The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is advancing awareness and understanding of the interrelationships among people, other animals and the environment. Keep up with the latest news about IHAC and our work related to human-animal-environment interactions.
What's New at IHAC
IHAC's 2024 Year in Review
2024 was another big year at IHAC. We continue to be a leading education and research organization focused on how human-animal-environment interactions affect individual and community health from our social work framework. We’re presenting a few highlights from this year as we look toward 2025. We invite you to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedInso you can keep track of the many opportunities to connect with our team. I also invite you to support us through a tax-deductible donation to our education scholarships or research program. All of us at IHAC wish you a great 2025!
The Pets for Life as One Health study was the first to explore how access to pet supportive care affects community-wide health within the One Health framework. While the COVID-19 pandemic complicated data collection and analysis across this four-year research study, pre-pandemic findings support the ability of access to care programming, focused on the human-animal bond component of the One Health Triad, to positively affect perceptions of overall community health in an urban setting.
While the second half of the study was heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the finding of increased perceptions of environmental health further validated the study instrumentation’s ability to accurately assess community perceptions. The findings identify potential intervention points for mitigating future pandemic effects on people and their pets in under-resourced areas.
Upcoming speaker event featuring Lauren Loney and Councilmember Chris Hinds!
Lauren Loney, JD and IHAC Researcher, will be speaking on "Insights on the Consequences of America's Affordable Housing Crisis on People, Pets, and Animal Shelters" in January, featuring insights from Councilmember Chris Hinds on his District 10 2025 Pilot Pet Deposit Assistance Program.
Lauren will share a brief history of how we arrived at today's housing crisis, the local, state, and federal policy changes supported by our research, and provide the audience with an exciting peek at upcoming research in collaboration with the City of Denver to implement and assess a pilot pet deposit assistance program. Join us in-person or virtually to learn about trends in pet relinquishment due to housing issues, policy solutions, and programmatic tools that may be most useful to mitigate the flow of beloved pets into animal shelters!
Have you been wondering what it would mean to incorporate an animal into your work? Check out our Animals and Human Health certificate program! Throughout three online courses and a final capstone session, you will build up your expertise and skills around human-animal interactions and develop your own plan for how to implement your vision.
Our curriculum is always evolving to keep up with the latest research and best practice recommendations and our instructors are passionate, knowledgable, and supportive of your individual education journey. In our program, you will have the opportunity to tailor your learning to your specific species, setting, and population interests. Upon completion, you will earn 35 CEUs on a University of Denver transcript.
Orientation to Human-Animal Interactions Course now 25% off!
From now until January 31, 2025, you can save $75 on this completely online, internationally accessible, and self-paced course. To activate your discount, use code ORIENTATION25 at checkout!
This professional development course is the perfect starting point for anyone that is looking to explore the diverse applications and research surrounding human-animal interactions. In the course, you will discover how you could incorporate human-animal interactions into your career, gain practical knowledge about the power of the human-animal bond across lifespans and communities, and deepen your understanding of the human-animal bond.
Early bird pricing available now for the hai2025 conference!
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection will be partnering with Green Chimneys for the hai2025 conference, dates April 25 to April 26, 2025 in Brewster, New York.
Take advantage of early bird pricing ($335) now and until January 15!
There will be phenomenal speakers, poster presentations, opportunity for hands-on learning with animals, and plenty of time for networking and collaboration. Green Chimneys' farm setting is a "living classroom" in Brewster and it is an excellent place to learn best practices and exchange ideas with other professionals in the human-animal-environment interactions field. We'd love to see you there!
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is excited to welcome Betty Jean Curran to the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health (AHH) professional development certificate program. Curran is a Licensed Master Social Worker, educator, and writer with a passion for program design and evaluation.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is pleased to welcome Maureen Huang to the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health certificate program. Huang is the founder of Pawsibility, a private practice in Singapore that specializes in animal-assisted therapy. She often works alongside her canine co-therapists to bring insights that change the way people think, behave and feel.
The Humane Education Practitioner Certificate was developed to help professionals learn about humane education and design a high-quality humane education program and interventions. IHAC is interested in humane education because it is a systems approach to creating a more just, compassionate, and sustainable world for the health and well-being of people, animals, and the natural environment.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is excited to announce Heather Pugh has joined the adjunct faculty team for the Animals and Human Health professional development certificate program. Pugh is the first occupational therapist to join the teaching team, and she brings over 20 years of experience of including animals in her occupational therapy work.
Mara-Daria Cojocaru spent her first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom thinking of new ways to combine her academic and creative work to be of relevance outside of her usual circles. She refers to her new work as animal-assisted philosophy. Cojocaru sought out the Animals and Human Health (AHH) professional development certificate to learn more about our complex relationships with animals and how animal-assisted interventions can be successful.
The human-animal-environment interactions in social work (HAEI-SW) certificate of specialization, formerly known as animal-assisted social work, prepares MSW students at GSSW to recognize the importance and impact of human-animal-environment interactions (HAEIs) in culturally responsive and ethically advanced professional social work practice settings.
The Institute for Human-Animal Connection is pleased to welcome Jen VonLintel as one of the newest members of our adjunct faculty teaching team for the Animals and Human Health Certificate. Jen VonLintel, MS, is a licensed school counselor in Loveland, Colorado, specializing in animal-assisted interventions (AAI) in school settings. She has a passion for learning about the human-animal bond and building programs that benefit her school community.
Signature Events
Research Seminar Series
Our quarterly seminars feature a wide variety of speakers and topics with an emphasis on social justice issues.
The IHAC and Green Chimneys co-hosted conferences present the latest research, best practices, and future directions of human-animal-environment interactions, and inspires attendees to rethink human relationships with other animals.
