The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)

23/03/2025

Happy National Puppy Day everyone! This is SCAS member Sandra McCune’s Dougal, a puppy 7 years ago. Share your puppy photos from now or when they were little!

20/03/2025

The IAAHPC & Human-Animal Interactions Journal are teaming up for a special issue on Veterinary Hospice, Palliative Care & the Human-Animal Bond. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/journal/hai/special-issues/veterinary-hospice-human-animal-bond
Deadline 14th April 2025.

🐾 Calling all researchers & veterinary professionals! 🐾

The IAAHPC & Human-Animal Interactions Journal are teaming up for a special issue on Veterinary Hospice, Palliative Care & the Human-Animal Bond—and we want YOUR expertise!

📢 Now accepting submissions:
🔹 Original research (qualitative & quantitative)
🔹 Review papers & case studies
🔹 Short communications & perspectives
🔹 Innovative approaches in hospice care
🔹 Insights into the human-animal bond

⏳ Submission deadline: April 14, 2025

Your research can shape the future of compassionate veterinary care. Learn more & submit today!

🔗https://buff.ly/40dk6v0

17/03/2025

For those of you on BlueSky, please follow us:

SCAS was established in 1979 to promote the study of human-companion animal interactions and raise awareness of the importance of pets in society. https://www.scas.org.uk/

08/03/2025

Online 1-day Conference on “Training and Preparing the Dog for AAS: International Standards and Good Practice. 12 March 2025. Free, but places limited:

The information you provide on this form will only be used to provide you with updates about AAS. Your privacy is important to us! Please let us know how you would like to stay in touch:

27/02/2025

The SCAS Winter Newsletter has been sent. Members check you email! (you may need to check junk mail and adjust settings to receive via Mailchimp).

22/02/2025

Dr Rebecca Niemiec and Dr Lori Kogan are recruiting a master's or PhD student starting in Fall 2025 to conduct social science research on animal-human interactions as part of the Animal Human Policy Center. The CSU Animal-Human Policy Center (AHPC) was founded in 2024 and focuses on conducting social science research to help policymakers and government agencies facilitate positive relationships between animals and humans.

Potential topics of PhD/master's projects may include: 1) understanding public perspectives on key animal welfare issues among farmed animals and wildlife (including fur farming, factory farming, and carnivore hunting); 2) examining how the perspectives of the public and animals can be integrated into deliberative, participatory processes for decision-making about wildlife; or 3) examining the challenges preventing families from keeping and caring for their pets and the human health and animal welfare impacts of keeping bonded human-animal families together. Please review the list of current AHPC projects here before applying and indicate which projects are of most interest in your application. https://sites.warnercnr.colostate.edu/animalhumanpolicy/home/projects/

The selected student will be getting their degree via the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department in the Warner College of Natural Resources and will have guaranteed funding for 2 years via a graduate teaching assistantship.

Please email your CV, letter of interest, and a writing sample to Dr Niemiec ([email protected]) and Dr Kogan ([email protected]) by March 1st to apply.

19/02/2025

SCAS-funded research from the 2022 funding round is now published in Disability and Rehabilitation. Congrats to Joanna Foster, Danielle Stephens-Lewis, and Kimberley C. Schenke for their paper “Profiling hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS): factors in health and wellbeing with chronic conditions and opportunities for improving self-management”!

Factors affecting physical and psychological outcomes for those with chronic conditions are complex, extending beyond medical symptomology to numerous demographic influences. Living with hypermobil...

18/02/2025

https://animal.movementforgood.com/index.php?cn=1070938&ct=Animals and Wildlife

Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

17/02/2025

Please consider nominating The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)!

I just nominated a charity to win £5,000..

16/02/2025

This ISAZ International Society for Anthrozoology award recognises a student (undergrad to PhD) for their commitment to scholarship in human-animal interaction and animal-assisted intervention.
The PJ-Hart Student Scholar Award is named in honor of Dr. Aubrey Fine’s dedicated therapy dogs. PJ and Hart played a significant role in supporting children through the therapeutic process and helping them address psychosocial challenges.

The PJ-Hart Student Scholar Award recognizes a student for their commitment to scholarship in human-animal interaction and animal-assisted intervention

11/02/2025

Leading human and animal welfare organisations have called on MPs to support policies that recognise the positive impact of the human-companion animal bond on mental and physical wellbeing. The issue was highlighted at a parliamentary event attended by 39 MPs last month (21 Jan 2025). The drop-in session at Westminster was hosted by vets Dr Marc Abraham OBE, Dr Belinda ‘Bin’ Johnston, founder of Our Special Friends (OSF), and Dr Elizabeth Ormerod, Chair of the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS). The session, jointly organised by OSF and SCAS, featured presentations from organisations that promote the welfare of both people and dogs through structured animal-assisted interactions. Read more in this article published in Dogs Today Magazine.

MPs were urged to support policies that recognise the positive impact of the human-companion animal bond on mental and physical wellbeing.

07/02/2025

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are now recruiting for a 1:1 interview study about pets during the perinatal period. If you live in the U.K. and have pets (cats or dogs), and are currently pregnant or have a baby under 1, please consider signing up for this SCAS-funded project! 🤰🏼🐕👶🏼 Participants receive a voucher as a thank you. Science of Pets

We are now recruiting for our 1:1 interview study about pets during the perinatal period. If you live in the U.K. and have pets (cats or dogs), and are currently pregnant or have a baby under 1, please consider signing up! 🤰🏼🐕👶🏼 Participants receive a voucher as a thank you https://edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ddsueeSbP9OD9KC

07/02/2025

Two funded anthrozoology/human-animal interaction PhD studentships available at the University of Liverpool, UK:

Cats and the ‘Good Life’: a PhD studentship to investigate the association between the cat-owner relationship and owner mental wellbeing

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/cats-and-the-good-life-a-phd-studentship-to-investigate-the-association-between-the-cat-owner-relationship-and-owner-mental-wellbeing/?p182233

Rescue Me: Investigating the impact of ‘small furry’ animal rescue on owner wellbeing.

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/rescue-me-investigating-the-impact-of-small-furry-animal-rescue-on-owner-wellbeing/?p176078

PhD Project - Rescue Me: Investigating the impact of ‘small furry’ animal rescue on owner wellbeing. at University of Liverpool, listed on FindAPhD.com

07/02/2025

Cats and the ‘Good Life’: a PhD studentship to investigate the association between the cat-owner relationship and owner mental wellbeing

PhD Project - Cats and the ‘Good Life’: a PhD studentship to investigate the association between the cat-owner relationship and owner mental wellbeing at University of Liverpool, listed on FindAPhD.com

06/02/2025

Canine Partners need your help! Volunteer at Canine Partners and help transform the lives of those with disabilities.

Become a Puppy Parent volunteer for Canine Partners and support, socialise and train our puppies in your own home.

04/02/2025

Wonderful webinar tomorrow evening (Wednesday) at 6pm GMT. Free for SCAS Members, just £5 for non members.

Presenter: Shirin Dhabhar, Canines Can Care, India

01/02/2025

SCAS Webinars are free to members and non-members can join for a small fee. (join SCAS for £25/year or £15 for students). Recording available.

Presenter: Shirin Dhabhar, Canines Can Care, India