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!
Lisa Daigle is the founder of Savannah's Place, a sanctuary providing mindfulness, advocacy, and wellness for equines and a 2015 graduate of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection's (IHAC) Animals and Human Health (AHH) Certificate program. She's recently enrolled in another IHAC certificate program to benefit her local community and the animals at the sanctuary.
Adam Clark is a Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) graduate from the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work where he received his Animal-Assisted Social Work (AASW) Certification through the Institute for Human-Animal Connection and specialized in Family Systems work. After graduating Adam focused his career on grief and loss, with a specialization in understanding pet loss and its effect on human-animal relationships.
At the Institute for Human–Animal Connection, American Humane Endowed Chair Kevin Morris is working to improve animal and human welfare through more rigorous research.
Jennifer Dietrich uses the comprehensive knowledge and experiences she gained in the Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Certificate in her work as a school counselor and in private practice.
After completing the Animals and Human Health and Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist certificate programs, Lauren Kruger now works for New Ground, a New York nonprofit organization that provides intensive social work services to veterans experiencing homelessness.
The Animals and Human Health certificate enhanced Lynn Belkin's understanding of all aspects of animal well-being. She feels more aware of dog stress signals, and is able to evaluate these signs effectively and respond accordingly.
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.
