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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/

The logo for the journal of veterinary sciences; the medical cross science is depicted with the silhouette of a dog

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.

Townsend, L., & Gee, N. R. (2021). Recognizing and mitigating canine stress during animal assisted interventions. Veterinary Sciences, 8(11), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8110254

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Research Featured in Forbes

Monday, September 6, 2021

Even more reasons to love your dog: Better thinking, reduced stress and happier work.

A study by Virginia Commonwealth University found when dogs were present in the workplace, people got to know each other and had more conversations based on the four-legged visitors.

Brower, T. (2021, September 6). Even more reasons to love your dog: Better thinking, reduced stress and happier work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/06/even-more-reasons-to-love-your-dog-reduced-stress-and-happier-work/

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Journal Publication in Animals

Monday, August 9, 2021

Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: A mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research examined the influence of companion animals, and specifically ornamental fishes, on mental well-being and loneliness during the pandemic.

Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Gee, N. R., Snellgrove, D., & Sloman, K. A. (2021). Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: A mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Animals, 11(8), 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082349

The cover for the journal of Anthrozoös. An abstract depiction of what appears to be a human being nuzzled by an antelope.

Journal Publication in Anthrozoös

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

A leash on life: An exploratory study on the effects of a shelter-dog walking program for veterans on dogs’ stress.

This exploratory project evaluated the impact of a shelter-dog walking program for veterans on stress experienced by the dogs. It also examined whether the PTSD status of the veteran influenced the impact of the walk on the dog.

Friedmann, E., Krause-Parello, C. A., Payton, M., Blanchard, K., Storm, A., Barr, E., & Gee, N. R. (2021). A leash on life: An exploratory study on the effects of a shelter-dog walking program for veterans on dogs’ stress. Anthrozoös, 35(1), 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2021.1944559