A charity based in Leamington Spa (UK) are recruiting a Canine Science Assistant to train puppies to be guide dogs for people with sight loss. The position is for 12 months and the salary is £23,173.
Applicants must have experience working with or handling animals as well as a degree in a science or animal behaviour related subject. Those without a relevant degree must have at least two years of experience working with animals.
The deadline for applications is Dec 5th 2021
Many researchers, and especially independent scholars and those in-between positions, have limited access to important research because many papers are stuck behind a paywall.
However, there is some good news regarding proposals to make scientific papers accessible to all. The UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 41st session, in November 2021. Click here to read more.
New data challenges the belief that dogs are less likely to show separation anxiety if they live with another canine companion!
Written by Stanley Coren PhD., DSc, FRSC, and based on a recent study by Stephan, Leidhold, and Hammerschmidt (2021), key research findings are:
To read the full article, click here.
Dr. Anastasia Stellato, in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at Texas Tech University, is currently seeking a PhD student, with expected start date Fall 2022. The PhD student will lead canine welfare research that aims to evaluate the influence of human-animal interactions on the behavior and welfare of companion animals, and to identify ways to prevent and reduce animal stress.
For more information download the flyer (below)
We are delighted that the feedback from those who participated in the annual SCAS conference, Animal-Assisted Interventions: Research meets Practice, was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees said they registered to become more educated in AAI research, theory, and practice, and those who responded to our survey were not disappointed. 94% said their overall conference experience was ‘good’ or ‘extremely good’, and no one said it was bad. When asked if they would recommend the conference to a friend or colleague, the vast majority (94%) responded that they were likely or highly likely to recommend attending next year.
Continue readingGeneral Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic is seeking a postdoctoral Research Fellow to join their team under the mentorship of Dr. Arya Mohabbat to research the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) on patient stroke rehabilitation. This research involves a collaborative study between Purina and Mayo Clinic. A clinical trial will evaluate the possible benefits of the presence of a therapy dog for patients seen for inpatient acute stroke rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic.
In particular, it will assess the emotional and well-being state of the patients and the therapy dogs, as well as changes in rehabilitative status during these sessions.
Whilst a lot of the time when we think of animal-assisted interventions we think of the potential benefits to the people involved, it is so important that the welfare of the animals is paramount and they also enjoy the experience.
Back in May, SCAS trustee, Evangelos Diamantakos (an ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist and full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors), carried out a webinar on recognising signs of stress in dogs involved in dog-assisted interventions.
The webinar is free to watch at https://youtu.be/T7uuztOemw4
#InternationalStressAwarenessWeek #StressAwarenessWeek
Pet keepers in Maidstone will no longer be deemed to be making themselves ‘intentionally homeless’ if they reject a home that prohibits pets, as a result of the tireless work of Dee Bonett.
Continue readingThe Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) International Conference, Advancing Animal Welfare Science, Edinburgh UK 28-29th June 2022
Call for papers and workshop proposals
The conference will be feature talks from established animal welfare researchers and those at the beginning of their career to hear about the latest research, innovations and thinking across the spectrum of animal welfare science.
Continue readingA Special Issue of Veterinary Sciences ‘Interdisciplinary Considerations in Human-Animal Interventions’ has new publications, including:
A review by Lisa Townsend and Nancy R. Gee ‘Recognizing and Mitigating Canine Stress during Animal Assisted Interventions’ Read here.
And a review by Lisa Maria Glenk and Sandra Foltin. ‘Therapy Dog Welfare Revisited: A Review of the Literature’ Read here.