Companion Animals

Research relating to cats, dogs, birds, and other companion animals including rescue, sheltering, adoptions, and population.

grey pit bull-type dog sticking tongue out staring off into distance

Goodbye, BSL: The Public Is Changing Its Mind About Pit Bulls

Aug 11 2026 Alyssa Hanes

Pit bulls are hounded by a bad reputation in the U.S., and advocates have fought hard to rehabilitate their image. This study suggests it may be working, with more than 300 discriminatory breed-specific laws repealed since 2012. READ MORE

Goodbye, BSL: The Public Is Changing Its Mind About Pit Bulls

Aug 11 2026 Alyssa Hanes

In the Spotlight

Sep 25 2018 | karol orzechowski

Shelter Dog Breed Identification: A High-Stakes Game

Only 5% of the dogs in shelters are pure bred, and while shelter staff are able to identify one breed in a profile about 66% of the time, their ability to identify more than one breed in a profile is dismal. READ MORE

Sep 3 2018 | Lukas Jasiunas

The Age-Old Struggle Of Getting Belly Rubs: Human-Directed Communication By Dogs

Dogs are adept at using referential gestures when communicating with their human cohabitants, showing a great deal of efficacy and flexibility. READ MORE

Aug 28 2018 | Owen Rogers

Animal Crime Demographics: A Case Study From Chicago

In Chicago, researchers find that cruelty toward animals may be due to the socioeconomic conditions that are generally associated with all types of crime. READ MORE

Aug 17 2018 | karol orzechowski

Do Dog Behavioral Evaluations Work?

A review of dog behavioral evaluations tries to establish their reliability and validity, but also get a sense of behavioral tests' limitations. READ MORE

Aug 15 2018 | Che Green

Animal Tracker 2018: Analysis & Takeaways

In our final analysis for the 2018 Animal Tracker, we offer our takeaways. Though much has stayed the same over the past decade, animal protection remains popular and there seems to be support for stronger animal protection laws. READ MORE

Aug 13 2018 | Faunalytics

Guinea Pig Welfare During Animal-Assisted Therapy

The "possibility of retreat" is vital in reducing stress for guinea pigs, and should be provided during animal-assisted therapy when guinea pigs are involved. READ MORE

Aug 3 2018 | Mona Zahir

Breed-Specific Legislation And Bite Injury Severity

Important research shows no significant difference in dog bite type or severity between legislated and non-legislated dogs. READ MORE

Jul 31 2018 | karol orzechowski

Feeding Your Old Companion Dog Well

Aged dogs are a common population seen by clinicians, and both the proportion of older dogs and the age seem to be increasing. Feeding them the right diet is crucial to their thriving in older age. READ MORE

Jul 25 2018 | Linda Tyler

Animal Tracker 2018: Adequacy Of Laws

Legislative change is an important part of improving animal welfare. By taking advantage of positive changes in public opinion the right proposal at the right political moment can have far-reaching consequences for animals. READ MORE

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