The Human Animal Bond

Submitted by Meghan Lawlor, University of Missouri

“The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors  essential to the health and wellbeing of both. This includes, among other things, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.” (AVMA)

No textbook definition, such as the one above, truly encapsulates the vastness and significance of such a phenomenon. Even following the semester-long psychology course I took as an undergraduate from a renowned human-animal behavior researcher, I didn’t walk away with a true understanding until years later.

The COVID-19 pandemic, soon after, brought an incredible amount of isolation, loss, suffering, and so much more to our world; however, it also brought the ultimate power of animal companions to light, as many would no longer be able to see loved ones for years on-end.

There comes the power of the human-animal bond. 

Through volunteer service at a local assisted living facility, I have come to recognize just how critical the residents’ pets have been to preserve both their physical and mental health. In a world of ever-changing circumstances, their pets have served as their one constant, providing joy and unconditional love when they needed it most. Residents often explain just how their pets seem to know exactly when they feel ill, upset, angry, or lonely – “I just wish my sweet cat could talk back to me when I chat with her every morning,” a resident once exclaimed. “He is just such great company for me,” many admit with every visit. Their pets have stuck closely by their side through illness, injury, recovery, and grief by loving their owners unconditionally and expecting nothing in return — I believe this is what makes the human-animal bond so strong. Many residents value their animals just as much, if not more, than their own family members, serving as the ultimate example of just how unbreakable the human-animal bond can grow to be even with ever-changing circumstances and time.

Op-Ed

Submitted by Elianna Brookhouse, The Ohio State University

The Rhino Horn Trade Ban isn’t What you Think it is

This summer, I had the privilege to travel to South Africa with other international veterinary students. We traveled across South Africa and worked with the big five alongside multiple veterinarians. The most shocking piece of information I learned was about the rhino horn trade, and how it is not beneficial to conservation efforts. In speaking with multiple doctors about this issue, I found that they all carry similar opinions about this topic. Admittedly, there is no one size fits all solution to the threat of rhino extinction. However, this ban is not working. If you aren’t already familiar with rhino horn poaching, let me tell you a little about it. There is an incredibly high horn demand for medicinal use, jewelry, and status gifts. Since the trade of this product is illegal, this demand is met through poaching rhino horn. This is done by slicing off the most horn possible, typically resulting in removal of a portion of the rhino's nasal bone. The poacher then leaves the rhino to die, and sells their horn for profit. As future veterinarians this makes us heartbroken enough, so I hate to be the one to tell you that rhinos are not the only ones losing their lives in this fight. Sometimes, poachers are able to locate park rangers that are devoted to protecting these animals. Poachers may show up at the rangers' homes and threaten them, “tell me where your rhino is or I will come back and kill your family”. And unfortunately, it is not an empty promise. Before the implementation of this ban, there were over 100,000 black rhinos, today we are down to about 6,000. Another sad reality of this massacre is that when a poacher kills a cow, half of the time they are taking 2 lives. If the cow isn’t pregnant, then there is a small calf nearby that was once reliant on her for survival. Dr. Peter Rogers, the owner of ProVet Wildlife services said, “The worst thing you could do to me is give me a rhino and tell me to take care of it”. As you can imagine, it is not cheap to keep these animals alive, and it's even more costly to protect them. As a result of this, private rhino owners are ceasing to own them, and this has decreased the land available for rhinos by 430,000 hectares (106,2553 acres). Now, think of a legal trade. The horns of rhinos are already being trimmed back in an effort to prevent poaching, and a stockpile of horns is being collected without use. This product should be sold for profit instead of tucked away and never properly utilized. One adult rhino will produce approximately five to eight horn sets in their lifetime. This is a sustainable resource, that if harvested correctly, will pose no threat to the survival and livelihood of these animals. Not only would rhino custodians and owners benefit from the proceeds, but so would the South African economy. The profits of this trade would now be fed back into conservation efforts, allowing investment in breeding programs for repopulation and continued protection of the rhinos. This would also contribute tax to the South African Revenue service, create employment opportunities and promote growth of the country's economy. To put all of this simply; we need to make these animals worth more alive than dead, and right now, it's the opposite. When asked if opening the trade has the potential to further drive demand, and make the issue worse, Dr. Peter Rogers considered it and responded, “There is a possibility things could get worse if we change it, but there is a guarantee that things will get worse if we don't change it. And if it does worsen, then we could close it again. But what we are doing now isn’t working.”. As veterinarians, we will take an oath and commit to use our knowledge and skill in an effort to benefit society, protect animal health/welfare, and conserve animal resources. That starts with our knowledge of issues like this. Something here has to change, before it's too late, and we lose this species for good.

Op-Ed: Nail Trims

Submitted by Shannon Rudin, University of Minnesota

We've all been there. You get a dog with jet black nails, it won't hold still, your next appointment is waiting, and you accidently cut the quick of the dog's nail. The bleeding starts, you feel a punch of guilt, and you quickly lather the nail bed with Kwik-Stop to prevent more bleeding. By doing so, a fearful association with touching feet, visiting the veterinarian and pain has been formed. I'm not here to say that people are intentionally hurting animals or make anyone feel shame for previously nicking one too many nails. I'm saying that we need to make a change moving forward. For our sake, for our patient's sake, and for our client's sake. I think that some people feel the need to get nails as short as possible in order to make the nail trim worth the client's money and allow them to hold off longer from coming in for another appointment. I think that some people are trained to cut them swiftly and have the Kwik-Stop on hand knowing you'll probably knick a few but that it's no big deal. The problem is that this is a big deal. Puppies and kittens aren't born afraid of their nails being trimmed. The fear is built from years of painful memories associated with nail trimmers and a lack of positive associations with their feet being touched. The fear is what leads to clients complaining that they can't even touch their pet's feet. The fear is what leads to stress and physical harm of veterinary staff when attempting to fulfill a client's request. The fear is what leads to overall friendly dogs that need a muzzle and restraint to get a nail trim completed. I know that the nail trimming process may never be perfect. Owners may goof up at home and unintentionally create a fear-based relationship with nail trimming. Groomers may be involved in a dog or cat's life and they too, are humans that make human-like errors and may clip a nail or two too short. Anyone trimming an animal's nails is subject to making a mistake and I know that human error is inevitable. I do have a problem with not at least attempting to change the process. The veterinary profession is moving toward fear-free spaces for all patients and cautious nail trimming is intimately intertwined with this movement. I propose that we emphasize making the nail trimming process a smoother event for everyone involved. It's better to trim the nails to a medium length in a trauma-free process than to try to send home a nail free, yellow-toed, panicked patient. Save yourself and your team the burden of working with aggressive and non-compliant patients by starting the slow, gentle approach early on in their lives. Work with owners to find an appropriate plan for adult patients with pre-established nail related stress, anxiety, or aggression. Nail trimming isn't going anywhere, but like every other process or procedure in our career field, it should continuously evolve to more appropriately serve it's purpose.