Spokespeople

Experienced spokespeople are available for comment or interview on the following topics:

• the importance of the human-animal bond 
• the benefits of pet ownership to older people (including relevant research)
• the Pets for Life campaign
• the impact of pet loss and bereavement
• the role of pets in institutions, child development, and animals in schools

If you need a comment for an article, or wish to speak to any of the spokespeople listed below, please call Jane Bevan or Susannah Penn at Firebird PR on tel. 01235 835297; email: enquiries@firebirdpr.co.uk.

Elizabeth Ormerod BVMS MRCVS

Chair, Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)

Elizabeth Ormerod is a veterinary surgeon with a deep interest in the human-animal bond. A practising veterinarian, she has introduced human-animal bond programmes to a wide variety of settings in the community and in institutions. She is co-founder of Canine Partners, the UK assistance dog programme, and current Chairman of the Society for Companion Animal Studies, a UK-based membership charity dedicated to understanding how interactions between people and companion animals can improve quality of life and well-being.

Jo-Ann Fowler M.SocSci, C.Psych (HPCSA)

Director, Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)

Jo-Ann Fowler graduated from the University of Natal, South Africa in 1993 and qualified as a counselling psychologist the following year. She held an academic post at the University of Natal for three years, during which time she specialised in the field of social psychology. In 1998 she relocated to the UK and took up the position of Head of the Pet Bereavement Support Service at The Blue Cross pet charity. In 2003 she was appointed Director of the Society for Companion Animal Studies.

Dr June McNicholas B.Sc., Ph.D

Psychologist /researcher

Dr June McNicholas is a psychologist with a special research interest in the relationship between people and their pets, and its effects on human physical and psychological health. She spent 15 years at the University of Warwick, where she and colleague Dr Glyn Collis conducted numerous research programmes and published widely on the nature of the person-pet relationship and its effects on the quality of life for older people; the role of pets in children's social networks; benefits of assistance dogs to people with physical disability; and social support from pets to people undergoing stress, illness and bereavement. June recently carried out the Pets and Older People in Residential Care research project on behalf of SCAS, funded by the PFMA - which led to the launch of our Pets for Life campaign.