american humane building humane communities with new institute for animals

www.americanhumane.org

A Legacy of Caring

• Spearheaded the passage of landmark legislation to defend the most vulnerable.

• Instituted local, state, and nationwide initiatives to provide direct services that promote well-being and prevent cruelty, abuse, and neglect.

• At the vanguard of a movement spanning politics, ideology, and generations that has given a voice to the voiceless.

Since 1877, whenever children and animals have needed protecting, American Humane Association has been there.


Who We Are

• Historic, national not-for-profit dedicated to the protection of society’s most vulnerable: children, pets, working animals, farm animals.

• At the forefront of nearly every major advance in protecting children and animals from cruelty, abuse and neglect.

• Also leading the way in understanding human-animal interaction and its role in society.

• National headquarters in Washington, D.C., program operations in Denver, and Film & TV Unit in Los Angeles.

Our mission: To create a more humane and compassionate world by ending abuse and neglect of children and animals.


• Leading-edge programs that protect children from abuse and neglect and provide better outcomes for at-risk children and families in the child protective services system.

• Help communities prevent abuse, support families, re-engage fathers in the lives of families, and more.

• Conduct innovative research that explores and develops science-based solutions to problems affecting the well-being of children and animals.

• Red Star™ Animal Emergency Services — Our national first-responder team that saves animal victims of hurricanes, floods, wildfires, mass cruelty, and other emergencies.

What We Do


• Red Star Animal-Assisted Therapy — Draws upon the remarkable power of the human-animal bond to help children and adults heal, learn, and find comfort.

• ―American Humane Certified‖™ farm animal welfare certification program — The nation’s first, largest, and fastest-growing independent program for the humane treatment of farm animals.

• ―No Animals Were Harmed‖® certification program — Oversees the humane treatment and safety of tens of thousands of animals in more than 2,000 film and TV productions each year.

What We Do (continued)


National Leadership, Local Impact


How We Do It

• We combine research, advocacy, and outreach in the interests of protecting our most vulnerable.

• We work through a vast network of organizations, governments, corporations, academic institutions, and professionals.

• Our work is built on a foundation of solid science-based principles with guidance from our Scientific Advisory Boards.

• Our programs bring about public policy change and advance scientific knowledge, education, and improved practices that benefit millions of children and animals in life-changing and quality-of-life enhancing ways.


Animal Welfare Research Institute

Innovative collaborative, and strategic science and training programs to advance the health and well-being of companion animals.

Takes an animals-first, citizen scientist approach to its research, engaging pet owners, veterinarians and veterinary students as never before in groundbreaking research.

Three main goals:

• Conduct solutions-oriented animal welfare and health research

• Train veterinarians in animal welfare

• Develop a participatory platform to unleash the scientific potential of millions of ―citizen scientist‖ pet owners


The Problem

• Current research is often focused on treating disease rather than animal welfare and prevention (e.g., best housing methods for farm animals and shelter animals, risk factors for companion animal relinquishment, human attitudes toward cats)

• Of the research being conducted, the results are not reaching those who care for animals

• Research using animals in laboratories may control for variables, but is it those variables that often contribute to health and disease

• Animals living in our homes and our environments may hold the clues to human wellness


The Solution

• Create a new research institute that funds welfare and prevention research

• Train veterinary students and fellows through excellent research and training programs

• Empower owners to participate in research as ―Citizen Scientists‖

• Encourage scientists from multiple disciplines to work together for strategic collaboration


P4 Model for the Future: Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Predictive – Better diagnostics

Preventive – Control risk factors

Personal – Understand that each animal differs genetically and may require different drugs, diets, diagnostic tests

Participatory – Engage the public to help solve health and welfare issues


Examples of Research

• Food access, Safety and Quality: food deserts, food recalls, vulnerable populations with pets (e.g., elderly), obesity

• Diseases in Dogs, Cats, Horses, & Wildlife: genetic, dietary and environmental risk factors might translate to risk factors in humans

• Human-Animal Interaction: understanding the human-animal bond, developing humane communities, addressing risk factors for animal relinquishment, determining the effect of pet relinquishment on children

• Environmental Toxins: endocrine disrupters (e.g., early puberty in animals and in girls)


America’s Most Popular Pet – Cats Need Our Help

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1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008

Dogs(total)

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Cats (total)

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Cats vs. Dogs: MSPCA Intake Data


Cancer in Animals

#1 cause of death in dogs over age two (MAF)

• 75 million (25%) pet dogs in the U.S. will die from cancer

#2 cause of death in humans (CDC)

• Heart disease (616,067)

• Cancer (562,875)

• Stroke / cerebrovascular diseases (135,952)

• Chronic lower respiratory diseases (127,924)


Cancer in Animals (continued)

Risk of specific cancer types are associated with different breeds of dogs (e.g., 60% of Golden Retrievers will die of cancer)

Risk of specific cancer types are associated with different geographic locations (e.g., U.S. versus Europe)

Genetic, environmental and dietary risk factors need to be studied:

• Dogs neutered before puberty do not get mammary cancer, but may be at risk for other cancers

• Scottish Terriers, a breed with high incidence of bladder cancer, have a 68% reduced risk for this cancer type when fed certain vegetables three times per week (similar results later reported for human bladder cancer)


Student Scientist Program

• Veterinary Student Scientist Program

– Summer research programs for students

– Excellent colleges and mentors

– Students from other disciplines can be added to the team (business, psychology, social work, computer science, etc.)

• Veterinary Fellow Program

– American College of Animal Welfare, newly forming specialty college

– Veterinarians eager to earn specialty status


Human-Animal Bond

• Why are 3-4 million healthy dogs and cats euthanized each year in U.S. animal shelters?

• Why are horses abandoned – even in our state and national parks – to fend for themselves?

• Why are there 50 million feral cats living in our urban and rural communities?

• How can we create humane communities that support both animals and children so that they can remain in safe and loving homes?


For 134 years, American Humane Association has been making a positive difference in the lives of children, animals, and families.

With you as our partner, collaborator, or sponsor, we can make even greater strides in protecting children and animals from abuse and neglect, and in building humane communities — which are better, healthier, and safer communities.

Join With Us in Building Humane Communities

For More Information

Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D.

President and CEO

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 202-677-4226

Patricia Olson, DVM, Ph.D., DACT

Chief Veterinary Advisor

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 970-222-0881

Contact:

american humane building humane communities with new institute for animals

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