In July 2014, following the persistent advocacy of Dame Sally Davies, England's Chief Medical Officer, Prime Minister David Cameron tasked an expert group with producing a report on the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Lord Jim O'Neill, an economist, was appointed as the chair of this...
In the early 1970s, numerous reports in publications such as Science and the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and in popular media highlighted the problem of free-roaming dogs in nearly every American community. Veterinarian Dr. Max Feldman noted in the Science editorial that some roaming...
Dr. Boris Levinson (1907-1984), a psychologist, reportedly coined the term "pet therapy" in 1964. However, Levinson's initiative was criticized by his colleagues. Thirteen years later, the Delta Society, founded by a group of veterinarians and a psychiatrist in 1977 (now doing business as Pet Partners),...
Around 1990, the Delta Society (now Pet Partners – an organization supporting animal-assisted activities and therapy) held its annual meeting in New Jersey. During one of the lunchtime sessions, five Jingles Awards were issued to five human-animal teams representing different areas of human-animal cooperation. The...
In 1991, DC veterinarian Earl Strimple published an article in the Journal of the Veterinary Medical Association (Volume 199(2):206-208) describing the impact of Maggie, a small Yorkshire Terrier, on Joe, the sexton at Dr. Strimple's church, Maggie was the companion of the minister at the...
Animal agriculture underwent significant changes before and after World War II, evolving into a more intensive operation. During this transition, farming animals, primarily chickens and pigs, shifted away from pasture-based systems. Instead, these animals were confined within buildings for their entire lives. With animals housed at...
In 2007, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) produced a report on Toxicology Testing in the 21st Century at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal was to review scientific advancements and outline the future of toxicology testing for chemicals in the...
Cat management in the United States often sparks intense debates among animal protection advocates. One notable example occurred at a conference on outdoor cat management held in a hotel near Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., toward the end of the 20th century. The discussions among...
As a boy, I was fascinated by tales of the Giant squid, *Architeuthus dux*, that inhabit the ocean's depths. These creatures are challenging to find and observe, and much of what we know about them comes from studies of squid cadavers, body parts recovered from...
A year ago, in May 2024, Tales of WellBeing included an article about dog longevity, which concerns many of us who live with canine companions. The article celebrated the 15th birthday of Pukka, a Labrador residing with his owner, Ted Kerasote, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming....
