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Animals, Health and Society
Our Research
We couple our strengths in cognitive biology, clinical animal behaviour, and animal health and disease with research approaches from the social sciences, as we recognise that translating the findings from our foundational and applied animal research into real-world impact will inevitably involve addressing the human and societal factors.
To this end, members of our research group work with others across the university, nation, and world to explore questions about how people think, interpret, and make decisions around animal care, use and welfare, with an aim to uncover the barriers faced by individuals and groups and co-develop solutions designed to support people in implementing evidence-based practises.
Our research in this area uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and spans contexts (e.g., livestock, companion and exotic animals) and stakeholder groups (e.g. farmers, veterinarians, companion animal owners, those involved in animal assisted interventions and the general public). Recent projects have included:
- Why animal welfare campaigns may fail: exploring how brachycephalic dog owners respond to information about animal welfare
- Dog owners’ experiences with the adjustment period following adoption
- Farm-to-public engagement around animal welfare, environment, and food quality
- Dairy farmer perceptions and needs around heat stress prevention and mitigation
- Expert consultation to prioritise welfare issues in captive parrots
- Systematic review of public perceptions of zoo animal welfare and mediating factors
- Health benefits and costs of companion animals in the home and workplace
Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ABCWResearchGroup
Key Personnel and Expertise
Academics
Dr Beth Ventura – public knowledge and attitudes towards dairy farming; dairy farmer attitudes and actions towards heat stress mitigation towards cattle
Professor Oliver Burman – cold blooded care
Professor Kun Guo – how humans perceive dog emotions; efficacy of animal-assisted interventions
Professor Anna Wilkinson – cold blooded care; working animal cognition
Professor Daniel Mills – owner-pet relationships; economic significance of companion animals
Dr Andrew Cooke – attendance patterns of provisioning Australian humpback dolphins
Dr Ambrose Tinarwo – social aspects of dog ownership
Dr Helen Zulch – canine olfaction; post-adoption adjustment in dogs
Postgraduate Researcher and Technical Staff
Dr Holly Root-Gutteridge – improving performance of scent detection dogs
Erica Chung – perceptions of welfare issues in the equine industry
Dr Ana Maria Barcelos – the link between animal behavioural problems and human health; the impact of pets on human health
Dr Luciana de Assis – understanding landlord’s perspectives about pet-friendly rental properties
Research Students
Helen Howell – assessing the risk of human directed aggression in dogs
Nicki Phillips – how does perception of zoo animal welfare influence public attitudes, experiences and behavioural intentions? A mixed-methods systematic review
Ann Baslington-Davies – assessing the risk factors in human directed bites