Human Animal Bond
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Human and Animal Relationships
Animals have always had a great impact on humans, from the pets we hold dear to the farm animals that help feed us, to hunting animals for sport and food to conservation of endangered species, to animal research, and animal rights to entertainment and industry, to medical and veterinary science.
When we look at man and animals, it takes us back through history, through literature, through mythology, through societies, and culture. A look at man’s attitudes towards animals through time tells us much about our beliefs, and perspectives about ourselves in the past, present, and future.
Man’s relationship with animals is very complex, affecting all dimensions of our lives and our environment.
Understanding Our Relationship with Dogs
The study of human and animal interactions is called anthrozoology. Anthrozoology offers us all an opportunity to gain a stronger and better sense of respect responsibility we have for our non human species, our environment and nature as well.
The word anthrozoology comes from the Greek word anthropos which means human and the Greek word zoon which means animal. Anthrozoology is a fairly new field that was started in 1987. It is a field of study that fits with other professions including anthropology, biological and veterinary medicine, psychology, philosophy, sociology, zoology, evolutionists, naturalists and many other disciplines.
Many researchers want to quantify the positive effects that result between man and animal. Animal behaviorists are interested in anthrozoology because they study why animals do the things they do. They study and determine the factors that prompt certain behaviors and their changes. There are many factors that influence how and why an animal behaves from their eating habits, hormones, illnesses, weather, whether they are being a predator or protecting themselves from being prey, offspring, mating, and many other factors that impact their actions.
Human Animal Conflicts
Human beings have a very important relationship with wildlife, zoo animals, farm animals, and our companion animals. With greater understandings about how our inter-species relationships work, man can gain many quality of life benefits. Successful knowledge about animals, animal behavior, and the roles they can play with humans is success for man and success for other species. When human beings fail with other species, all suffer and all fail. So the study of anthrozoology is one of extreme importance. Many anthrozoologists use a multidisciplinary approach that helps us all learn more about how to make the relationship with animals succeed for all.
Animals permeate every aspect of our daily life, of society, of our culture. Our connection goes back to the dawn of man, and is interwoven in our history, in our development, in current times, and in our future. Animals are depicted in our literature, in our religions, in our self identity. Through the study of anthrozoology we can see how complex our relationship with animals is.
Man and animals have a long history of interaction that is mixed with deep bonds, and controversy. By learning more about animal behavior and the human relationship, we can better understand the positive values that we gain from the domesticated and wild animals we share our planet with.
Why We Need Research in the Field of Anthrozoology
Understanding Animals
There are many reasons that motivate the interest in understanding and improving our interactions with all animals.
- improving human health, happiness, and betterment of people’s lives
- improving animal welfare and creating positive relationships with our companion animals
- our planet will benefit when we promote the good that animals add to our natural
The research in human animal interaction only began in the 1980s. The majority of these studies have examined pet, companion animal, and agricultural research. Scientists are looking at the effects of animal intervention, and how pets benefit people’s health and quality of life. Agricultural research has been looking at the welfare of livestock and farm animals.
As more studies are conducted, it is expanding to gaining information about zoo, laboratory, and wild animals.
Most of the research done is not unified, but as more and more studies are conducted, scientists are learning more and more about the negative, positive, and neutral effects the human animal interaction has for man and animals.
Research and Animals
The study of anthrozoology is particularly interesting to many worldwide agencies, to scientists, and to pet food companies. The Australian Anthrozoology Research Foundation conducts research to help increase our understanding of the benefits humans get from their relationship with animals.
Major pet food companies also fund research into the study of man and animal interaction. Much of this research is done to show how pets are beneficial to people, physically, psychologically, and sociologically.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) does research that offers support, insight, and programs that will benefit people and their pets.
ISAZ is the International Society for Anthrozoology. It began in 1991 to study human animal interaction using scientific and scholarly research to offer new discoveries and knowledgeable ideas for its members, students, scholars and professionals across many fields of study.
There are many organizations who are analyzing and studying the consequences and effects of human animal interactions that involve anthropology, animal behavior, medicine, psychology, zoology, conservation and veterinary medicine. By looking at all the different aspects of animal human relationships from how they are treated, their place in society, in literature, in religion, in culture, in science, and socially.
The Benefits of the Human Animal Bond
There are many ways that people perceive, interact, learn, compete, and co exist with other species. As anthrozoologists study this intricate and complex relationship we have with animals, they look to understand how people individually and collectively can benefit from the way animals affect their emotions in negative and positive ways.
The complicated relationship we have with animals is one that is full of contradictions. We love animals dearly, and spend billions on the care and feeding our pets with the best foods, grooming, treats and toys. We spend on veterinary care, looking to give our pets the same medical care we have available. Yet we euthanize roaming and abandoned pets. Billions of dollars are spent on conservation, yet even more is spent on hunting and our dietary needs. Animals are used in research, people rally for animal rights, and to reduce cruelty to animals, yet we keep animals in captivity for entertainment and profit. Scientists who specialize in anthrozoology are particularly interested in how people negotiate these political, ethical, and real world dilemmas.
The NIH - National Institutes of Health commissioned a study in 2008, costing $2.5 million to research how animals impact the health and well being of human beings. Most of the research focused on how pets affect children and what roles pet therapy can play in the betterment of children with autism for example.
Different Animals Different Interactions
There are many aspects that animals impact the lives of human beings.
We co exist on many levels with animals:
- domestic
- wild
- as pet owners
- service and companion animals
- farming
- food chain
- hunting
- sport
- entertainment
- industry
- conservation
- zoos
- circus
- agencies
- animal cruelty
- animal rights
- animal research
- history
- evolution
- research
- science
- past present future
- attitudes towards animals
- animal welfare
- animal human bonds
- animals and veterinary medicine
- psychology
- philosophy
- sociology
- science
- religion
- mythology
- culture
- society
- environment
- changing perceptions
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