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This Resilient Animal Podcast episode features an Animal Bond Academy conversation with Marika Bell, host of The Deal With Animals Podcast. Vote for Marika in the Women Podcasters Awards (Pets and Animals) through April 30 and find links in the show notes.

Marika explains anthrozoology as the multidisciplinary study of human–animal interactions, spanning pets, animal-assisted work, advocacy industries, tourism, animal emotions, and ethical questions about why humans value some species over others. She discusses overlooked animals such as wasps and moles and their ecological roles. Marika describes her podcast’s mission to make research and practitioner perspectives accessible beyond academic journals, outlines themed series (health and wellness, conservation, equity and social justice, wildlife encounters), and previews a new series on children and other animals.

VOTE FOR MARIKA - https://www.womenpodcasters.com/marika-bell

Link to Animal Bond Academy Interview - https://youtu.be/3K95kPolCuc

https://www.thedealwithanimals.com

00:00 Show Intro and Host

00:27 Guest Return and Award Vote

01:49 What Is Anthrozoology

02:20 Research Areas and Ethics

05:40 Valuing Maligned Animals

07:18 Wasps and Moles Reframed

09:49 Why She Started the Podcast

13:11 Series Themes and Highlights

16:18 Where to Listen and Contact

17:07 New Series Children and Animals

19:03 Cows Food Choices and Awareness

19:52 Podcast Philosophy and Wrap Up

21:24 Final Links and Outro

https://www.instagram.com/resilientanimal/

https://www.facebook.com/TheResilientAnimal

https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-human-animal-bond-studies/

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Host Dr. Annie Petersen weaves her childhood bond with her dog Tammy and observations of people softening around animals at a zoo with a historical overview of animal-assisted interventions. She traces evidence from the ninth century and ancient Greek horse-based healing through 1600s physicians and medieval Belgium programs rehabilitating people and pets together, then highlights the York Retreat’s 1796 “moral treatment,” Florence Nightingale’s 1859 endorsement of small pets for the sick, Freud’s use of his dog Jofi in sessions, and Boris Levinson’s 1961 “My Dog as a Co-Therapist.” She describes WWII convalescent hospital dog visits, the founding of Therapy Dogs International (1976) and the Delta Foundation/Pet Partners (1977), and research showing reduced cortisol, increased oxytocin, and lower heart rate and blood pressure. The episode surveys modern applications in hospitals, equine programs, prisons, schools, disaster response, workplaces, campuses, and senior living, emphasizing that healing can come simply from being present with an animal.

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:40 Backyard Bond Begins

02:43 Zoo Job Awakening

04:24 Ancient Roots of Healing

06:22 Early Medical Adoption

08:40 York Retreat Breakthrough

09:58 Nightingale and Freud

12:35 Levinson Makes It Real

14:44 War and Hospital Dogs

15:56 Modern Organizations Rise

18:07 Science Proves the Bond

19:10 Back to the Backyard

22:09 Programs Around the World

26:27 Everyday Impact Today

27:29 Final Takeaway and Thanks

https://www.instagram.com/resilientanimal/

https://www.facebook.com/TheResilientAnimal

https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-human-animal-bond-studies/

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In this episode, host Dr. Annie Petersen reviews research showing animal interaction can reduce stress through measurable physiological changes (including lower cortisol and increased oxytocin), provide non-judgmental social support, reduce loneliness, and help some neurodivergent employees with grounding and regulation. It argues these benefits can translate into higher productivity through strategic mental breaks, improved creativity, greater job satisfaction, and lower absenteeism, while strengthening workplace culture, collaboration, morale, and retention; examples include Amazon’s dog-friendly Seattle campus and Google’s therapy-animal partnerships. Peterson also covers implementation challenges and solutions - vaccination and behavior requirements, pet-free zones, training, designated spaces, therapy-animal visits, office-pet or foster programs - plus economic, environmental, inclusivity, and post-pandemic trends shaping the future of pet-friendly work.

00:00 Welcome to the Show

00:27 Why Animals at Work

00:59 Stress Relief Science

03:00 Connection and Support

05:01 Work Life Balance Boost

05:32 Productivity and Breaks

09:34 Culture Morale and Talent

12:19 Big Company Examples

14:38 Policies and Planning

16:42 Program Models and Remote

18:53 Choosing the Right Animals

21:29 Therapy Animal Programs

24:25 Costs and ROI

27:48 Sustainability and Nature

31:07 Inclusion and Service Animals

34:54 Future of Pet Friendly Work

38:52 Innovation and Partnerships

41:31 Final Takeaways and Thanks

https://www.instagram.com/resilientanimal/

https://www.facebook.com/TheResilientAnimal

https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-for-human-animal-bond-studies/