Human-Animal Interactions in Ireland

STEP Category: Education AbroadMy STEP Signature Project was an Education Abroad program to various parts of Ireland which provided a plethora of experiences with the different types of human-animal interactions that they have to offer. The trip included visits to agricultural and production farms and facilities, zoos, and companion animal shelters.The Ohio State University Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP)Academic Major: Animal Science

The political dimension of animal ethics in the context of bioethics: problems of integration and future challenges

Animal ethics has reached a new phase with the development of animal ethical thinking. Topics and problems previously discussed in terms of moral theories and ethical concepts are now being reformulated in terms of political theory and political action. This constitutes a paradigm shift for Animal Ethics. It indicates the transition from a field focused on relations between individuals (humans and animals) to a new viewpoint that incorporates the political dimensions of the relationships between human communities and non-human animals. Animals are no longer seen as a heterogeneous group of sentient beings or simply as species, but as part of a common good that is simultaneously human and animal. In order to participate in this new phase, bioethics will have to face a series of challenges that have hindered the integration of animal ethics within its field. It will also need the development of a new theoretical framework based on relations between communities of individuals. This framework will be able to highlight the ethical and political dimensions that arise from interactions between human communities, non-human animals and the ecosystem

Educational Value of Human-Animal Interactions

Thesis won 1st place at The Ohio State University's CFAES Research ForumHuman-animal interactions are inherently multi-disciplinary. However, the influence of human-animal interactions on academic achievement has yet to be evaluated in the literature. Although it has been suggested that animals influence the development of human intelligence (Shepard, 1978), this theory has not been thoroughly tested. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the educational value of human-animal interactions by measuring the effect of a live animal present in a student learning environment. It is hypothesized that the presence of a live animal during a presentation will increase a student’s knowledge about that animal. Sixty-seven college students were randomly assigned to one of three presentation formats: live presentation with a live animal present, recorded presentation with a live animal present, or recorded presentation with no live animal present. A pre-/post-test was used to measure the knowledge gained during the presentation. Results suggest that the presence of a live animal, as well as a live presenter, in a learning situation yields higher average post-test scores. The student’s area of study, identified through a demographics survey, served as a mediator of pre-existing knowledge as measured by the pre-test. Initial means comparison using SPSS indicate that the presence of a live animal yields a 41% increase in knowledge gain as measured by average post-test scores. There were no differences in the average post-test scores of the three groups due to the presentation format. Both groups with a live animal present showed a 27% increase in post-test scores compared to the pre-test scores while the group that did not include a live animal present during the presentation only demonstrated a 16% increase in knowledge gained. These results support the hypothesis that human-animal interactions in an educational setting improves student learning.No embargoAcademic Major: Animal Science

One Health – an Ecological and Evolutionary Framework for tackling Neglected Zoonotic Diseases

Understanding the complex population biology and transmission ecology of multihost parasites has been declared as one of the major challenges of biomedical sciences for the 21st century and the Neglected Zoonotic Diseases (NZDs) are perhaps the most neglected of all the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). Here we consider how multihost parasite transmission and evolutionary dynamics may affect the success of human and animal disease control programmes, particularly neglected diseases of the developing world. We review the different types of zoonotic interactions that occur, both ecological and evolutionary, their potential relevance for current human control activities, and make suggestions for the development of an empirical evidence base and theoretical framework to better understand and predict the outcome of such interactions. In particular, we consider whether preventive chemotherapy, the current mainstay of NTD control, can be successful without a One Health approach. Transmission within and between animal reservoirs and humans can have important ecological and evolutionary consequences, driving the evolution and establishment of drug resistance, as well as providing selective pressures for spill‐over, host switching, hybridizations and introgressions between animal and human parasites. Our aim here is to highlight the importance of both elucidating disease ecology, including identifying key hosts and tailoring control effort accordingly, and understanding parasite evolution, such as precisely how infectious agents may respond and adapt to anthropogenic change. Both elements are essential if we are to alleviate disease risks from NZDs in humans, domestic animals and wildlife

CECP GSO Research Exchange Conference 2011

The following literature review discusses potential non-medical benefits that may result from child and adolescent interaction with animals, and the practitioner or educator preferences regarding animal species used in Applied Animal Therapy. Discussed below are a variety of research study findings regarding the potential relationships between human-animal interactions and the various social, cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and personality developmental aspects in children and adolescents. These studies looked at human-animal interactions in the school setting, in therapy settings using AAT, and in the family home settings regarding companion animals/pets. The animals involved in these studies include horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, and other aquarium-dwelling species. Interaction with and preference for horses yielded the most significant benefits with child/adolescent development, followed closely by interaction with and preference for dogs. These studies address multiple factors including the owner attachment levels to the animals, child/adolescent preferences for specific species or no animals at all, and past/present history of household pet ownership. The research also addresses many aspects to child and adolescent development including, memory, focus/distractibility, self-confidence, self-esteem, social skills, attachment issues, depression, aggressiveness, and most notably empathy. The findings relay the positive impact that human-animal interactions can and do have on many aspects of child and adolescent development in many different circumstances. These studies showed that there is a positive relationship between child-animal interactions and child development, which is supported by researches, parents, and teachers

Deadly Predators and Virtuous Buddhists: Dog Population Control and the Politics of Ethics in Ladakh

The region of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas has recently seen a rise in attacks by stray dogs, some of which have been fatal. The dogs’ claims on territory have not gone uncontested in an emotional landscape fraught with anxieties over religious identities as tensions prevail between a Buddhist and a Muslim population. Consideration for the political effects of ethical discourses about dogs in Ladakh reveals how dog population control, and the intricately linked question of dog care have implications for the shaping of an animal ethics as a contentious political question. In the public sphere, some interpret matters related to dogs as a problem of human territoriality, while others foreground animal care as a virtue of Tibetan Buddhists. While these ideas about dogs and their treatment are shaped by a network of local and translocal ideas and practices about animal welfare and about religious identity, the politics of dog ethics in Ladakh is not an exclusively human product. Dogs are also agents of this politics, both in their physical capacity, to define dog-human interactions, as they are capable of being both affectionate and extremely violent, and because they have the potential to act on human’s production of meaning and exceed human expectations

Expert consensus regarding drivers of antimicrobial stewardship in companion animal veterinary practice: a Delphi study

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global challenge facing both human and animal healthcare professionals; an effective response to this threat requires a ‘One-Health’ approach to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) to preserve important antibiotics for urgent clinical need. However, understanding of barriers and enablers to effective AMS behaviour in companion animal veterinary practice is currently limited. We conducted a Delphi study of 16 nationally recognised experts from UK-based veterinary policymakers, university academics and leaders of professional bodies. This Delphi study sought to identify veterinary behaviours which experts believe contribute to AMR and form vital aspects of AMS. Analysis of Delphi findings indicated a perceived hierarchy of behaviours, the most influential being antibiotic prescribing behaviours and interactions with clients. Other veterinary behaviours perceived as being important related to interactions with veterinary colleagues; infection control practices; and the use of diagnostic tests to confirm infection. Key barriers and enablers to AMS within each of these behavioural domains were identified. Specific interventions to address important barriers and enablers are recommended. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to establish expert consensus at a national level about which ‘behaviours’ (aspects of veterinarian practice) should be targeted in relation to AMR and AMS in companion animal veterinary practice

Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk.

Emerging infectious diseases in humans are frequently caused by pathogens originating from animal hosts, and zoonotic disease outbreaks present a major challenge to global health. To investigate drivers of virus spillover, we evaluated the number of viruses mammalian species have shared with humans. We discovered that the number of zoonotic viruses detected in mammalian species scales positively with global species abundance, suggesting that virus transmission risk has been highest from animal species that have increased in abundance and even expanded their range by adapting to human-dominated landscapes. Domesticated species, primates and bats were identified as having more zoonotic viruses than other species. Among threatened wildlife species, those with population reductions owing to exploitation and loss of habitat shared more viruses with humans. Exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates close contact between wildlife and humans, and our findings provide further evidence that exploitation, as well as anthropogenic activities that have caused losses in wildlife habitat quality, have increased opportunities for animal-human interactions and facilitated zoonotic disease transmission. Our study provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk from mammalian species and highlights convergent processes whereby the causes of wildlife population declines have facilitated the transmission of animal viruses to humans

Ireland Human-Animal Interactions Education Abroad

STEP Category: Education AbroadFor my project I took course in Human-Animal Interactions then went abroad to Ireland with the Department of Animal Sciences to do study that same thing. While abroad for 9 days we visited zoos, animal rehabilitation centers, multiple farms, the University College of Dublin, and even some tourist attractions. The purpose of these activities were to evaluate the relationship between humans and animals and how interactions differ in another country.The Ohio State University Second-year Transformational Experience Program (STEP)Academic Major: Animal Science