BUSINESS - IDEXX Supports Human Animal Bond Research

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IDEXX, a world leader in veterinary diagnostic instrument development and manufacture; reference laboratory services; and dairy and water testing, has become an official supporter of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI).

HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal bond research and information; funds 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.

“IDEXX is proud to support HABRI and its mission to advance human-animal bond research,” said Jonathan Ayers, Chairman and CEO of IDEXX Laboratories.

“IDEXX is committed to enhancing the health and wellbeing of pets and people alike by bringing to market the most advanced diagnostics and software in veterinary medicine. When we provide high quality care for pets, human health also benefits.”

Scientific evidence increasingly shows that pets improve heart health; alleviate depression; increase well-being; support child health and development; and contribute to healthy aging.

In addition, companion animals can assist in the treatment of a broad range of conditions from post-traumatic stress to Alzheimer’s disease to autism spectrum disorder.

“IDEXX is an innovative leader in pet health,” said Steven Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI. “By supporting HABRI, IDEXX is demonstrating its dedication to the human-animal bond and to keeping pets and people healthy together.”

With over 6,000 employees in 175 countries, IDEXX is a major player and their support of the relationship and health connection between humans and animals lends more credence, not just to HABRI, but to initiatives like One Health that is working to unite human and animal medicine.

By expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment, One Health Initiative hopes to accelerate biomedical research discoveries, enhance public health efficacy, expeditiously expand the scientific knowledge base, and improve medical education and clinical care.

HEALTH - The Pet Effect Shares the Science of Pets and People

A growing body of evidence shows just how good pets are for people.

Zoetis, a founder of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), has launched the Pet Effect Campaign to share scientific evidence and research about this unique relationship between people and animals.

Anyone trying to convince their family or significant other to get a pet can visit their website where it’s easy to find detailed information about how pets have a positive impact on heart attack survival, allergy prevention, depression, blood pressure, autism and more.

Of course, researchers and writers will also find this website very valuable with its quick links to a variety of studies.

The Pet Effect will also share the message and the science that shows how veterinary medicine is an essential component of health for pets and people.

While the site is lighthearted, the information is scientific and impacts community health.

“Zoetis partnered with HABRI to bring veterinarians, pet owners and the general public The Pet Effect, a multi-faceted, educational campaign to promote a growing body of scientific research that shows how important the human-animal bond is for human health,” Mike McFarland, Group Director Companion Animal Marketing at Zoetis, says on their site.

“The purpose of the Pet Effect is to raise awareness and encourage conversation about why pets make us healthier and happier, and how veterinarians — the professionals who help keep pets healthy – are also key contributors to human health and public health.”

Resources on the website include posters, videos, infographics, brochures and flyers.

HEALTH - The Pet Effect Shares the Science of Pets and People

A growing body of evidence shows just how good pets are for people.

Zoetis, a founder of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), has launched the Pet Effect Campaign to share scientific evidence and research about this unique relationship between people and animals.

Anyone trying to convince their family or significant other to get a pet can visit their website where it’s easy to find detailed information about how pets have a positive impact on heart attack survival, allergy prevention, depression, blood pressure, autism and more.

Of course, researchers and writers will also find this website very valuable with its quick links to a variety of studies.

The Pet Effect will also share the message and the science that shows how veterinary medicine is an essential component of health for pets and people.

While the site is lighthearted, the information is scientific and impacts community health.

“Zoetis partnered with HABRI to bring veterinarians, pet owners and the general public The Pet Effect, a multi-faceted, educational campaign to promote a growing body of scientific research that shows how important the human-animal bond is for human health,” Mike McFarland, Group Director Companion Animal Marketing at Zoetis, says on their site.

“The purpose of the Pet Effect is to raise awareness and encourage conversation about why pets make us healthier and happier, and how veterinarians — the professionals who help keep pets healthy – are also key contributors to human health and public health.”

Resources on the website include posters, videos, infographics, brochures and flyers.

RESEARCH - How do Classroom Pets Impact Kids?

Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) and The Pet Care Trust (PCT) have awarded a combined grant of $130,000 to American Humane to study the impact on children of animals in the classroom.

It is believed that students with a classroom pet will experience increased social skills, improved academic competence and decreased competing problem behaviours compared to students who do not have a classroom pet.

The second phase study, titled Pets in the Classroom (PIC): What are the Social, Behavioral, and Academic Effects of Classroom Pets for Children, 8-10 years?, will examine approximately 650 students and parents, as well as 46 teachers from 23 US third and fourth grade classrooms over the course of a nine-month school year.

Students, teachers and parents will complete questionnaires three times throughout the study period to measure the social, behavioural, and academic effects of classroom pets and human-animal relationships on children.

“Animals are common in today’s elementary school classrooms, and we are learning more and more about their positive impact on child well-being and development,” principal investigator Dr. Amy McCullough, American Humane National Director of Research and Therapy said in a release.

“This study will provide meaningful insight on the broad impact of child and animal relationships and help prepare schools and teachers with the responsibilities necessary to support the humane and effective incorporation of pets in classrooms and curricula.”

The first phase of the PIC Study concluded in May 2015 and was supported by The Pet Care Trust, which operates the popular Pets in the Classroom grant program.

The first phase surveyed and interviewed teachers on their perspectives regarding the main benefits, challenges and uses of their classroom pets, which ranged from fish to guinea pigs, hamsters, bearded dragons, and others.

“The Pet Care Trust established the Pets in the Classroom educational grant program to provide children with an opportunity to interact with pets,” said Steve King, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust and President of the Pet Industry Distributors Association.

“Anecdotally, we know that incorporating pets in the classroom teaches life lessons of empathy and responsibility and helps shape students’ lives for years to come. This study will further advance the scientific data behind the benefits of the program to help it expand its reach so that more and more children can experience the benefits of the human-animal bond.”

HABRI has also announced funding to three other research projects:

• The Effect of Animal-Assisted Intervention on Preoperative Anxiety and Dose of Sedation in Children (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
• Impact of Animal Assisted Therapy on Quality, Completeness, and Patient and Parental Satisfaction in Children Undergoing Clinical Echocardiography (Duke University)
• Measuring the Impact of a Mutually Reinforcing Relationship Between Pet Owners and Their Pets (Lincoln Memorial University).

RESEARCH - Pet Ownership Saves Billions in Health Care

Want to be healthy? Eat your fruits and vegetables, get a good night's sleep, regular exercise and add a critter to your life. Pet ownership pays – and recent findings by the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI,) says impressive dividends in the United States amounts to a whopping $11.7 billion in health-care savings annually.

“There was abundant research to show pets have a positive effect on our health, but this is the first time anyone has looked at the impact on the U.S. health-care system,” Terry Clower, study co-author and professor of public policy at George Mason University’s School of Policy where the research was done tells PetLynx. “We did not have specific data on impacts on Canadians ... but (the study) suggests a common trend in Western cultures that I would expect to apply to Canadians.”

Fewer visits to the doctor by pet owners, versus non-pet owners, leads to health-care savings. According to the study, 132.8 million U.S. pet owners visit a doctor 0.6 times less than the average non-pet owners and with the average physician visit costing $139, that means pet owners essentially accrue savings in terms of health dollars.

Although the study was done in the U.S., findings suggest pet owners world-wide reap similar benefits.

In Germany, for instance, pet owners visited a doctor's office 11 times a year compared to non-pet owners who went 12.9 times annually. In Australia, people with a pet at home checked in with the doctor 4.9 times a year compared with pet-free folks who went 5.6 times in the same period.

“Thinking about things that people should do to maintain their health, ‘get a pet’ belongs on that list,” said HABRI executive director Steven Feldman. “Pet ownership provides another way for people to stay healthy and save money.”

Those who take regular walks with their pooch - a group totalling more than 20 million people - boast reduced incidences of obesity thus saving $419 million in related health-care costs.

Happy to see the dog at the door when you get home? The findings also found health benefits of pet ownership go beyond good-for-the-body and offer physiological pay-offs, too, often boosting mental health by offering everything from a reprieve from daily stress and comfort in tough times, like when grieving a loss.

And the health benefits are not promoted only by pooches. “The estimates of impacts of pet ownership on physician visits is not specific to dogs. This includes any pet,” Clower told PetLynx. “There have been separate studies that have found health benefits to dogs, cats, fish and even exotic pets.”

About half of Canadian households, according to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council of Canada, own some kind of pet.

Log onto www.habri.org to view the full report.

By Nadia Moharib

Nadia Moharib is a talented freelance writer in a variety of mediums with over 20 years journalism experience.

Animal-Assisted Interventions in Trauma Treatment Reduce Depression, Anxiety and Post-traumatic Stress

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation published a systematic literature review on Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) for trauma in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The findings demonstrated that the animals helped ease anxiety, reduce depression, and mitigate symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

                                               

Marguerite E. O’Haire, PhD, of Purdue University, collected and assessed current research from a variety of electronic databases on AAI for trauma. Participants in the studies were predominantly survivors of child abuse, followed by military veterans. The most common animals included in treatment were dogs and horses.

                                               

“We conclude that AAI may provide promise as a complementary treatment option for trauma, but that further research is essential to establish feasibility, efficacy and manualizable protocols,” said Dr. O’Haire.

                                               

The study researched current evidence that suggests animals may provide unique elements to address several PTSD symptoms. For example, people with PTSD often experience emotional numbing, yet the presence of an animal has been reported to elicit positive emotions and warmth. Animals have also been demonstrated as social facilitators that can connect people and reduce loneliness, which may assist individuals with PTSD break out of isolation and connect to the humans around them.

                                               

“Based on Dr. O’Haire’s work, HABRI has further evidence that AAI can positively affect depression, anxiety, social outcomes, sleep, child functioning and quality of life,” said HABRI Executive Director Steven Feldman. “With this important study as a roadmap, HABRI has committed funding for a study of the impact of service animals for post-September 11th war veterans and for a study on equine therapy for survivors of domestic violence.”

The HABRI Foundation maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal bond research and information.

Initiatives credited for growth in pet ownership

American Pet Products Association president and CEO, Bob Vetere, credits part of the growth in pet ownership to initiatives developed to educate and promote healthy relationships between pets and pet families. 

"As an industry, we have been working very hard to promote the joys and benefits of responsible pet ownership and we are thrilled to see that more people are opening their homes and sharing their families with pets than ever before," said Vetere. 

Key initiatives noted by Vetere as contributing to the growth and increasing word-of-mouth include the formation of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative, Pets Add Life, Pets in the Classroom and The Shelter Pet Project.