of the public can observe the resident animals. Examining the characteristics and consequences of this type of human–animal encounter is important to understand public education and engagement as well as animal behavior and welfare. Zoos typically have a large and consistent visitor presence, and researchers report mixed findings regarding the effects of the visiting

Nonhuman animals play significant roles in children’s lives. While research into children’s relationships with animals is thriving, an overlooked area is children’s vicarious experience of animals through realistic representations in nonfiction books, magazines, and other media. We used content analysis to examine how animals were represented on 103 National Geographic Kids magazine covers from 2004

This paper uses a governmentality approach to examine the political history of human–canine relationships in the People’s Republic of China, focusing on the evolution of household dog regulations in Beijing. In doing so, it ties the micropolitics of human–canine relations to transformations in political, economic, and social governance and ways of thinking about and acting on the interactions between

The revised version of the UCLA-Loneliness Scale has been widely used to investigate the effect of pet ownership on human loneliness. This paper reports three tests of its efficacy for this purpose: 1) a qualitative evaluation of the 20 UCLA-LS items, which concluded that only 6/20 items were likely to tap differences in loneliness due to direct effects of pet ownership, acquisition or separation;

Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is the positive changes a person may experience due to the struggle with a highly stressful life event. One of the predictors of PTG is social support, and support from various sources have been shown to help foster growth. Pets have also been shown to provide feelings of social support and to reduce feelings of stress. Despite this, no studies to date have examined the association

Although the relationship between pet ownership and health and wellbeing has received considerable attention in popular media, research on the topic shows inconsistent findings. We addressed the methodological weaknesses of previous studies by using data from a national probability survey (the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study; n = 13,347). We describe the demographic characteristics and personality

The relationship between companion animal ownership and wellbeing has received an increasing amount of scientific attention over the last few decades. Although the general assumption is that individuals benefit from the presence of companion animals (termed the “pet-effect”), recent evidence suggests that the nature of this association is diverse and complex and that many of the studies performed so

(2020). News and Analysis. Anthrozoös: Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 589-590.

The association between dog ownership and mental health remains unclear. The primary aim of this study was to investigate this association, while the secondary aim was to examine possible interactions between dog ownership and marital status in relation to mental health. A population sample of 68,362 adults living in England were included in this study. Self-reported information on short-term psychological

Guide dog (GD) mobility is part of the broader field of Orientation and Mobility, but there is a service gap between the numbers of people who have a GD and those who could benefit from GD mobility. There is also a shift in the GD industry from standardized GD services that focus on dog production and capability toward person-centered practice. There is a resulting need to measure the person-centered

A 9-item, reliable measure of owner satisfaction with their cat, the CatSat, was developed. Item response analysis indicated that the CatSat discriminates lower levels of satisfaction better than higher levels. Correlations between the CatSat and a measure of attachment to the cat (Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale) suggest that satisfaction and attachment are separate but somewhat related constructs

Few socially recognized death customs are available for bereaved pet owners, who may experience adverse mental health as a result of disenfranchisement and other complications surrounding pet loss. Additionally, pet owners can experience complex grief when the death is by euthanasia. When a human loved one dies, societal infrastructures allow mourners to express loss through death rites. Such customs

The most common motivation people have for becoming vegetarian is ethical concern about using animals for food. One ideology called speciesism—which entails assigning different moral worth to different species of animals—is thought to play a central role in promoting ethical vegetarianism. Following a vegetarian diet provides a means of opposing speciesism, proclaiming to oneself and the public that

Adult attitudes toward animals have received extensive research attention. By contrast, despite the importance of child–animal interactions for children’s development and animal welfare, children’s attitudes toward animals have not been fully explored. The aim of this study was, therefore, to examine Spanish children’s attitudes toward animals. A 12-item scale, the Brief Attitudes Towards Animals scale

Research on anthrozoology has greatly increased in recent decades, especially with regard to anthropomorphism and attitudes toward animals in general. Nevertheless, these studies have rarely distinguished between different nonhuman species. Previous studies have indicated human preferences for apes, a finding which usually is explained by their strong likeness to humans. Moreover, anthrozoological

Urbanization has resulted in the loss of natural habitat for many bat species, often placing bats in close proximity to humans. Bats are generally perceived as agricultural and medical pests, despite providing ecosystem services including seed dispersal and pollination. Understanding public perceptions and knowledge of bats as well as responses to bats is necessary for developing suitable educational

(2019). News and Analysis. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 835-836.

(2019). One Welfare: A Framework to Improve Animal Welfare and Human Well-being. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 837-839.

(2019). Index. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 6, pp. 841-851.

Across a 15-year period, annual cohorts of first-year veterinary science students (n = 1,380; 77% female) at a British university completed the Belief in Animal Sentience (BiAS) questionnaire, in which they reported their beliefs about the sentience (capacity to feel) of ten species: dogs, cats, lions, pigs, sheep, rats, rabbits, chickens, bees, and spiders. On the basis of previous findings regarding

Zookeepers often report strong attachment (bonds) with animals in their care. This paper reports a qualitative study of how keepers perceived these animals; the aim was to explore keepers’ experiences of bonding and how these related to the work done in zoos. Respondents were drawn from a large sample participating in a survey of zoo professionals; across five establishments, 14 volunteered. Semi-structured

Free-roaming cats present a multidisciplinary challenge for wildlife conservation and feline welfare. Veterinary professionals are critical stake-holders in the issue of free-roaming cats, making it imperative that their attitudes and perspectives are well understood. In this study, we conducted an electronic survey of veterinarians practicing across British Columbia to evaluate their perceptions of

Policy and campaigning messages related to dog ownership and welfare center on the concept of responsible ownership. However, the perspectives and experiences of pet owners and how they perceive and perform their responsibilities has not been studied in depth. This qualitative study used conversations about owning and walking dogs in order to elucidate beliefs and views about responsibility in dog

The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting dog owners’ breed choices at the time of acquisition and whether they were associated with socio-demographics and dog-related variables (size, temperament, function). Answers (n = 581) to a questionnaire formed the data for this study. In order to determine which factors affected breed choice, a principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted

This study investigated whether dogs might facilitate a context conducive to reading for children when they are faced with a challenging reading passage. A within-subjects design was used to assess children’s motivation to read in two conditions: with a therapy dog and without a therapy dog. Seventeen children (8 girls; 9 boys) in Grades 1 to 3 (aged 6–8 years) and their parents participated in this

Approximately 17,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) are reported annually in the United States. Rehabilitation from SCI involves substantial mental, emotional, and physical challenges. Using a randomized controlled trial design, we assessed the efficacy of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as an aid in rehabilitation following a SCI. We hypothesized that patients with SCI undergoing rehabilitation

While students are increasingly struggling with anxiety and depression, the effects of therapy dogs on student stress has only recently been explored. This study was conducted to investigate whether therapy dogs can improve student affect and to determine if these benefits extend to cognition in the form of enhanced ability to remember information. Forty-four college students were randomly assigned

Recognizing the deep relationship between grief and the loss of a companion animal, veterinarians and mental health practitioners often find themselves consoling pet owners both prior to and in the aftermath of pet euthanasia. Yet how does euthanasia influence this bereavement process? To explore this we examined, using a survey, the correlations between pet euthanasia, Complicated Grief (CG), and

(2019). News and Analysis. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 715-717.

(2019). The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People. Second edition. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 5, pp. 719-722.

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that attitudes toward nonhuman animals correlate with attitudes toward disadvantaged human groups. It has been suggested that the connection rests in the ideology of social dominance. Endorsement of social hierarchy and intergroup domination is thought to extend to both human intergroup and human– animal contexts. The present research tested this reasoning by

The current work investigated how viewing one’s pet as a family member improves wellbeing. We hypothesized that including pets in a key social ingroup (i.e., family) would increase ascriptions of socially supportive traits to these animals, enhancing their perceived ability to provide social support to owners, which in turn promotes owner wellbeing. Study 1 used a correlational design and showed positive

Veterinary practitioners are thought of as guardians of animal health and wellbeing, and are considered important in the development of policies on animals. Measuring veterinary students’ attitudes toward animals and animal use is needed when assessing the effectiveness of education programs focused on animal welfare and ethics. The present study examined Spanish veterinary students’ attitudes toward

To prevent potential problems in the relationship between people and their dogs, it is important to engage in a thoughtful decision-making process with regard to acquiring a dog. To map the most important elements in the decision-making process, a social cognitive model was applied using seven psychological constructs: perceived advantages of having a dog; perceived disadvantages; the social norm;

Some research shows that reading to a dog can positively impact both reading attainment and attitude to reading in school children; however, most research to date has focused on primary school-aged children (4–11 years). In this study we used a series of comparisons to assess the immediate effects of reading to a dog versus a teacher on reading performance, reading motivation, and mood in low-attainment

Pets can reduce stress in their owner; however, they are not always permitted in public and institutional places. This study examined the impact of people viewing a picture of their pet versus other images on stress levels. One hundred and twenty participants were randomly assigned to one of six conditions. These involved completing a mental arithmetic task while viewing a picture of either their personal

In the past few decades, interventions that involve animals have gained support among therapists, as they encourage verbal and non-verbal expressions of emotions. Our aim was to examine the impact of a dog-training intervention on the empathic skills of at-risk youth, compared with an intervention using empowerment groups. We hypothesized that participants in the dog-training group would report improved

This study employed the life course perspective to investigate the convergence of two demographic shifts: the aging of the population and the increase of pet ownership. Specifically, we examined whether pet ownership, the degree of bond with a pet, and reasons for and against pet ownership differed between three age cohorts: the young-old (ages 51–64 years), older adults (ages 65–84), and the oldest-old

The growing body of literature exploring pet loss suggests that many bereaved pet owners experience disenfranchised grief. Disenfranchised grief occurs when a loss is unacknowledged and the bereaved are unable to express their grief. When grief is considered illegitimate, the bereaved may experience a variety of adverse psychological outcomes, including increased distress and reduced quality of life

(2019). News and Analysis. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 569-570.

(2019). L’Animal en Islam. Anthrozoös: Vol. 32, No. 4, pp. 571-573.

The paper considers the cultural exploitation of bears, especially white ones, from the late sixteenth century to the present, both in drama and literary fiction and in the bear pits, theatres, circuses, zoos, and natural habitats in which real biological bears have found themselves mythologized and marketed. Beginning and ending with Bryndís Snæbjörnsdóttir and Mark Wilson’s art project nanoq: flat

Understanding how human presence influences animal behavior, specifically the behavior of nonhuman primates, has important implications for methodology in cognitive and behavioral studies, for our understanding of human–animal relationships and for animal welfare in captive settings. Conducted in the San Diego Zoo, this study partially replicates an existing study on human–animal relationships, which

Roads pose significant threats to reptiles, and understanding the varying perceptual biases of motorists to different taxa may help determine management strategies for urban roads around important refuges such as wetlands. We surveyed Western Australian motorists online, asking them to rank their degree of concern for animal welfare, vehicle damage, and personal safety when hypothetically involved

Dog-assisted educational programs, including reading programs, are becoming an area of research focus, based on claims of various advantages for children. However, while available findings typically indicate benefits for the children involved, the low quality of evidence makes it difficult to draw valid inferences. In the current study three dog-assisted programs with clearly defined parameters were

The current study aimed to investigate the extent to which young children’s risk of being bitten by a dog is explained by their inability to recognize the dog’s emotion and to behave appropriately around dogs. One hundred and seventeen children, aged 4 to 7 years, were shown 15 images and 15 video clips of happy, angry, and frightened dogs. After each image or clip, questions were asked to assess children’s

The European Veterinary Code of Conduct recognizes the crucial role of veterinarians in improving animal welfare and maintaining its standards. However, several studies have claimed that veterinary students’ attitudes toward animals may worsen as they progress through their academic training. This study aimed to investigate students’ attitudes toward nonhuman animal use in three European veterinary

The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine the effects of anthropomorphism of a therapy dog on pain perception during an animal-assisted intervention. Participants were 32 college women who were randomly assigned to the anthropomorphism condition or the control condition. All participants engaged in a pretest cold pressor task to measure base-line individual differences in pain tolerance

While pet ownership may confer physical and psychological health benefits, existing research presents inconsistent findings, and the psychological mechanisms through which health benefits might be conferred are unknown. Exploring human–pet relationships from the perspectives of Bowlby’s attachment theory, namely “attachment-related anxiety” and “attachment-related avoidance,” and Rogers’ core conditions

The purpose of this research was to understand the ways in which ownership of companion animals influences evacuation decision-making, using Hurricane Matthew of 2016 as a case study. Using stated-choice surveys, this research identifies behavioral decisions made during and after the evacuations associated with the hurricane, and details how decisions were made for different types of pets and the various