Disasters can cause great physical and financial damage to pet owners in developing countries. These effects lead to severe psychological side effects on individuals and families. With the tendency of families to keep pets in these countries, many challenges have arisen regarding how to manage these pets before, during, and after disasters. Therefore, mitigation, prevention, and preparedness measures for these families should be prioritized in the disaster management cycle to minimize psychological effects such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after losing pets.

Research suggests that people with HIV (PWH), who are at high risk for alcohol and substance use, may rely on relationships with pets for companionship and stress relief. There may be common mechanisms underlying both substance use and attachment to pets. The purpose of this brief research report was to compare alcohol and substance use behaviors between pet owners and non-owners among a cohort of PWH. Participants (n = 735) in a survey study of PWH in Florida were asked about their alcohol and substance use behaviors, whether they owned a pet, and their sociodemographic characteristics. We used bivariate analyses and logistic regression to examine differences in alcohol and substance use behaviors between pet owners and non-owners. Pet owners had higher mean AUDIT scores than non-owners (Mpet = 5, Mnopet = 4, z = -3.07, p = 0.002). Pet owners were more likely than non-owners to use alcohol in a harmful or hazardous way (AUDIT score ≥ 8), above and beyond sociodemographic characteristics (OR = 1.65, p = 0.052). Pet owners were more likely to have ever used most substances than non-owners, and more likely to currently use alcohol (X2(1) = 12.97, p = 0.000), marijuana or hashish (X2(1) = 6.82, p = 0.009), and amyl nitrate/poppers (X2(1) = 11.18, p = 0.001). Pet owners may be more likely to use alcohol and other substances at higher rates than non-owners. Reasons for owning a pet and using substances may be similar, such as coping with stress.

It is important to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on animal caregivers and their companion animals in order to inform responses to future crises. Prior research is inconsistent, with the benefits of animal companionship believed to be overstated. In this scoping review, we searched four electronic databases and hand-searched reference lists of included studies. Over 4000 citations were found, and 122 were included in the review. Reflecting on the pre-COVID literature, quantitative evidence of the association between psychological well-being and animal companionship during the pandemic was mixed, with numerous positive, negative, and null findings reported. Studies highlighted the benefits of animal companionship during the pandemic, with animals reported to provide their caregivers with a routine, a sense of greater purpose, a positive distraction from COVID-19, companionship, and emotional support. However, participants also reported concerns about meeting animals\' needs, fears of animals catching or spreading the virus, and financial worries. Concerns about what would happen to animals if caregivers were hospitalized led some to delay COVID-19 testing or treatment. Animals also experienced benefits (such as increased companionship and calmer mood) and negative impacts (such as increased clinginess and separation anxiety). Companion animals should be a key consideration in emergency preparedness plans.

This research aimed to explore cat and dog owners\' attitudes and opinions towards various pet care practices in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), and determine what factors were associated with them. An online survey composed of both closed and open-ended questions was administered from January to March 2019. A total of 2358 respondents answered the questions on pet care practices. Of these, 37.5 percent (n = 885) were both dog and cat owners, 28.0 percent (n = 652) were cat owners, and 26.0 percent (n = 609) were dog owners, while 9% (n = 212) of respondents did not own a cat or dog at the time of taking the survey. The study revealed that most respondents (>90%) acknowledge the importance of providing adequate housing, regular worming and flea treatments, microchipping, and vaccinations for their pets. Notably, demographic factors such as gender, ethnicity, age range, having children, having a rural upbringing, and place of residence influenced owners\' attitudes, with those towards cat care practices varying more than those for dogs. The study highlights the need for responsible pet ownership interventions considering these demographic factors. The study identifies a knowledge gap among pet owners concerning the importance of regular veterinary visits and the impact of breeding for certain looks on animal welfare. The use of shock collar devices provoked varying opinions on their usage for training and behavior modification. The study suggests that enhancing pet owners\' knowledge is pivotal for responsible pet ownership. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for tailored interventions that account for demographic variations for promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare. The findings underscore the importance of improving access to veterinary health care teams, especially in rural areas, and of providing culturally appropriate education resources for both pet owners and veterinary health care teams.

This study aimed to identify Staphylococcus species isolated from nasal swabs of both healthy and diseased dogs, and those of human origin, obtained from nasal swabs of both owners and veterinary staff. Firstly, pet owners were requested to complete a questionnaire relating to the care and relationship with their pets, whose results mainly showed a statistically significant higher frequency of hand washing in diseased dogs\' owners than in healthy dogs\' owners. Canine nasal swabs were obtained from 43 diseased dogs and 28 healthy dogs, while human nasal swabs were collected from the respective dogs\' owners (71 samples) and veterinary staff (34 samples). The isolation and identification of Staphylococcus spp. were followed by disk diffusion method to define the antimicrobial resistance profiles against 18 different molecules. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius was the most frequent isolated strain in both diseased (33.3%) and healthy (46.1%) dogs. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most frequent isolated bacterium in diseased dogs\' owners (66.6%), while in nasal samples of healthy dogs\' owners, the same frequency of isolation (38.4%) was observed for both Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus. All the isolated strains showed good susceptibility levels to the tested antimicrobials; however, the carriage of oxacillin-resistant strains was significantly higher in diseased dogs than in healthy ones (71% and 7.7%, respectively). Only in three cases the presence of the same bacterial species with similar antimicrobial resistance profiles in dogs and their owners was detected, suggesting the potential bacterial transmission. In conclusion, this study suggests potential transmission risk of staphylococci from dogs to humans or vice versa, and highlights that the clinical relevance of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius transmission from dog to human should not be underestimated, as well as the role of Staphylococcus aureus from human to dog transmission.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of pet owners, veterinary technicians, house officers (interns and residents), and attending clinicians at estimating dog weights in a veterinary emergency room.
METHODS: 272 dogs weighing over 2 kg presenting to the emergency room between June 1 and July 29, 2022.
METHODS: Pet owners, veterinary technicians, house officers, and attending clinicians recorded the dogs\' weight estimations on individual data collection cards. Pet owners were also asked to estimate their dogs\' weight during the triage period. The dogs\' actual weights were then obtained and recorded.
RESULTS: Pet owners were more accurate than veterinary professionals at providing weight estimates for dogs. Weight estimates were accurate to within 10% of the dogs\' actual weights for 67.9% (181/267) of pet owners. Forty-one percent (112/270) of attending clinicians, 35.3% (95/269) of house officers, and 35.4% (96/271) of veterinary technicians\' weight estimates were within 10% of the dog\'s actual weight. There was no difference noted in the length of veterinary experience and ability to closely estimate the patient\'s weight. Overall, veterinary professionals were more likely to closely estimate the weight of large dogs compared to small dogs.
CONCLUSIONS: The pet owner is most likely to provide an accurate weight for dogs and questions about the dog\'s weight should be directed to the client for situations in which a weight cannot be rapidly obtained.

Many species of canine gastrointestinal (GI) parasites are known to be zoonotic meaning that dog owners\' management and practices are key to preventing exposure of humans and dogs as well as contamination of the environment. As Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, we administered an online questionnaire to dog owners across the nation to assess their perceptions, practices, and behaviours towards canine GI parasites. Descriptive analysis was performed to summarise perceptions and management practices. Factors associated with the suitability of parasiticide treatments applied were investigated using uni- and multivariable ordinal regression. Just over a half of dog owners considered parasites as very or extremely important for their dog\'s health (59%) and less than a half as very or extremely important for human health (46%). Although the majority of dog owners stated that they deworm their dogs (90%), only the 28% followed best practice guidelines, i.e. administered a monthly prophylactic treatment all-year round. A large proportion of respondent dog owners administered prophylactic treatment at an inappropriate frequency (48%) or did not treat for canine GI parasites at all (24%). Attending vet visits at least once a year or once every six months and having a very comfortable or prosperous financial position were significantly associated with following best deworming prophylaxis guidelines. This study demonstrates that a proportion of dog owners in Australia is not complying with best practice regarding the control of canine GI parasites and is potentially exposing themselves and their dogs to the risk of infections. Veterinarians are called to implement dog owner\'s education, raise their awareness on the threats canine parasitic diseases pose to both dogs and humans and finally, encourage them to follow a monthly prophylactic treatment for canine GI parasites all year round.

An ad hoc questionnaire was designed in order to investigate AMR knowledge amongst Italian dog owners, owner expectations concerning pharmacological treatment of canine AD, and client attitudes towards and compliance with alternative strategies to antimicrobial administration. A total of 250 questionnaires were returned. Most of respondents were female, aged 36-70 and workers. More than a half of participants owned one dog with mixed breed, with Labrador retriever, golden retriever, dachshund, and border collie being the most represented breeds. On average, each dog was treated with an oral antibiotic 1.044 times per year. Intestinal diseases were among the main reasons (19%) for antibiotic prescription. Oral antibiotic courses without veterinary consultation (21%) and anticipated termination of the therapy (17.1%) were less common than reported elsewhere. The majority of respondents knew the meaning of AMR with a significant inverse association between the level of education and the tendency to administer antimicrobials without consulting a clinician (p = 0.004). Most of the owners expected a rapid recovery of clinical signs after a first episode of AD and accepted natural dietary supplementation for treating the condition. Ninety-five percent of the respondents believed that public funding should be spent to study AMR. Even though an acceptable degree of AMR awareness emerged, we feel that further efforts should be made to increase public AMR knowledge and to stimulate proactive measures to fight the phenomenon. On the other hand, the development of guidelines for the treatment of uncomplicated canine AD would help clinicians to rationalize antimicrobial use.

This study used an online survey distributed between January and March 2019 to adults residing in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) to investigate cat and dog owner practices. Of the 2385 respondents, 885 (37%) owned both cat/s and dog/s, while 652 (28%) and 609 (26%) owned cat/s only or dog/s only, respectively. Nine percent of respondents (n = 212) did not own a cat or dog when the survey was administered. Gaps were identified in the practices of NZ pet owners with regard to regular grooming, immunizations, and deworming treatments. It was also found that many pets, especially cats, were allowed to wander freely both inside and outside the house. Collectively, these gaps in practice raise parasitology and infection concerns which may impact negatively on animal welfare and may increase the prevalence of zoonotic diseases. This study also revealed the need to improve desexing practices, particularly in dogs. Respondents in the survey expressed the wish to have pets regardless of the financial strain they may impose, indicating that future research should focus on reducing the financial burden of pet ownership along with promoting positive pet ownership practices. Our findings suggest the need for better education resources about pet ownership which are easily accessible and target diverse populations. The findings of this study will aid in developing appropriate educational resources to promote animal welfare and increase pet-related knowledge among the NZ populace.

The Revised Environmental Identity (EID) Scale is a tool proposed by Clayton in 2021 to replace her 2003\'s EID Scale and aims to measure individual differences in a stable sense of interdependence and connectedness with nature. Since an Italian version of this scale was still missing, the present study presents an adaptation of the Revised EID Scale in Italian. The scale has been translated, back-translated, and administered online to 163 pet owners living in Italy in the context of a study about pet attachment. A parallel analysis suggested the existence of two factors. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified the same number of factors: \"Connectedness to nature\" (nine items) and \"Protection of nature\" (five items); the two subscales were found to be consistent. This structure explains more variance compared with the traditional one-factor solution. Sociodemographic variables do not seem to affect the scores of the two EID factors. This adaptation and preliminary validation of the EID scale have relevant implications for studies in the Italian context as well as on specific population groups such as pet owners, and more generally, for international studies on EID.