APA HAI

Join us to hear conservation psychologist and campaigner Stephanie Klarmann talk about South Africa’s controversial captive lion industry. She discusses the hidden realities of canned hunting, the commercial exploitation of big cats, and the movement to end this unethical trade.

Additional information:

Blood Lions website: https://bloodlions.org/

More info on industry myths: https://bloodlions.org/about-the-brutal-industry/debunking-industry-myths/

Wild Choices: https://www.wildchoices.org/

Stephanie's latest research paper on the impact of captive farming on wild populations: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/15/2316

Join us as Dr. Philip Tedeschi explores the growing global movement to recognize animals as feeling, thinking individuals. From science and ethics to policy and personal choices, we unpack why animal sentience matters—and how it challenges us to build more compassionate relationships with all species.

Animal attorney and ordained animal chaplain Rev Ginny Mikita, JD discusses her dual mission to change both laws and hearts—illuminating how empathy, faith, and persistence can move the moral arc toward justice for all beings.

Listen to Katie Kuehl and Natalie Rejto talk about the work of the One Health Clinic in Seattle, Washington—a collaborative initiative with the University of Washington’s Center for One Health Research. This innovative clinic recognizes that the bond between people and their pets is inseparable, especially for individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. At the clinic, humans and animals receive care as an integrated family unit. The clinic’s interdisciplinary team provides medical, behavioral, and nutritional support while addressing overlapping challenges such as zoonotic disease and shared environmental risks.

What happens when therapy leaves the clinic and steps into the barnyard? Clarissa Palmer examines how farm animals are being integrated into therapeutic settings, and the responsibilities that come with it. We explore welfare standards, informed consent, and the policies that can safeguard both animals and people in this emerging field.

Listen to Dr Vanessa Ashall, a Technical Leader for the Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) research programme at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, talk about her latest publication. Dr. Ashall leads the Pets and Wellbeing Study (PAWS) Programme, a large portfolio of research exploring the relationship between pet ownership and mental health and wellbeing. Vanessa has led multiple cross disciplinary research projects into the significance of human-animal relationships on health and medicine, she is a European veterinary specialist in animal welfare science, ethics and law.  

Dr. Ashleigh Zaker, LLMSW, is a clinician working in communitymental health in central Michigan. She is a recent graduate of Colorado State University’s Applied Social and Health Psychology program, where she led the development of the Human–Equine Attachment Questionnaire (HEAQ), a new measure designed to assess attachment patterns between people and their horses.

Noel Pui-Shan Tang is a speech therapist cum dog trainer current based in Caritas Mother Teresa School. She leads the school project entitled “Life education: dogs are family” in which therapy dogs are used to complement speech therapy service with the aim of enhancing the language performance and emotion competence of students. She is also chairman of the Association of Canine Assisted Speech Therapy in Hong Kong. Noel has been working with the speech therapy research unit of The Education University of Hong Kong since 2016 investigating the complementary use of therapy dog in speech therapy.

Carmen Ooi is a dedicated speech therapist with extensive lecturing and clinical supervision experience in speech sciences and communication university programs. She has a strong interest in integrating innovative approaches such as therapy dogs into speech-language therapy. Committed to advancing communication health through education and practical interventions.

Choon Tian Chang is a registered and licensed counsellor inMalaysia with experience supporting diverse populations. His interests include grief and loss, personal growth, and expressive arts therapy. His experience volunteering in companion animal memorial services has also shaped his passion for studying how owners navigate end-of-life decisions for their companion animals.

Join us for a discussion about equine welfare issues in the horse racing industry and marketing animal protection with Michael Wilson, co-founder of Forza Bloodstock.