INTERVIEW: Kathleen Burns, Research Poster Scholarship Applicant

Kathleen Burns (Katie) is a Masters of Science student in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph. She completed her undergraduate degree in Applied Human Nutrition. Katie loves animals, especially Tucker, the dog that she walks. Katie is performing research on veterinarians’ perceptions and their counseling approaches regarding dog walking.

InfoStream (IS): What prompted you to research the beliefs that veterinarians have regarding dog walking and how they discuss it with clients?

Katie Burns (KB): My advisory committee members and I have an interest in getting humans and animals active together. Dog walking is a great way to get dogs and their owners active! One way to promote dog walking is by discussions during veterinary appointments. Veterinarians can positively influence the physical activity levels of dogs and their owners through counseling and discussions on dog walking. There is a gap in the literature regarding veterinarians’ practices regarding dog-walking counseling and their perceptions of dog walking. With veterinarians’ ability to influence dog walking we were interested in understanding their current practices regarding dog-walking counseling and to understand their perceptions on dog walking. How veterinarians view dog walking influences whether or not they discuss and promote in appointments. If we can gather information about this then we could better involve them in dog-walking promotion!

IS: What are the goals of your research?

KB: The goals of our research are to understand current veterinarians’ practices of dog-walking counseling. This would help others in the future to better involve veterinarians in dog-walking interventions. Ultimately, we want to highlight the benefits of dog walking and recognize and reduce the barriers that veterinarians face when discussing dog walking with owners. This would help to improve and increase the discussions of exercise and dog walking in veterinary appointments with owners and may help to get dogs and their owners more active!

IS: Based on your data collection so far, what are the main barriers that are preventing people from walking their dogs?

KB: As perceived by veterinarians, a main barrier to dog walking is the owner’s busy schedule. Some participants described that owners are quite busy and it can be difficult to fit dog walking into their schedule. A dog’s behavioural issues, for example leash reactivity or aggression toward other dogs, were identified as barriers to dog walking as well. A dog’s behavioural issues can be difficult to address and can make owners nervous or hesitant to walk their dog. Interestingly, dog walking can help reduce problem behaviours in dogs, including aggression, so it is important that this barrier is addressed!

IS: How do you think these barriers would be best addressed/overcome?

KB: To address an owner’s busy schedule I think that veterinarians could provide dog owners with tips or handouts on how to fit dog walking into their schedule. For example, some tips could include incorporating multiple short walks into the owner’s schedule or making daily dog walking a family activity. Behavioural issues can be difficult to manage as there are many types of aggression and reasons as to why a dog may be aggressive. To address these behavioural issues, it is important that dog owners discuss their dog’s aggression issue with their veterinarian, as they can assist owners in the management of behavioural issues. By consulting with a veterinarian owners can begin to manage and reduce behavioural issues which may ease anxieties when it comes to dog walking.

IS: What do you see as the main benefits to taking your dog for a walk?

KB: There are so many benefits of dog walking for both the dog and owner! There are physical benefits as well as social and mental benefits of dog walking. First of all dog walking has many physical benefits for the dog including maintained agility, physical stimulation, improved physical activity level, weight loss and weight maintenance. It also has social and mental benefits for your dog which include socialization, enjoyment, discovering new smells and sights. Dog walking can also help reduce and prevent boredom, destructive and aggressive behaviour. There are also several benefits for the owner, which include increased levels of physical activity and a higher likelihood of meeting the daily physical activity recommendations. Dog walking also encourages dog owners to interact and develop relationships with other dogs and other people and presents an opportunity for the dog and owner to bond with one another!

IS: Once your research is complete, how do you think your discoveries will help veterinarians, dog owners, and their dogs?

KB: Our research can help to increase awareness of the benefits of dog walking and can highlight some of the barriers that veterinarians may face when talking to owners about dog walking. Veterinarians may use this information to recognize and overcome some of the barriers to discussing dog walking with owners. By recognizing and possibly overcoming some of these barriers related to dog-walking counseling, veterinarians may be able to better promote dog walking among owners in veterinary appointments. Our research also highlights the many benefits of dog walking which can be used to increase awareness of the benefits of dog walking among veterinarians. If veterinarians are aware of the benefits of dog walking they may be more likely to have these discussions with dog owners.  

Dog owners can use this information to understand that their veterinarian can provide them with information about dog walking and can help them to overcome some of the barriers to dog walking that they may face. They can also use this information to recognize the many benefits that dog walking has for themselves and their dog, including physical, mental and social benefits.  By recognizing these benefits owners may be more inclined to take their dog for a walk!

IS: Do you have plans to share your findings with veterinarians? If so, how will you accomplish this and what information would you share?

KB: Yes, I hope to publish my findings in a veterinary journal to disseminate them to veterinarians. I have also already shared my main findings with the participants in my study and I hope that they will share this with others in the veterinary profession. I want to share information about all of the benefits of dog walking as well as the role that veterinarians can play in positively influencing dog walking among owners and their dogs.

IS: Is there anything else you would like us to know?

KB: No, but thank you for the opportunity to share more of my research with you!

Urban Animal Scholarship Finalist Studies Urban Feline Populations

Dr. Flockhart removes a tracking collar. Photo credit: Eric Foss/CBC

Accurate data do not exist regarding the feral cat population in Ontario. Dr. Tyler Flockhart is a post-doctoral fellow that is studying feline overpopulation and its management. In 2012, the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies estimated that approximately 600,000 cats in Canadian shelters did not find homes. According to Toronto Animal Services, in 2014 the feral cat population in Toronto was approximately 100,000.

One issue is that no one knows how many feral cats reside in Canada. Not only do feral cats disturb gardens and yowl at night, it is also believed that in Canada they kill hundreds of millions of songbirds each year. Cats can also carry toxoplasmosis; a parasitic disease that can infect humans.

The Chair of Guelph Humane Society, Dr. Shane Bateman said, "A good scientific look at history would tell us that the current model [euthanizing stray cats that do not find homes] just simply doesn't work. There are probably more cats today than there have ever been, and so euthanizing and trying to get ahead of the population explosion that way just simply isn't a good option, and it's a very, very unpalatable option for communities who are more and more concerned about animal welfare. Everybody has an opinion and sometimes those opinions can be very passionate and that only adds to the challenge around this work." 

Flockhart said, "People are looking for solutions and quite often those solutions need to deviate from what's been done over the past 30, 50, 60 years."

In 2014, Toronto started a trap, neuter, return program. Bateman said, "Until we have more scientific information about the utility and importance of tools like trap-neuter-return or accessible or low-cost spay-neuter, it's difficult to know because these are huge resource-intensive programs and projects." 

"We have pretty good information on the number of cats that come in and go out of animal shelters, but we don't know the number of cats on the street for sure, and we don't even really know the proportion of cats that have indoor-outdoor access. These are really basic questions that require numbers so that we can address the magnitude of the risk and how we might address it", said Flockhart. 

Flockhart is performing research to answer several critical questions. He is developing a population model for cats and is tracking feral cats in Toronto and Guelph to examine their movements. Flockhart’s research should provide crucial information on feral cat populations and successful management of Canada’s feral felines. Flockhart will be presenting this research at the Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in Lake Louise this October.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE

View Flockart on Canada AM - July 27, 2015

INTERVIEW: Dr. Rebecca Ledger: Digital Journalist Scholarship Applicant

Dr. Rebecca Ledger writes for the Vancouver Sun about animal welfare issues including animal legislation, pet care/health, and animal behaviour. Her articles may also be found in the National Post, the Leader Post, the Calgary Herald, The Star Phoenix, The Windsor Star, the Montreal Gazette and the Ottawa Citizen. Dr. Ledger is also active on her Twitter account and in in the process of creating her Animal Behaviour and Welfare Consulting website.

Dr. Ledger is a Faculty Member at Langara College, teaching Basic and Advanced courses in animal behaviour, animal welfare, animal law and business. She was awarded her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of London, her Masters Degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare from the University of Edinburgh (The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies) and her Doctorate in the assessment and treatment of behavioural disorders in shelter dogs from Brunel University.

InfoStream (IS): Your passion for animals is evident; tell us more about how this came to be.

Dr. Rebecca Ledger (DRL): I was just born this way! I can't remember a time when I wasn't drawn to animals and experienced a respect for them. I was lucky that my family were like-minded and nurtured this calling.

IS: The pet experience is big for you. Tell us about your pets.

DRL: We have a dog (Poppy, a 2 year old English Springer spaniel), a rescue cat called Gilly (11 years old) and recently we adopted two stray guinea pigs, Guiness and Fred. The g-pigs had been abandoned by a bus stop and were picked up by Vancouver Animal Control.

IS: How do you use media in the pet industry?

DRL: I have a privileged opportunity to write animal related articles for PostMedia. The articles are published biweekly in the Vancouver Sun, and often picked up by the other newspapers. So far, the articles have been reprinted in the The National Post, Ottawa Citizen, the Leader Post, Montreal Gazette, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal and the Windsor Star and the Star Phoenix. This provides an opportunity to bring animal-related news to the whole of Canada. It is astounding how many people these stories reach, both in print and on-line.

IS: What is the main focus/goal of your use of digital media?

DRL: To bring science-based information on animal health, animal behaviour and animal welfare to Canadians. There are plenty of non-science based opinions on 'the internet', pushing practices that are actually bad for animal welfare. My goal is to help Canadians make evidence-based, informed, effective and humane decisions regarding their pets.

IS: What do you see as the greatest risk for the pet industry as you know it? What is your greatest concern?

DRL: Overall, I have fewer concerns now than I did 10 years ago. Things are progressing and generally getting better. Dog over-population and humane training is getting better. And, I find that owners are now also better informed on positive pet keeping practices than they were before. But, some challenges still exist. Cat over-population and the management of feral populations is still a challenge. So too is where pet seekers should acquire their new pets from. As Canadians are becoming more responsible at spay / neutering and pet identification, so the number of adoptable pets in shelters is going down. This is good for pet welfare. So, where are owners getting their next pet from now? We are seeing an increase in un-regulated rescue groups and owners taking on challenging pets that have not been adequately vetted. I see owners with these challenges daily in my practice.

IS: What in your history has taken you to where you are now?

DRL: A very convoluted and complex career path, which I'm not sure could ever be easily replicated! Apart from years of study (a BSc in Biology, a MSc in Applied Animal Behaviour & Animal Welfare, a PhD in the behavioural assessment and treatment of dogs with behavioural disorders and three Fellowships in animal behaviour & animal welfare), I have had the good fortune to work with some of the best animal welfare scientists and organizations in the world, across Europe and North America. I think that the diversity of animal organizations that I have had the privilege to work with has given me both a deep and broad understanding of the field. These include humane organizations, Universities, the military, sled dog companies, pharmaceutical companies, pet food companies and the veterinary profession.

IS: What motivates you to share your knowledge to promote the well-being of pets?

DRL: The positive impact that I see it having. Seeing first hand how knowledge can transform how someone understands and manages their pet for the better makes it all worth while. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing a pet and their owner live a happier, less stressful, more fulfilled life as a result of something you been able to teach them.

IS: Thank you!

INTERVIEW: Dr. Krista Foreman - Innovation Showcase Scholarship Applicant

Dr. Krista Foreman is a veterinarian at South Paw Animal Hospital in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Dr. Foreman enjoys surgery, especially soft tissue and orthopedic. She co-chairs the provincial Safe for Pets Too program which arranges veterinary care and temporary fostering for animals belonging to women escaping domestic violence.

InfoStream (IS): The pet experience is clearly very important to you. Tell us about how this came to be.

Dr. Krista Foreman (KF): I have been an animal lover my entire life. Through support of my family I was able to grow up with dogs, cats and horses. I followed my dream and became a veterinarian. I couldn't imagine being in a situation of having to choose between my safety and my pets. Now as a mother of three girls I appreciate how much harder it would be to adjust in any situation if we were to lose our pets.

IS: Tell us about the Safe for Pets Too program. What should we know about it?

KF: This program helps to remove a barrier for a woman seeking to escape domestic violence. Some women will delay leaving, or not leave, if they can't ensure the safety of their pets. We provide veterinary care and fostering for pets while their owner is in a transition house until they find a safe place to live.

IS: What are the most critical problems faced by New Brunswick pet owners in an abusive situation?

KF: Most of the transition houses are unable to accommodate pets and it can be difficult to ask friends to take pets as it can put them in a bad situation. Once the woman has left the situation it can also be difficult to find pet friendly affordable

housing.

IS: How were these problems handled before Safe for Pets Too?

KF: It was not addressed in any official manner. Good hearted staff at some of the houses would keep pets occasionally.

IS: Safe for Pets Too is supported by several large organizations including the New Brunswick SPCA, New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association, police, New Brunswick Chiefs of Police Association, New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, and Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick. How was cooperation and support created across so many organizations?

KF: The timing was perfect when we looked at starting this program. A meeting had been arranged by the Public Legal Education System to bring together groups that had an interest in learning about the link between domestic violence, animal abuse, firearms and alcohol. A committee was formed from that meeting.

IS: How is the program funded?

KF: The New Brunswick Veterinary Medical Association covered our legal cost to get

started. The association also donated $5000 to help us to get underway. Veterinary

examinations, vaccinations and deworming are provided complimentary by participating veterinarians and any other medical costs are billed to us, although usually at a discounted rate.

We have received several other smaller donations including a recent one of $500 from the George Street Middle School grade 6 Entrepreneurial Club.

IS: Is there an experience that helped you see the importance of the Safe for Pets Too program? What in your history has taken you to where you are now?

KF: I have fortunately not been in the situation of seeking refuge from violence. I see on a daily basis in my work how important pets are too people. Hurricane Katrina further demonstrated this as people clung to rooftops resisting being rescued because they had to leave their pets behind. When a person loves someone, be it human or animal, they may put their love for the person or pet above their own safety.