Caring for and About Dogs: Animal Welfare Considerations

Johnson, Amy; Bruneau, Laura

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-25618-0_5

Cited by 4 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In suggesting developing dog projects for older prisoners, the welfare and well-being of the dogs must be one of the most significant considerations: indeed, there are justifications for the view that the well-being of the dogs should be the paramount consideration (Johnson and Bruneau, 2019). It is important, not to be naı ¨ve about the risks, partly for the prison participants but particularly for the dogs.…”

Section: Potential Risks and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paws for thought? Developing dog projects for older people in prison

Codd

2023

QAOA

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Purpose This study aims to assess the nature and scope of dog-based programmes in prisons, assessing critically the potential opportunities, benefits, challenges and risks of developing innovative dog-based programmes for older prisoners in England and Wales. This paper outlines the potential benefits and challenges of developing dog-based programmes for older prisoners and sets out next steps for future research and practice. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a scoping review of published research literature on prison dog programmes (PDPs) in the USA, the UK and other countries, with particular reference to older people in prison, followed by semi-structured interviews with six members of an expert advisory group. The literature review and data from the qualitative interviews were analysed thematically. Findings There is a substantial body of published research literature which supports PDPs as having identifiable positive impacts for people and also dogs, and also published research which highlights the benefits to older people of dog ownership or participation in dog-based activities. However, much of this research is small-scale and qualitative, and it has been argued that there is a lack of a quantitative evidence base. This research concludes that findings from the literature review and the semi-structured interviews support further research and the creation of pilot projects to develop dog-based projects for older people in prison. Research limitations/implications This study was small-scale, and the findings need to be approached with caution. The literature review searched a small number of databases and filtered out articles published in languages other than English, and the review of the grey literature focused on reports from the UK. The number of experts interviewed was small and there was no direct consultation with older people in prison nor with older people with recent personal lived experience of imprisonment and community resettlement. A more extensive future study would benefit from a more extensive literature review, a larger group of participants and the inclusion of service users, prison managers and government policymakers, subject to the appropriate ethical and security approvals. At the time the research took place, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on prison research meant that research with current prisoners and prison managers would not have been approved by the HMPPS NRC. Practical implications This research provides a research-based justification for future dog projects for older prisoners, leading potentially to improved well-being for older people in prison. Originality/value This study brings together the published research literature on PDPs with the research literature on the needs and experiences of older people in prison for the first time, and identifies potential directions for future research.

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Section: Potential Risks and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paws for thought? Developing dog projects for older people in prison

Codd

2023

QAOA

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“…Even though there are currently no standardized guidelines on the ethics of the human-animal relationship in AAIs and no formal rules for how animal welfare should be ensured (e.g., Johnson & Bruneau, 2019), DCD takes several steps to ensure the dogs' safety and wellbeing. Before the start of the program, DCD closely collaborates with the correctional facilities to guarantee that there is appropriate training ground available, where enough distance can be kept between dog-participant dyads and there is no interruption by others.…”

Section: Study Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who Lets the Dog In? Differential Effects of a Dog-Training Program for Incarcerated Adults

et al. 2021

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This quasi-experimental study examined the short-term effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD), a short prison-based dogtraining program, on anti-social behavioral and wellbeing outcomes of incarcerated adults (n = 138; men = 133; women = 5). Little is known about the responsivity of subgroupsand the prerequisites of changein dog-training programs (DTPs). Therefore, the role of moderators (age, cultural background, correctional facility type) and predictors (dog bond, implementation process) of DCD was also assessed. Results demonstrated that DCD (n = 70) did not outperform treatment-asusual (TAU; n = 68) in any of the outcomes, although a small negative effect was found for aggression (F (1,135) = 5.552, p = 0.020), which appeared driven by the group of participants who had a weaker bond with the dog. This group had higher aggression levels after the program, compared with TAU (F (1, 98) = 9.443, p = 0.003). The dog bond was not associated with any other outcomes post-intervention. In addition, age moderated program effectiveness on infractions (Wald χ 2(1) = 6.254, p = 0.012), suggesting differential effects for younger (< 36 years) participants. No evidence was found for the other moderators and predictor of implementation quality. In conclusion, DCD did not outperform TAU in anti-social behavioral and wellbeing outcomes. Some evidence for predictors and moderators were found. The present study is only one of the first to examine what matters for whom in a DTP for incarcerated adults. More research, preferably in the form of randomized controlled trials with sufficiently large sample sizes, is needed.

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“…While animal rescue organisations strive for shelter provisions to promote optimal welfare, time and staffing resources can limit their capacity to meet the needs of individual dogs [ 21 ]. Prison-based dog training programmes (DTPs) are an increasingly popular model for supporting rescue organisations, by increasing the capacity to engage rescue dogs in extensive training and socialisation to promote positive outcomes [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For DTPs working with rescue dogs, the primary aim is to improve the dogs’ behaviour and subsequently the chances of being successfully rehomed [ 23 , 25 ]. However, there has been surprisingly limited evaluation of the welfare implications and outcomes for the dogs involved in DTPs [ 24 ] or within AAIs more broadly [ 20 , 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, participation in AAIs is likely to be stimulating for many dogs and should not be overly stressful, given a careful selection of dog-handler dyads and careful monitoring of an individual dog’s responses [ 28 , 33 ]. Although DTPs specifically aim to benefit rescue dogs, there is a lack of evidence regarding their efficacy and potential welfare implications [ 24 ]. Hennessy et al [ 23 ] concluded that rescue dogs benefited from participation in a 3-week DTP, in which dogs lived with their trainers, compared to dogs who remained at the shelter.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Participation in a Prison-Based Training Programme Is Beneficial for Rescue Dogs

Leonardi,

Vick,

Buchanan-Smith

2024

Animals

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Dogs are often relinquished because of behavioural issues which may be exacerbated in rehoming centres. Prison-based dog training programmes (DTPs) may enhance outcomes for rescue dogs by providing socialisation and training opportunities to improve behaviour, welfare and likelihood of rehoming. We assessed whether dogs benefitted from participation, 1–3 times per week, in a prison-based DTP in which male young offenders learn how to train and care for dogs waiting to be rehomed. Within DTP sessions, there was significant improvement on a range of training tasks (n = 42 dogs). Analyses of videos (n = 17 dogs) in the kennels and a training barn pre- and post-DTP participation showed improvement in some positive behaviours, but no significant change in other behaviours. Subjective ratings by staff of the dogs’ behaviour were made (n = 20 dogs). Desirable behaviours (e.g., playful/friendly) increased, and most undesirable behaviours (e.g., frustrated and noisy) decreased. Participation in the DTP did not mitigate all negative behaviours. However, improvements are consistent with enhanced welfare and likelihood of successful rehoming. Prison-based DTPs can be effective in supporting the work of animal rescue organisations to improve outcomes for dogs, while offering people in custody an opportunity to engage in purposeful activity and provide a community service.

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Caring for and About Dogs: Animal Welfare Considerations

Cited by 4 publications

References 45 publications

Paws for thought? Developing dog projects for older people in prison

Paws for thought? Developing dog projects for older people in prison

Who Lets the Dog In? Differential Effects of a Dog-Training Program for Incarcerated Adults

Participation in a Prison-Based Training Programme Is Beneficial for Rescue Dogs

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