Psychology Today | By: Marc Bekoff Ph.D. | May 10, 2019: An Interview with Dr. Aysha Akhtar, author of “Our Symphony with Animals.” “Deftly combining medicine, social history and personal experience, Our Symphony with Animals is the first book by […]
Thrive Global | By: Dr. Aysha Akhtar | May 17, 2019: Research shows interacting with animals can help foster emotional intelligence and human connection. Harry Truman famously said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog!” Actually, there […]
As a neurologist, I’ve long held that empathy for and connection with animals is an important part of our social development. But can being with animals actually improve our well-being? In the 1970’s researcher Erika Friedmann and her colleagues made […]
No matter how slimy, how scaly, how smelly, or even how scary, animals’ lives now matter to us. Why? Why do we care about other animals? Why do we care about beings whose lives are seemingly so removed from ours? […]
Here’s my list of five headline-grabbing stories in 2014 that show just how connected human health and animal protection are: 1. Chris Christie Sells Out Humans and Animals After reports of his bridge scandal, the New Jersey Governor’s 2016 presidential […]
“Animal protection is now mainstream.” This was announced at the 5th annual Classy Awards held in San Diego this weekend. The Classy Awards Ceremony honors outstanding nonprofit programs in eight major social sectors, including animal protection, education advancement, poverty and […]
I’m excited to have been interviewed by the wonderful folks at Our Hen House. EPISODE 208: “THE FURTHER A SOCIETY DRIFTS FROM THE TRUTH, THE MORE IT WILL HATE THOSE THAT SPEAK IT.” “Joining us today is Dr. Aysha Akhtar, […]
Alvin Tarlov, Director of the Texas Institute for Society and Health, explained that ‘there are five major categories of influence on health: genes and associated biology; health behaviors, such as dietary habits, tobacco, alcohol and drug use, and physical fitness; […]
The following is a typical case illustrating the linkage between child abuse and animal abuse. One morning, an Atlanta contractor pulled up to a house where he was to perform some work. As he got out of his truck, he […]
We now have a choice before us. Do we use our knowledge to continue to condemn animals to incalculable harm, in turn jeopardizing our own health, or do we use that knowledge to evolve the practice of public health and […]
Book Chapter In: Linzey A (eds). The Global Guide to Animal Protection. University of Illinois Press, 2013. Raising awareness of human indifference and cruelty toward animals, The Global Guide to Animal Protection includes more than 180 introductory articles that survey […]
An international group of scientists recently ended a year-long moratorium on controversial research on potentially deadly strains of the H5N1 avian flu virus. The purpose of the research was to engineer strains of H5N1 in order to understand how it might […]
Do we need to make a choice to either protect animals or humans? This is certainly what those who profit from hurting animals would like everyone to believe. Advocates of animal experimentation especially employ the fallacy of a false dilemma: […]
Dr. Anthony Robbins, Co-Editor of the Journal of Public Health Policy and former director of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and of the National Vaccine Program headline my article in his latest post on Science Blog’s The […]
Many critical public health issues require non-traditional approaches. Although many novel strategies are used, one approach not widely applied involves improving the treatment of animals. Emerging infectious diseases are pressing public health challenges that could benefit from improving the treatment […]
Kathy Freston in the Huffington Post writes: I’ve often said that by showing kindness to animals and eating fewer (or better yet, none) of them, we see personal health benefits — a reduction in heart disease, stroke, cancers, diabetes and […]
Scientist and author Jonathan Balcombe takes a moment to interview Dr. Akhtar about her book, Animals and Public Health. By Jonathan Balcombe: Scientist & Author | Animal Treatment: Why It Matters for Human Health On the occasion of her new […]
ARC UK Correspondent, Peter Crosskey, talks to Dr Akhtar about her new book, Animals and Public Health: Why Treating Animals Better is Critical to Human Welfare
This past decade was, arguably, the decade of animals. More news stories covered animal welfare issues than ever before and some of the major events of the past decade involved animals. Animal protection has become a considerable social issue. But […]