Australia has nearly five million dogs, with nearly 40% of Australian households owning one. But it seems that 40% of Australian dogs are not walked enough and that a similar percentage of dogs are overweight or obese. With colleagues at the University of Sydney, we are interested in collecting more recent data on these trends. So why do we need […]
As selling pets online becomes normal, we need to regulate it
The online sale of pets is increasing, with more than 31,000 dogs and 24,000 cats relinquished a year through online marketplace Gumtree alone. Our research shows this online market is worth an estimated A$14 million a year, just through this one platform. Many other websites also allow people to sell their pets, so this number is likely […]
Curious Kids: Why don’t dogs live as long as humans?
Sarah, you have asked a very interesting question. Dogs are mammals like humans, and they have a heart, lungs and all the things you need to survive. Our pet dogs give us so much happiness, but then so much sadness when they die. So why don’t they survive as long as us? Lifespan is usually […]
It takes just six minutes for a dog to die in a hot car
The soaring temperatures in Europe and North America have seen a rise in reports of dogs being rescued from hot cars. Police across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Canada have all saved dogs from certain death. But in the US, a Great Dane in Juneau, Alaska, a Pitbull Boxer mix in Trussvile, Alabama, and three Rottweilers in Long Island, New York were not so […]
Do animals feel pain like we do?
Pain is a complex experience involving sensory and emotional components: it is not just about how it feels, but also how it makes you feel. And it is these unpleasant feelings that cause the suffering we humans associate with pain. The science of suffering is well documented in the book of the same name by Patrick Wall. […]