Companion Animals

A Survey of Pet- and Non-Pet-Owning Swedish Adolescents: Demographic Differences and Health Issues

Carol L. Glasser — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This study examines the level of adolescents' attachment to companion animals and the effects of living with companion animals on self-rated health. Over 8,000 Swedish teens were surveyed about their health, activities and companion animals. Overall, those with dogs (male and female) and females with horses indicated the highest levels of attachment to their companion animals. Those without companion animals had higher levels of physical activity than those with companion animals. Those with companion animals who reported the highest levels of health, also attributed the most importance to their animal(s).

Intimate Partner Violence and Companion Animal Welfare

Carol L. Glasser — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0800

Researchers interviewed 26 women who experienced intimate partner violence while living with companion animals. All of them indicated their companion animal had been verbally or physically assaulted by their partner and most indicated they were unwilling to discuss this with the animal's vet. Of households with multiple animals, all respondents indicated that a specific animal was targeted for the majority of the abuse; the animal was most often a dog. One-quarter of the respondents indicated that their animals died as a result of the abuse and in one-third of the cases, the women were told by the violent partner if she left her companion animal would be harmed or killed.

Wandering Cats: Attitudes and Behaviors towards Cat Containment in Australia

Carol L. Glasser — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This survey of adults in Victoria, Australia examined attitudes toward keeping cats indoors. Those who live with cats were also asked if they keep their cats indoors and why. The authors find that most support some degree of cat containment, though the motivations for this differ between those who live with cats and those who do not.

New Survey of Shelter Leaders Shows Strength and Unity of Animal Movement

Carol L. Glasser — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:45:00 -0800

This article summarizes findings from a survey of animal shelter and rescue workers. The survey, designed and administered by HRC, was commissioned by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Respondents were asked about various animal protection issues and their use of HSUS resources.

Coming Soon: Year Five of HRC's Animal Tracker

HRC Admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:45:00 -0800

We’re getting ready to launch year five of HRC’s Animal Tracker annual survey of the public opinions and behavior of adults in the U.S. This year’s survey, which will field in March, addresses opinions toward various social movements, who people trust to provide information about animal welfare, opinions about the adequacy of animal protection laws, attitudes toward the importance of animal welfare in various situations, and the frequency with which people discuss animal protection issues. We asked the exact same questions in 2008 and 2009 and will be able to analyze changes over time. When the results are available in April, we’ll also refresh the Animal Tracker graphing tool so that the results will be easy to access and interpret.

Owning the Problem: Media Portrayals of Overweight Dogs and the Shared Determinants of the Health of Human and Companion Animals

Carol L. Glasser — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This study examined how overweight dogs have been portrayed in English-speaking media between 2000-2009. The authors find that, while the media may report on social issues leading to increased obesity, they tend to focus the solutions to the problem solely on what the dog's companion person should do to resolve the issue.

Humane State Rankings 2011

Carol L. Glasser — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This report is the Humane Society of the United States' ranking of each US state based on laws addressing animal protection. The report is user friendly--presented as an interactive map, a listing of each state by ranking, as well as short individual reports for each state that provides detail on which laws exists in that state.

The Development and Factor Structure of a Questionnaire Measure of the Strength of Attachment to Pet Dogs

Carol L. Glasser — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This study describes the development of survey measures to evaluate people's attachment to their dogs. The authors test the scales and find that they are a reliable measure of degree of closeness to a companion animal, caring for and protecting a companion, and as a base measure of emotional comfort and well-being generally.

Dogs Respond Appropriately to Cues of Humans’ Attentional Focus

Carol L. Glasser — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:45:00 -0800

Researchers examined whether dogs responded to verbal cues if there was no eye contact. They found that dogs responded more when the person was looking at them compared to when the person making the verbal command was looking at someone else, indicating that dogs use multiple communicative symbols to interpret interactions with humans.

Looking for an Ideal Horse: Rider Preferences

Carol L. Glasser — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:45:00 -0800

This study examines the qualities that people who ride horses look for in a horse. Researchers found the most important qualities were ease of handling and maintenance. Ability to jump was also important to more advanced riders.