Animals and Us

The psychology of human-animal interactions.

Hal Herzog Ph.D.

The Puzzling Geography of Animal Shelter Dog Euthanasia

Why is a dog in North Carolina 25 times more likely to be killed in an animal shelter than a dog in New Hampshire?

Brain Syndrome Can Make Owners Think Pets Are Impostors

Do we really think of pets as friends and family members? A rare and bizarre neuropsychiatric condition sheds light on the depth of our relationships with companion animals.

Do Children With Cats Have More Mental Health Problems?

Why have anthrozoologists neglected the study of human-cat relationships?

Why Does Cloning Your Dog Just Seem Wrong?

Beliefs about animal "naturalness" help explain negative reactions to Barbra Streisand's cloned puppies.

Animal Cruelty Does Not Predict Who Will Be A School Shooter

Is animal cruelty really a "red flag" for future violence? Here's why a history of animal abuse cannot predict who will be the next school shooter.

Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Really Help Veterans with PTSD?

A new study by researchers at Purdue University offers the first empirical evidence that veterans with PTSD benefit from having a psychiatric service dog.

How Personality Affects a Person's Chances of a Dog Attack

A new study finds that emotionally stable people are less likely to be attacked by a dog. The question is why.

The Animals and Us Year In Review

From the Furry Fandom to the Great Pet British Massacre, its been a good year for Animals and Us.

How "Pet-tie" Are Dogs? What About Goldfish and Lizards?

Our concepts of animal "pet-ness" raise ethical issues and have implications for the unconditional love theory of pet-keeping.

26 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Our Love for Pets

This controversial new book examines the psychology and evolution of our love for animals. (And it explains why you should probably not get a pug if you are looking for a pet.)

Why Do People Think Animals Make Good Therapists?

Public interest in animal-assisted therapy has grown by leaps and bounds. Yale University researchers examine the reason for its appeal.

How Social Contagion Helps Explain Our Pet Choices

Why did 400,000 Londoners kill their pets over a four day period in 1939?

Therapy Dogs for Homesick College Students?

Over 900 colleges and universities now have animal-assisted therapy programs for homesick and stressed-out students. How well do they work?

What’s the Deal with “Furries?”

An international team of social scientists has been studying the psychology of "furries" for a decade. What they have found is fascinating.

Why Kids With Pets Are Better Off

Even the researchers were surprised by results of a large new study on the impact of pets on child development.

Large Study Finds Pet Owners Are Different

New research shows pet owners and non-pet owners differ in important ways. Does this explain the positive impact of dogs and cats on human health?

Can Pet Crickets Improve the Well-being of the Elderly?

A high quality randomized control study finds that caring for pet crickets has a surprisingly positive impact on the well-being of elderly people.

Can Dogs Help Solve Our Childhood Obesity Problem?

What should we make of claims about the impact of dogs on obesity in children and teenagers?

Why Do Animal Shelter Workers Burn Out?

Animal shelter workers who believe they have a gift for relating to animals may be the most likely to leave.

How Much Solidarity Do You Feel With Animals?

A new scale helps researchers study why some people identify with animals and others despise them.

25 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Dogs

Why dogs should not drive cars and other findings from the hot new field of canine science.

Why Do Dog Breeds with Genetic Disorders Suddenly Get Hot?

Dog breeds like French bulldogs and Chihuahuas are skyrocketing in popularity despite their genetic problems. A new study examines why people are attracted to unhealthy pets.

“Study Finds Dog-Walkers Have More Bad Mental Health Days!"

The media abounds with articles on research on the health benefits of pets and the effectiveness of therapy animals. But these nine recent studies found this was not the case.

Do Vegetarians Smell Sexier?

New studies reveal that diet affects human body odor and even our skin color. But do men who give up meat smell more or less attractive to women?

Narcissism and Exotic Pets: Is There a Connection?

New research examines how narcissism and "dark personality traits" affect our attachments to pets and why some people are drawn to companion rats, snakes, and tarantulas.

Think Twice Before Giving Medical Marijuana to Your Pet

It would be nice to think medical marijuana could cure epilepsy in dogs and anxiety in cats. But there are problems with the use of cannabis in veterinary medicine.

Are Pet Owners Really at Greater Risk of Cancer?

A new study used "big data" to examine the associations between pet-ownership and cancer rates and physical activity in older women. The results are surprising.

Farm Animal Suffering Leaves a Bad Taste In Your Mouth

In a series of recent experiments, researchers found that whether we think animals were raised humanely or on a factory farm affects the way their meat tastes.

What Kinds Of People Believe Animals Go To Heaven?

Two recent studies have found many people agree that animals from dogs to snakes and insects experience life after death.

Are the Results of Animal Therapy Studies Unreliable?

Most studies of oxytocin ("the love hormone") do not have enough subjects to produce valid results. Unfortunately, this is also true of animal-assisted therapy research.

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