Posted: May 20, 2009, 3 a.m. EDT
The target audience for the conferences includes vets, therapists and people who work in animal-assisted therapy. |
“Human-Animal Interaction: Impacting Multiple Species” is scheduled for Oct. 20-25 at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine’s Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction (ReCHAI).
The event consists of two sequential conferences: the International Society for Anthrozoology’s 18th annual Conference (Oct. 20-23) and ReCHAI’s Human-Animal Interaction Conference (Oct. 22-25).
The target audience includes veterinarians, people who work in animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activity, physical and occupational therapists, investigators and practitioners working in the human-animal interaction (HAI) field, nurses, physicians, social workers, students of professional disciplines and members of the public who are interested in HAI.
HAI is a growing field of research showing how the human-animal bond impacts health in people and animals, according to the center.
The goal of the conferences is to serve as a conduit between those working in HAI research and those working in HAI practice. Conference themes will include challenges for enhancing HAI, bio-psycho-social-spiritual wellness across species, animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activity, HAI impacting professional practice and HAI crisis planning (i.e. animal emergency and the Pet Evacuation Act), among others.
A special symposium will focus on how HAI may help fight obesity.
Sponsors include Mars Inc. of McLean, Va.; the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition in the United Kingdom; Nestle Purina of St. Louis, Mo.; The Roetheli Lil’ Red Foundation of Kansas City, Mo.; Pets Best Insurance of Boise, Idaho; Hill’s Pet Nutrition of Topeka, Kan.; and The Pet Care Trust of Washington D.C.
Continuing education credit is available through the University of Missouri.