SRU faculty and students co-author and present articles about therapy dogs

Oct. 16, 2024

Slippery Rock University faculty and students contributed to two articles about therapy dogs that were presented at conferences.

The first article, titled “A Comparative Study of Stress Reduction Groups with and without Therapy Dogs in a Rural Pennsylvania Jail,” was published in The Prison Journal and it included the following co-authors from SRU:

· Yvonne Eaton-Stull, associate professor of social work.

· Christopher Streidl, assistant professor of social work.

· Sarah Kuehn, professor of criminology and criminal justice.

· Kaitlyn Crawford, a 2023 graduate with a degree in social work.

· Christina Koishal, a junior criminology and criminal justice major from Moon Township.

The article summarizes recent research on stress reduction groups in a jail, comparing those that include therapy dogs to those that do not.

A second article, titled “Animal-Assisted Stress Management for Veterinary Staff,” was published in the Health and Social Work Journal, and it was co-written by Eaton-Stull, Streidel, Kuehn and Alexandra Kaufman, a 2024 SRU graduate with a degree in social work, and others. The article summarizes interventions and results from research providing animal-assisted support to veterinary staff.

Eaton-Stull presented both articles at the International Veterinary Social Work Summit, Sept. 13-14, at Cleveland State University in Cleveland. The IVSW is an annual meeting of members of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work, which is an organization dedicated to promoting the integration of social work principles in veterinary practice to enhance animal welfare and support the emotional well-being of pet owners and veterinary staff.