Lab Member Spotlight: Dr. Nikki Bennett presented at the International Society of Anthrozoology annual conference

Dr. Bennett giving podium talk at ISAZ 2026 conference.

Postdoctoral researcher, Nikki Bennett, gave a podium talk at the 2026 International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conference, held July 1-3 in Paris, France. Her presentation – “Dog Quality of Life & Caregiver Wellbeing: The Mediating Role of Caregiver Burden” – explored the relationships among owners’ perceptions of their dog’s quality of life, caregiver burden, and caregiver depressive symptoms.

Using data from 669 caregivers, findings demonstrated that lower perceived dog quality of life was associated with greater caregiver burden levels, which in turn was associated with higher depressive symptoms. While ongoing work from the lab is examining longitudinal models to better understand how these variables change over time, results suggest that caregiver burden may be an important target for interventions designed to support caregiver wellbeing and the human-animal bond.

The ISAZ conference brought together an interdisciplinary audience of researchers, practitioners, and veterinary professionals to share advances in human-interaction research. Presenting this work provided an opportunity for Dr. Bennett to share the Veterinary Psychology lab’s research and engage in discussions about the interconnected wellbeing of companion animals and their caregivers, particularly when owners are caring for a dog with a chronic medical or behavioral condition.