Journal Publication in PLOS One

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Can dogs reduce stress levels in school children? Effects of dog-assisted interventions on salivary cortisol in children with and without special educational needs using randomized control trials.

Animal-assisted interventions (AAI) have shown beneficial effects on health and wellbeing, however, robust knowledge on stress mediation in children is lacking... This study is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate dog-assisted interventions as a mediator of stress in school children with and without special educational needs (SEN) over the school term.

Meints, K., Brelsford, V. L., Dimolareva, M., Maréchal, L., Pennington, K., Rowan, E., Gee, N. R. (2022). Can dogs reduce stress levels in school children? Effects of dog-assisted interventions on salivary cortisol in children with and without special educational needs using randomized control trials. PLOS One 17(6): e0269333. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269333

Expert Commentary in Everyday Health

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

6 potential health benefits of owning a pet.

“For many, pets serve as social capital in neighborhoods and communities,” says Dr. Gee. “They precipitate the exchange of favors and encourage civic engagement.” 

Lastoe, S. (2022, April 19). 6 potential health benefits of owning a pet. Everyday Health. https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/potential-health-benefits-of-owning-a-pet/

Expert Commentary in Science News Explores

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

In an emergency, you may want to see Dr. Dog.

More than 20 years ago, Sandra Barker started one of the first therapy-dog programs in hospitals. At the time, she worked at Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, in Richmond, Va.

Hurt, A. E. (2022, April 13). In an emergency, you may want to see Dr. Dog. Science News Direct. https://www.snexplores.org/article/therapy-dog-reduces-pain-anxiety-emergency-room

Expert Commentary Featured in the New York Post

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Dentist’s adorable dog snuggles up to calm down anxious patients: ‘He’s such a good boy’.

Gee pointed out that evidence found in studies suggests spending just five to 20 minutes with a four-legged friend can drop levels of the stress hormone cortisol in people.

Steinberg, B. (2024, February 2). Dentist’s adorable dog snuggles up to calm down anxious patients: ‘He’s such a good boy’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/02/02/lifestyle/dentists-adorable-dog-snuggles-up-to-calm-down-anxious-patients-hes-such-a-good-boy/

Journal Publication in Veterinary Sciences

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Recognizing and mitigating canine stress during animal assisted interventions.

This article focuses specifically on dogs, highlighting factors that may lead handlers and therapists to miss or ignore canine stress signals during human-animal interactions and offers strategies to recognize and ameliorate dogs’ distress more consistently. The primary goals of this discussion are to summarize the current thinking on canine well-being and to highlight practical applications of animal welfare principles in real-world AAI settings.