Our research and development
Look back through our years of groundbreaking research and see what we have planned for the future.
Since 1998, we’ve been involved in groundbreaking research that provides the evidence for what we see every day – that dogs and the bond we share with them can have a transformative impact on individuals, families and communities, and society as a whole.
Research and development are integral to what we do. As we seek to understand our dogs and the people our dogs support, we’ll continue being involved in research projects that develop our understanding of how bringing people and dogs together helps to make life possible.
Our groundbreaking research
Published in 1998 by D.R Lane, J McNicholas, and G.M Collis.
Published in 2016 by Sophie Susannah Hall, Hannah F. Wright, and Daniel Simon Mills.
Published in 2024 by Emily Shoesmith, Selina Gibsone, Ed Bracher, Iris Smolkovic, Kelly Jennings, Laura Viles, Kate Easton, and Elena Ratschen.
Published in 2025 by Emily Shoesmith, Heidi Stevens, Selina Gibsone, Cari Miles, Hannah Beal, Kelly Jennings, and Elena Ratschen.
Published in 2025 by Emily Shoesmith, Selina Gibsone, Hayley Ring, Lucy Purchese, and Elena Ratschen.
What's next for our research and development?
We're currently focusing our research and development on:
The practical impact of our activities
We're interested in how the people we support can make practical savings to other social or medical care. Although this part of our research won't be strictly limited to Animal Assisted Services and Animal Assisted Activities, there will be a key focus on these.
Understanding volunteering
We're looking at what motivates people to start volunteering, the key factors in volunteer retention, and the impact of volunteering on people's health and wellbeing. We're also interested in perceptions of service delivery, and the demographics of our volunteers.
Secondary benefits of our services
We're gaining a better understanding of the benefits that come from connection with our services. Examples of the secondary benefits could be things like improvements in family relationships and friendships, a positive increase in mental health, or reducing stigma in local communities.
Meet our Research and Development Team
Selina Gibsone
Research and Development Manager
Monica Soldevila Rubio
Development Officer
Victoria Maclennan-Jones
Development Officer
Get in touch
Whether you're interested in collaborating with us on a research project, or would like to chat to us about something else, please fill out our enquiry form and a member of our Research and Development Team will be in touch.