Research in Human-Animal Interaction
Today in America most households include a dog, cat, or other pet, and many classrooms are homes to fish, hamsters, gerbils and birds. While there is growing evidence of the health benefits of pet ownership in adulthood, there is comparatively little research on the role these companion animals play in the growth, health and development of children and how the power of this relationship can be employed in therapeutic settings.
In order to promote research in this area, the National Institutes of Health's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition, a division of Mars, Inc., entered into a formal Public-Private Partnership to encourage research on HAI, especially as it relates to child development, health and the therapeutic use of animals with children and adolescents.
The NICHD and Mars' Waltham Centre have sponsored two workshops:
The NIH, the U.S.'s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation.
Mars, the world's largest producer of pet food, has long conducted research on the nutritional needs of animals and more broadly in the area of Human-Animal Interaction.
Read the 'NIH News in Health' article (Feb 2009) - Can Pets Keep You Healthy? - Exploring the Human-Animal Bond
Additional information about NICHD.
Additional information about the Waltham Centre.
Additional information about Mars Inc.