One Health Impacts of Animal Welfare Policies
The aim is to measure the One Health impacts of animal welfare practices and policies.
Animal welfare policies can have broad implications across One Health. IHAC has convened a multi-disciplinary team to conduct studies on the impacts of existing and potential animal welfare policies and legislation. These have included the establishment of a new animal sheltering concept in downtown Oklahoma City, OK, the "No Kill" legislation in Austin, TX, the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center in Santa Paula, CA, and the breed-specific legislation, or pit bull ban, in Denver, CO. These studies are aimed at informing decisions around animal welfare policymaking at the municipal, state and national levels.
Oklahoma City, OK Compassion Center
In this study, the social, economic, and public health impacts of building and operating an innovative animal sheltering concept called the Compassion Center in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma were assessed.
Austin, TX No Kill Legislation
This report investigates and measures the social, economic, and public health impacts of the City of Austin Resolution 20091105-040, commonly referred to as the “No Kill” resolution, utilizing standard impact assessment methodology. Overall, this study concludes that a high Live Release Rate is achievable on a community-wide level. However, Resolution 20091105-040 has resulted in a considerably higher than average cost per animal served by Austin Animal Center when compared to previous City of Austin expenditures.
Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center
Since its inception, the Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center (SPARC) has played a significant role in the City of Santa Paula, California. In this study, the SPARC's contributions to the Santa Paula economy is explored.
Denver, CO Breed-Specific Legislation
This study found that since being implemented in 1989, Denver's Breed-Specific Legislation (also known as the "pit bull ban") resulted in increased costs associated with the city's animal control enforcement, increased lengths of stay for pit bull type dogs in Denver animal shelters, and over-policing in communities of color, with only a small percentage of Denver residents stating that the BSL contributes to their sense of safety.
Empowering the Parent to Empower the Child (EPEC)'s Thr Grooming Project
The Grooming Project (Kansas City, MO, USA) aims to equip program participants with both the in-demand technical skills of dog grooming and the practical, social and emotional skills that will build resilience, reduce stress, and create foundational skills for participants to better respond to their family’s needs. Gaining full-time employment that pays a living wage allows participants to focus on sustainably improving their family’s functioning, thereby creating the opportunity to break the cycle of multi-generational poverty. This report is intended to provide an initial description of the impacts of The Grooming Project’s programming on the individuals who participate by documenting a common narrative for their journey before, during, and after the program.