HABRI Awards 2015 Research Grants

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The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation announced funding for seven research grants in 2015, totaling more than $225,000 dollars.

Focused on child development, mental health, and healthy aging, these grants will advance scientific understanding of the human-animal bond and its impact on human health.

HABRI has funded more than half a million dollars in innovative research projects to scientifically document the health benefits of companion animals.

“As one of the organization’s founders, I am proud of how far we have come in only a few years,” said Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association and president of the HABRI Board of Trustees. “We can put science behind what many of us believe – if we take good care of our pets, they will take good care of us.”

HABRI’s annual grant program is managed in partnership with the Morris Animal Foundation, a nonprofit organization that invests in science that advances knowledge and improves health for companion animals, horses and wildlife.

Proposals were evaluated on study design, investigator capabilities, adequacy of facilities, cost effectiveness of budget, and potential for impact on the way these areas of interest are diagnosed, treated, or otherwise understood by an independent Scientific Advisory Board comprised of experts in the field.

The HABRI Foundation also maintains the world’s largest online library of human-animal bond information and informs the public about human-animal bond research and the beneficial role of companion animals in society.