James Serpell

Last updated

James Serpell
Born
James Andrew Serpell

February 16th, 1952

James A. Serpell is professor of Animal Ethics and Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania. He lectures in the School of Veterinary Medicine on veterinary ethics, applied animal behavior and welfare, and human-animal interactions. Serpell also directs the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society (CIAS). [1] Serpell was a founder of The International Society for Anthrozoology(ISAZ) and remains on the board. [2]

Contents

Early life and education

The son of Christopher Serpell, James Serpell was born in Rome, Italy, on February 16, 1952. He attended University College London, where he received his bachelor's degree in Zoology in 1974. He then completed a PhD in Animal Behavior at the University of Liverpool in 1980. [3]

Career

After graduating he went to the University of Cambridge and established the Companion Animal Research Group there in 1985. He moved to the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and teaches there currently. [3] While at the University of Pennsylvania he was part of creating C-BARQ, the first standardized dog behavioral assessment survey. [4]

Serpell's scholarship and research in the area of anthrozoology is unusual in ranging broadly, including publications on anthropology and the humanities, as well as scientific prospective studies of human-animal interactions. His early book, In the Company of Animals, remains the classic work providing a broad overview of human-animal interactions. Similarly, his edited book, The Domestic Dog (now in 2nd edition) is the primary source on dogs' behavior and our interactions with them. Among his many classic research papers is one (the first) documenting increased walking by new Cambridge pet owners after adopting a puppy. Another early study helped explain the source of the widespread compatibility that pet owners feel with their dogs, despite various behavior problems.

Serpell's scholarly leadership was recognized already in 1992 when he was presented the IAHAIO/ISAZ Distinguished Scholar Award. He is a primary leader and founder of the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ), which publishes Anthrozoos. Acknowledging his contributions to the society, ISAZ is appointing him as a Fellow of ISAZ, as one of the inaugural group of Fellows.

Publications

Serpell is the author of In the Company of Animals: A Study of Human-Animal Relationships and is the editor of two editions of The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People. He has published many research papers on Zoology, Cultural Anthropology, and Animal Behavior. [5] Among his highly-cited publications that have been cited over 200 times each are: Animal-assisted interventions in mental health: Definitions and theoretical foundations; Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs; Anthropomorphism and anthropomorphic selection---beyond the "Cute Response"; and Factors influencing human attitudes to animals and their welfare.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet</span> Animal kept for companionship rather than utility

A pet, or companion animal, is an animal kept primarily for a person's company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal. Popular pets are often considered to have attractive/cute appearances, intelligence, and relatable personalities, but some pets may be taken in on an altruistic basis and accepted by the owner regardless of these characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit bull</span> Type of dog

Pit bull is an umbrella term for several types of dog believed to have descended from bull and terriers. In the United States, the term is usually considered to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Bully, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and sometimes the American Bulldog, along with any crossbred dog that shares certain physical characteristics with these breeds. In other countries, including the United Kingdom, the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed specifically, while the Staffordshire Bull Terrier is not considered a pit bull. Most pit bull–type dogs descend from the British bull and terrier, a 19th-century dog-fighting type developed from crosses between the Old English Bulldog and the Old English Terrier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puppy mill</span> Type of commercial dog breeding facility

A puppy mill, also known as a puppy farm, is a commercial dog breeding facility characterized by quick breeding and poor conditions. Although no standardized legal definition for "puppy mill" exists, a definition was established in Avenson v. Zegart in 1984 as "a dog breeding operation in which the health of the mill’s dogs is disregarded to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits". They are cited as being a result of increased demand for household pets, especially after World War II. The Veterinary Medical Association of the Humane Society of the United States defines the main characteristics of a puppy mill as "emphasis on quantity over quality, indiscriminate breeding, continuous confinement, lack of human contact and environmental enrichment, poor husbandry, and minimal to no veterinary care."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog training</span> Practice of teaching behaviors to dogs

Dog training is a kind of animal training, the application of behavior analysis which uses the environmental events of antecedents and consequences to modify the dog behavior, either for it to assist in specific activities or undertake particular tasks, or for it to participate effectively in contemporary domestic life. While training dogs for specific roles dates back to Roman times at least, the training of dogs to be compatible household pets developed with suburbanization in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog aggression</span> Behavior in dogs

Dog aggression expressed by dogs is considered to be normal behaviour and various types of aggression are influenced by a dog's environment and genetic predisposition. Dogs commonly display possessive aggression when defending resources or themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthrozoology</span> Subset of ethnobiology

Anthrozoology, also known as human–nonhuman-animal studies (HAS), is the subset of ethnobiology that deals with interactions between humans and other animals. It is an interdisciplinary field that overlaps with other disciplines including anthropology, ethnology, medicine, psychology, social work, veterinary medicine, and zoology. A major focus of anthrozoologic research is the quantifying of the positive effects of human–animal relationships on either party and the study of their interactions. It includes scholars from fields such as anthropology, sociology, biology, history and philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Semi-feral</span> Animal that lives predominantly in a feral state but has some contact and experience with humans

A semi-feral animal lives predominantly in a feral state but has some contact and experience with humans. This may be because it was born in a domesticated state and then reverted to life in wild conditions, or it may be an animal that grew up in essentially wild conditions but has developed a comfort level with humans through feeding, receiving medical care, or similar contacts.

The alpha roll is a dog training technique that is considered outdated by many modern-day dog trainers. The theory behind the training method is that dogs are hierarchical animals. The technique is used to teach the dog that the trainer or owner of the dog is the pack leader. Methods include when a dog misbehaves to pin the dog on its back and held in that position, sometimes by the throat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog</span> Domesticated canid species

The dog is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was domesticated from an extinct population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene, over 14,000 years ago by hunter-gatherers, prior to the development of agriculture. The dog was the first species to be domesticated by humans. Experts estimate that due to their long association with humans, dogs have expanded to a large number of domestic individuals and gained the ability to thrive on a starch-rich diet that would be inadequate for other canids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal-assisted therapy</span> Alternative or complementary type of therapy

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an alternative or complementary type of therapy that includes the use of animals in a treatment. The goal of this animal-assisted intervention is to improve a patient's social, emotional, or cognitive functioning. Studies have documented some positive effects of the therapy on subjective self-rating scales and on objective physiological measures such as blood pressure and hormone levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog behavior</span> Internally coordinated responses of dogs to internal and external stimuli

Dog behavior is the internally coordinated responses of individuals or groups of domestic dogs to internal and external stimuli. It has been shaped by millennia of contact with humans and their lifestyles. As a result of this physical and social evolution, dogs have acquired the ability to understand and communicate with humans. Behavioral scientists have uncovered a wide range of social-cognitive abilities in domestic dogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shock collar</span> Dog training device using electrical pain to change behavior

A shock collar or remote training collar, also known as an e-collar, Ecollar, or electronic collar, is a type of training collar that delivers shocks to the neck of a dog to change behavior. These collars incorporate a radio-controlled electronic device and are worn around the dog's neck. Many European countries view shock collars as animal cruelty and have banned their use. The mechanism behind shock collars involve inflicting varying levels and duration of pain, which generates fear and serves as a deterrent for undesirable behaviors. Some models of shock collar models offer additional features such as a tone or vibrational setting that can be used as an alternative or in combination with the shock. Certain advanced collars include Internet mapping capabilities and GPS functionality to track the dog's location or notify the owner about its whereabouts.

The National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) is a non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to promoting animal welfare and animal husbandry practices, strengthening the human-animal bond, and safeguarding the rights of responsible animal owners and professionals through research, public education and public policy. The NAIA mission is "to promote the welfare of animals."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chihuahua (dog breed)</span> Mexican breed of dog

The Chihuahua is a Mexican breed of toy dog. It is named for the Mexican state of Chihuahua and is among the smallest of all dog breeds. It is usually kept as a companion animal or for showing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human–canine bond</span> Interspecies relationship

The human–canine bond is rooted in the domestication of the dog, which began occurring through their long-term association with hunter-gatherers more than 30,000–40,000 years ago. The earliest known relationship between dogs and humans is attested by the 1914 discovery of the Bonn–Oberkassel dog, who was buried alongside two humans in modern-day Oberkassel, Germany, approximately 15,000 years ago. For centuries, the phrase "man's best friend" has commonly been used to refer to dogs, as they were the first species and the only large carnivore to have been domesticated. This companionship is most evident in Western countries, such as the United States, where 44% of households were found to be keeping at least one dog as a pet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pauleen Bennett</span> Australian scientist

Pauleen Charmayne Bennett is an Australian scientist researching anthrozoology at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dog-like cat</span> Behavioral pattern found in domestic cats

Dog-like cat is a term in popular culture that refers to specific breeds of domestic cats that have unusual behavioral tendencies that are reminiscent of young domestic dogs. These are within the scope of feline behavior, and may be enhanced through selective breeding. These behaviors, not specific to any breed, include following people around from room to room, the desire to receive frequent moments of physical affection such as being held and petted, a lack of aggression toward some fellow animals, and a placid nature. Certain owners may successfully attempt to train their cats to perform on command, such as via clicker training, akin to canines and other domesticated animals.

Between 5% and 10% of homeless peoplein the United States own pets. Studies of homeless pet owners in urban settings show a sense of identity and community connection between pets and their owners. This topic is part of the Animals and Society branch of study in the field of Sociology, and is also an issue with the values and responsibility of pet ownership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Arluke</span> Professor emeritus of sociology and anthropology

Arnold Arluke is professor emeritus of sociology and anthropology at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and senior fellow at the Tufts Center for animals and public policy. Arluke earned a Ph.D. in sociology from New York University and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard School of Public Health. He has served as a visiting scholar at Cornell Medical College, the department of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Yale Law School, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Currently, he resides in St. Petersburg, Florida where he is a consultant to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and a portrait photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pet humanization</span> Applying care to pets that approaches human standards

Pet humanization is the practice in pet culture of treating companion animals with a level of care, attention and luxury relatively higher than for the average domesticated animal. This trend involves the owners being at odds with the pet's status as property in wider society and can range from relying on them for emotional support to treating them like human family members.

References

  1. "James A. Serpell, BSc, PhD". Penn Vet. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  2. "ISAZ". WordPress. 20 July 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Dr. James A. Serpell". Center for Canine Behavior Studies. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  4. "USDAA" . Retrieved 15 December 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. "Profile: James A Serpell". ResearchGate .