Pauleen Bennett | |
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Born | Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia | 13 October 1963
Citizenship | Australian |
Scientific career | |
Fields | |
Institutions | |
Doctoral advisor | Kim T Ng |
Pauleen Charmayne Bennett (born 13 October 1963) is an Australian scientist researching anthrozoology at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia. [1]
Bennett's research in the field of human-animal interactions has informed government policy and covered areas of: human attitudes, health and behaviour; ethics of animals in society; animal behaviour, physiology and welfare. Her research interest lies in understanding the diverse psychological connections between humans and animals, particularly companion animals, positive psychology, and in the use of animals in human health therapies. [2] [3]
In 2002, Bennett founded the Anthrozoology Research Group, [4] an interdisciplinary team of postgraduate and undergraduate researchers [5] with over one hundred peer-reviewed journal and conference publications. She is chair of the Australian Anthrozoology Research Foundation, [6] a non-profit foundation set up to raise research funding for students investigating the potential benefits for human health of engaging with companion animals. Bennett was the first Australian, and first academic outside of the US, to be elected to serve as the president of the International Society for Anthrozoology [7] (2011–2015) and is on the editorial board for the international peer-reviewed journal, Anthrozoös.
Pauleen Charmayne Bennett was born in Ivanhoe, Victoria on 13 October 1963. She grew up on her family's poultry farm near the Mornington Peninsula, on the south-east outskirts of suburban Melbourne. In the immediate years following high school, Bennett held an amateur jockey's licence and rode racehorses in training for a while, before enrolling in simultaneous Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and Bachelor of Behavioural Science with Honours (Psychology) degrees at La Trobe University, where she received numerous accolades for best performance over the course of her degrees (1989–1994). Bennett went on to earn a Master of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) in 1999 from La Trobe University, while concurrently gaining her PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience, for her thesis on the role of protein serine/threonine phosphatases in memory formation, [8] from Monash University in 2000. [9]
Bennett changed her research focus from the neurosciences to anthrozoology in the Department of Psychology in 2002, as a member of the faculty of Monash University, working in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Science Centre. Her review of the issues surrounding cosmetic tail docking of dogs and finding "that the theory of cognitive dissonance...may provide a useful framework within which to understand, and attempt to alter, attitudes that persist even though they appear contrary to available empirical evidence" coincided with a national ban on tail docking of dogs in all states of Australia under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Welfare Acts. [10] [11] [12] [13] Bennett's subsequent collaborations and postgraduate supervision have resulted in research in the areas of dog-owner relationships, [14] canine personality, [15] the modern role of companion animals, [16] [17] [18] [19] improving rehoming outcomes for shelter animals, [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] and factors relating to successful and unsuccessful pet ownership practices. [25] [26] [27]
Bennett has a strong commitment to knowledge transfer and has been instrumental in the development of several courses. In 2006, she was appointed as an adjunct professor at Ohio State University to develop and deliver the undergraduate 'Animals in Society' course, providing students from diverse academic backgrounds with the critical thinking skills required to address controversial issues concerning animals in contemporary societies. She also led development of the Graduate Certificate in Animal Welfare offered by the Animal Welfare Science Centre.
Bennett is currently a professor and head of Department of Psychology and Counselling at La Trobe University, Victoria (Australia). [28] She is chair of the Australian Anthrozoology Research Foundation, former president of the International Society for Anthrozoology, and serves on the editorial board for the international peer-reviewed journal Anthrozoös. [29]
Bennett lives in regional Victoria outside of Bendigo with her partner, Ron Wheeler, and their collection of dogs, horses, goats and one cat. She used to farm alpacas, is a certified pet dog training instructor and is a registered dog breeder, having bred Jack Russell Terriers, Australian Shepherds and Lagotto Romagnolos under the kennel name of HevnSent. [30] It was Bennett's personal appraisal of the breed standard requirement to dock her puppies' tails, and subsequent review of the complex attitudes related to the issue of tail docking in dogs, [31] that prompted her to change her professional focus from the neurosciences to pursue improved understanding of human-animal interactions in the inter-disciplinary field of anthrozoology. [32]
Pet adoption is the process of transferring responsibility for a pet that was previously owned by another party such as a person, shelter, or rescue organization. Common sources for adoptable pets are animal shelters and rescue groups. Some organizations give adopters ownership of the pet, while others use a guardianship model wherein the organization retains some control over the animal's future use or care.
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 are disregarded to maintain a low overhead and maximize profits". 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."
A humane society is a group that aims to stop cruelty to animals. In many countries, the term is used mostly for societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals (SPCA). In the United Kingdom, and historically in the United States, such societies provide waterway rescue, prevention and recovery services, or may give awards for saving human life.
Docking is the removal of portions of an animal's tail. While docking and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of the tail, the term cropping is used in reference to the ears. Tail docking occurs in one of two ways. The first involves constricting the blood supply to the tail with a rubber ligature for a few days until the tail falls off. The second involves the severance of the tail with surgical scissors or a scalpel. The length to which tails are docked varies by breed, and is often specified in the breed standard.
Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse, animal neglect or animal cruelty, is the infliction by omission (neglect) or by commission by humans of suffering or harm upon non-human animals. More narrowly, it can be the causing of harm or suffering for specific achievements, such as killing animals for entertainment; cruelty to animals sometimes encompasses inflicting harm or suffering as an end in itself, referred to as zoosadism.
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.
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 Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a New Zealand charitable society who work to promote the humane treatment of animals. The society consists of 35 animal shelters around New Zealand, including many in regional areas. Under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, SPCA inspectors have the exclusive power to investigate animal welfare complaints and prosecute abusers when necessary. The Royal NZ SPCA has initiated a range of animal welfare campaigns. It has launched public education campaigns about the humane treatment of animals, and has encouraged people to change their behaviour towards animals. SPCA has also run advocacy campaigns aimed at promoting law changes or questioning the legality of certain practices.
Stanley Coren is a psychology professor, neuropsychological researcher and writer on the intelligence, mental abilities and history of dogs. He works in research and instructs in psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia. He writes for Psychology Today in the feature series Canine Corner.
A no-kill shelter is an animal shelter that does not kill healthy or treatable animals even when the shelter is full, reserving euthanasia for terminally ill animals or those considered dangerous to public safety. A no-kill shelter uses many strategies to promote shelter animals; to expanding its resources using volunteers, housing and medical protocols; and to work actively to lower the number of homeless animals entering the shelter system. Up to ten percent of animals could be killed in a no-kill shelter and still be considered a no-kill shelter.
Animal rescue or pet rescue may refer to:
RSPCA Australia is an Australian peak organisation established in 1981 to promote animal welfare. Each state and territory of Australia has an RSPCA organisation that predates and is affiliated with RSPCA Australia.
Docking is the intentional removal of part of an animal's tail or, sometimes, ears. The term cropping is more commonly used in reference to the cropping of ears, while docking more commonly—but not exclusively—refers to the tail; the term tailing is used, also. The term has its origins in the living flesh of the tail, commonly known as the dock, from which the animal's tail hairs grow.
A shock collar or remote training collar is any of a family of training collars that deliver electrical stimulation of varying intensity and duration to the neck of a dog via a radio-controlled electronic device incorporated into a dog collar. Some collar models also include a tone or vibrational setting, as an alternative to or in conjunction with the shock. Others include integration with Internet mapping capabilities and GPS to locate the dog or alert an owner of his/her whereabouts.
Black dog syndrome or big black dog syndrome is a phenomenon in which black dogs are passed over for adoption in favor of lighter-colored animals. Animal shelters often use the term BBD, or big black dog, to describe the type of larger dark-colored mixed-breed said to be typically passed over by adopters. Black cats are similarly reported to be subject to the same phenomenon.
Human–canine bonding is the relationship between dogs and humans. This relationship can be traced back to at least 15,000 years ago, to the Bonn-Oberkassel dog, who was found buried alongside two humans. For centuries, dogs have been considered man's best friend. This is most evident in western countries, such as the United States, where over 48% of households have a pet dog.
Cropping is the removal of part or all of the external flaps of an animal's ear. The procedure sometimes involves bracing and taping the remainder of the ears to train them to point upright. Almost exclusively performed on dogs, it is an old practice that was once done for perceived health, practical or cosmetic reasons. Veterinary science states there is no medical or physical advantage to the animal from the procedure, leading to concerns of animal cruelty over performing unnecessary surgery on animals. In modern times, cropping is banned in many nations, but is still legal in a limited number of countries. Where permitted, it is seen only in certain breeds of dog, such as the pit bull, Doberman Pinscher, Schnauzer, Great Dane, Boxer and Cane Corso.
RSPCA NSW is a not-for-profit charity operating in New South Wales, Australia that promotes animal welfare.
Dogs in the United States have significant popularity and status – they are often treated as family members. Currently, the American Kennel Club is the largest registry of pure breed dogs across the world.
Clive D. L. Wynne is a British-Australian ethologist specializing in the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives. He has worked in the United States, Australia, and Europe, and is currently based at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. He was born and raised on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, studied at University College London, and got his Ph.D. at Edinburgh University. He has studied the behavior of many species - ranging from pigeons to dunnarts, but starting around 2006 melded his childhood love of dogs with his professional training and now studies and teaches about the behavior of dogs and their wild relatives.