Clifford Warwick PGDip(MedSci) CBiol CSci EurProBiol FRSB
Biologist & Medical Scientist

Think about it: raising a human baby comes with all the support of experienced grandparents, friends, and a highly skilled health service – complete with qualified and regulated advice on everything from getting pregnant to seeing one’s offspring into the wider world. On top of that, nurturing a child is innate – nature’s education perfectly tailored. Does that mean everything will be easy and go well? Certainly not! But when things go wrong, the best of back-ups are on tap to help, whatever the problem.

SCAS are delighted to announce a three-year funding scheme to support research which furthers our understanding of the human-animal bond. The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviours that are essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.

Purina PetCare has teamed up with a social entrepreneurship pioneer to launch a competition promoting the pet-human bond.

The Purina BetterwithPets Prize aims to identify enterprises and individuals across the globe that harness the power of the bond through providing innovative solutions to issues such as emotional disconnection, trauma, social isolation and health problems.

The story of Bob Harvey and his little dog Darcie must be one of the saddest.  After his wife of over 50 years developed dementia Bob, his wife Margaret and their beloved dog Darcie moved into a pet friendly care home in the South of Scotland. They were promised a home where they could all stay together for the rest of their days.  Bob reluctantly sold their home, closing the door to their previous life, in order that they could fund the care home costs – comforted by the prospect that they would at least all be together.  Although it was Margaret’s condition that had necessitated the move, Bob was not a well man either. When he had suffered an aortic aneurysm 20 years ago, he was not expected to survive.  He was given up for dead twice on the operating table. He miraculously pulled through, but without kidney function. Since his near death event, Bob has been a dialysis patient, undergoing treatment three times weekly.

At the end of November 2019, a case was bought against Christopher Palmer at Plymouth County Court. Landlord, Plymouth County Homes, say that My Palmer is breach of his tenancy agreement by his keeping of his dog, Tammy, and want either the dog to be rehomed, or for Mr Palmer to accept their offer of rehoming them together to a property with a garden. However, Mr Palmer’s mental health conditions would be worsened by both of these options as he has friends and sources of support in the high rise flats where he is currently living. The case will resume on 9 January 2020.

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