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Animal-Assisted Interventions For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Survey Of French Facilities, Claire Philippe-Peyroutet, Marine Grandgeorge

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Our survey of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) offered by French intervention facilities aimed to examine and describe the range of AAI for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children. We invited 2,302 facilities to reply to an online questionnaire. The responses to our survey (n = 386) revealed that animals were used extensively as a complementary intervention. Most AAI sessions were in groups. Various animal species (especially horses and dogs) and facility staff members as well as external collaborators were involved. Numerous benefits (e.g., enhanced well-being, self-esteem, and socialization) were reported. Facilities face difficulties in connection with AAI including finances, staffing, and …

Assessment Of Recent Cases Of Animal Hoarding In Germany: The Challenge For Animal Shelters And Public Authorities, Sophie Arnold, Henriette Mackensen, Evelyn Ofensberger, Brigitte Rusche

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal hoarding is a severe problem in the field of human-animal interaction. The goal of this study was to assess the current situation of animal hoarding in Germany. Reports of animal hoarding cases were collected from animal shelters and public media between January 2012 and December 2015; 120 cases were analyzed. A total of 9,174 animals were hoarded during the investigated time period. The results showed that cases involving cats were most common, followed by cases involving dogs and small mammals. The average number (x¯) of animals hoarded per case was 76 (x˜ = 43). Small mammals were hoarded in …

How Wolves Turned Into Dogs And How Dogs Are Valuable In Meeting Human Social Needs, Kurt Kotrschal

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

A wealth of recent behavioral, neurobiological, and genetic results allows us to draw a new, comprehensive picture of the human-wolf- dog relationship. Dogs originated from wolves 35,000 years ago, mainly via selection for tameness. Wolves were probably spiritual partners and hunting buddies of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers over wide areas of Eurasia. Coming together and staying together was probably facilitated by the close ecological and social match between wolves and humans. Both are cursorial hunters and scavengers living in cooperative but relatively closed family groups, which selected for very similar mentalities.

Parallel selection for tameness (i.e., being “nice”) in dogs and humans …

Effects Of A Form Of Equine-Facilitated Learning On Heart Rate Variability, Immune Function, And Self-Esteem In Older Adults, Ann L. Baldwin, Barbara K. Rector, Ann C. Alden

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Equine-facilitated learning (EFL) helps people access their immediate sensations and feelings because horses, as prey animals, are continually aware of their environment and provide instant feedback to human behaviors and emotions. We hypothesize that during EFL, older people become more aware of their bodily sensations and emotions, leading to increased heart rate variability (HRV), improved self-esteem (Rosenberg scale), and improved immune function. Twenty-four subjects (age > 55) participated in a single 15-minute EFL activity, Con Su Permiso, during which they focused on their bodily sensations and the responses of the horse as they moved toward and around the horse. Subjects …