Dataset used in the article "Does Visual Stimulation by Photographs of Cats and Dogs Make People Happier and More Optimistic?"ColumnsIDis_preview: true - response by the researcher to check the questionnaire, it should be removedremove: respondent checked that his/her responses are not valid and should not be used in future analysisfinished_proc: percentage of the questionnaire finisheddate_time: filing of the questionnaire started at this timeduration_formatted: duration of the filling of the questionnairebrowserbrowser_versionOS: operating systempriming: true - primed group, false - control groupcat_dog: objects on photos showngenderage: in yerssex_o: attraction to people of the opposite sex (scale 1 - 7)sex_s: attraction to people of the same sex (scale 1 - 7) orientation: computed as the difference of previous twomood: actual mood (scale 0 - 5)condition_phys: physical condition (scale 0 - 5)condition_psych: mental condition (scale 0 - 5)life_quality: life quality (scale 0 - 5)optimism: mean of previous threeoptimism_zskore: z-score of the previous children_own: how many children does respondent havewanted_sons: total number of sons which respondent would like to havewanted_daughters: total number of daughters which respondent would like to havewanted_children: a sum of previous twoliking_dogs: how much respondent likes dogs (scale 1 - 100)present_whenever_dog: respondent has ever kept a dogpresent_now_dog: respondent keeps dog nowpresent_Ndogs: how many dogs does respondent keep now liking_cats: how much respondent likes cats (scale 1 - 100)present_whenever_cat: respondent has ever kept a catpresent_now_cat: respondent keeps cat nowpresent_Ncats: how many cats does respondent keep now

An estimated ** million households in the United States owned at least one dog according to a 2024/25 pet owners survey, making them the most widely owned type of pet across the U.S. at this time. Cats and freshwater fish ranked in second and third places, with around ** million and ** million households owning such pets, respectively. Freshwater vs. salt water fish Freshwater fish spend most or all their lives in fresh water. Fresh water’s main difference to salt water is the level of salinity. Freshwater fish have a range of physiological adaptations to enable them to live in such conditions. As the statistic makes clear, Americans keep a large number of freshwater aquatic species at home as pets. American pet owners In 2023, around ** percent of all households in the United States owned a pet. This is a decrease from 2020, but still around a ** percent increase from 1988. It is no surprise that as more and more households own pets, pet industry expenditure has also witnessed steady growth. Expenditure reached over *** billion U.S. dollars in 2022, almost a sixfold increase from 1998. The majority of pet product sales are still made in brick-and-mortar stores, despite the rise and evolution of e-commerce in the United States.

BackgroundDog rabies annually causes 24,000–70,000 deaths globally. We built a spreadsheet tool, RabiesEcon, to aid public health officials to estimate the cost-effectiveness of dog rabies vaccination programs in East Africa.MethodsRabiesEcon uses a mathematical model of dog-dog and dog-human rabies transmission to estimate dog rabies cases averted, the cost per human rabies death averted and cost per year of life gained (YLG) due to dog vaccination programs (US 2015 dollars). We used an East African human population of 1 million (approximately 2/3 living in urban setting, 1/3 rural). We considered, using data from the literature, three vaccination options; no vaccination, annual vaccination of 50% of dogs and 20% of dogs vaccinated semi-annually. We assessed 2 transmission scenarios: low (1.2 dogs infected per infectious dog) and high (1.7 dogs infected). We also examined the impact of annually vaccinating 70% of all dogs (World Health Organization recommendation for dog rabies elimination).ResultsWithout dog vaccination, over 10 years there would a total of be approximately 44,000–65,000 rabid dogs and 2,100–2,900 human deaths. Annually vaccinating 50% of dogs results in 10-year reductions of 97% and 75% in rabid dogs (low and high transmissions scenarios, respectively), approximately 2,000–1,600 human deaths averted, and an undiscounted cost-effectiveness of $451-$385 per life saved. Semi-annual vaccination of 20% of dogs results in in 10-year reductions of 94% and 78% in rabid dogs, and approximately 2,000–1,900 human deaths averted, and cost $404-$305 per life saved. In the low transmission scenario, vaccinating either 50% or 70% of dogs eliminated dog rabies. Results were most sensitive to dog birth rate and the initial rate of dog-to-dog transmission (Ro).ConclusionsDog rabies vaccination programs can control, and potentially eliminate, dog rabies. The frequency and coverage of vaccination programs, along with the level of dog rabies transmission, can affect the cost-effectiveness of such programs. RabiesEcon can aid both the planning and assessment of dog rabies vaccination programs.

Here are a few use cases for this project:

1. Autonomous Driving: The "Vehicle Detection" model can be utilized in the development of autonomous driving systems, where it can identify various objects in real time, contributing to safer navigation and improved decision-making capabilities.

2. Security Surveillance: This model can be used in CCTV footage analysis to detect suspicious activities. It can recognize cars, people, pets, and various other elements, contributing to a thorough understanding of what is happening in the monitored area at any given time.

3. Smart City Development: This model can be implemented in city planning to analyze and understand the flow of traffic, human footfall, and pet movements across various parts of the city.

4. Traffic Management: "Vehicle Detection" can be deployed in traffic management systems to detect and differentiate between different classes of vehicles, monitor traffic signals and sign boards, and regulate vehicular flow based on real-time data.

5. Augmented Reality (AR) Applications: This model can be applied to AR games and apps, allowing users to interact with simulated elements (like cars, dogs, and people) in real-world environments.

Summary:Working Dogs for Conservation deployed two handlers and three dogs to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR), Prairie City, Iowa, for the detection of wild growing invasive Lespedeza cuneata from 21 May to 2 June 2015. Dogs, Wicket and Lily, had previously detected Lespedeza at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (Wicket in 2010, 2011, and 2014 and Lily in 2011 and 2014). This was the first year of deployment for dog, Busco. In addition, this year the returning dogs—Lily and Wicket—were trained to the scent of whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata), and once adequately familiar with the scent were able to simultaneously search the units for milkweed in the interest of determining how widely it’s distributed across NSNWR. Teams searched for Lespedeza over 144 km within 10 management units, and found Lespedeza in seven units (North Middle, PLC, Highpoint, Thorn Valley, Orbweaver, Bison South, and Basswood) for a total of 39 plant locations (either single plants or patches). Simultaneously, milkweed searches were conducted on over 83 km in six units (North Middle, PLC, Orbweaver, Bison North, Swallowtail, and Basswood) and whorled milkweed was found to be widespread across all units, with teams locating 378 milkweed locations (either single plants or patches).Notable accomplishments of the 2015 season: To our knowledge, this is the first-ever deployment of dogs finding invasive and native plants during simultaneous searches anywhere in the world We determined that NSNWR has an abundant population of whorled milkweed, throughout the units (and not primarily along edges, which was previously suspected given that’s where it’s easiest for people to see the short plant) After four years of Lespedeza searches, the seed-harvested area in North Middle remains free from Lespedeza The patches of Lespedeza previously located in the units appear to be getting smaller in size, and the overall number of locations is staying small

Over fifty participants, who together possessed broad research, veterinary and front-line expertise from across the canine health and welfare sector, contributed to a modified Delphi study to identify the highest priority research topics in UK canine health and welfare, the highest priorities for future research approaches, and the highest priorities for future reform in research processes and infrastructure, through group consensus. Further analysis also compared the prioritisation of selected research topics to the actual levels of research funding they previously received, through comparison with historical data. Most of the identified highest priority issues relating to canine health and welfare and its research concerned various aspects of the human-canine relationship, such as ownership or behavioural issues. Participants strongly emphasised the complexity of interrelated factors that impact the welfare of both dogs and people. Research topics identified as previously ‘most underfunded’ all concerned real-world canine welfare issues, particularly emphasising the breeding and supply of dogs. A supplementary analysis of historical research funding (2012–2022) for common chronic disorders in primary care practice, another identified highest priority topic, identified periodontal disease, anal sac disorders, overgrown nails and patellar luxation as the ‘most underfunded’ conditions. Most of the identified highest priority research approaches and methodologies concerned real-world design and execution aspects of canine health and welfare research, such as impact and engagement, with a strong focus on research investigating the human factors in canine welfare. Aspects of research funding infrastructure that were considered highest priority for future change mostly concerned increased transparency of funding processes and increased collaboration between stakeholder groups throughout the funding sector, which was strongly supported. Overall, these findings emphasise the importance of considering and including human factors and real-world impact, where appropriate, as key elements for optimising the relevance of canine health and welfare research.

Rabies is a devastating yet preventable disease that causes around 59,000 human deaths annually. Almost all human rabies cases are caused by bites from rabies-infected dogs. A large proportion of these cases occur in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Annual vaccination of at least 70% of the dog population is recommended by the World Health Organisation in order to eliminate rabies. However, achieving such high vaccination coverage has proven challenging, especially in low resource settings. Despite being logistically and economically more feasible than door-to-door approaches, static point (SP) vaccination campaigns often suffer from low attendance and therefore result in low vaccination coverage. Here, we investigated the barriers to attendance at SP offering free rabies vaccinations for dogs in Blantyre, Malawi. We analysed data for 22,924 dogs from a city-wide vaccination campaign in combination with GIS and household questionnaire data using multivariable logistic regression and distance estimation techniques. We found that distance plays a crucial role in SP attendance (i.e. for every km closer the odds of attending a SP point are 3.3 times higher) and that very few people are willing to travel more than 1.5 km to bring their dog for vaccination. Additionally, we found that dogs from areas with higher proportions of people living in poverty are more likely to be presented for vaccination (ORs 1.58-2.22). Furthermore, puppies (OR 0.26), pregnant or lactating female dogs (OR 0.60) are less likely to be presented for vaccination. Owners also reported that they did not attend an SP because they were not aware of the campaign (27%) or they could not handle their dog (19%). Our findings will inform the design of future rabies vaccination programmes in SSA which may lead to improved vaccination coverage achieved by SP alone.

Over the past decade, Lyme and other tick-borne diseases have expanded into urban areas, including Staten Island, New York. While Lyme disease is often researched with a focus on human risk, domestic pets are also at risk of contracting the disease. The present study aims to describe differences in tick exposure, knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) between pet owners and non-owners, and to understand preventive strategies practiced by pet owners for themselves and their pets. We conducted KAP surveys via phone in 2020 and via face-to-face interviews in 2021, and we analyzed unique responses from 364 households on Staten Island. Pet owners were more likely to have ever found a tick on themselves or their household members (63%) than non-owners (46%) (p

An effective surveillance system is critical for the elimination of canine rabies in Latin America. Brazil has made substantial progress towards canine rabies elimination, but outbreaks still occurred in the last decade in two states. Brazil uses a health information system (SINAN) to record patients seeking post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) following contact with an animal suspected of having rabies. This study evaluated: (i) whether SINAN can be reliably used for rabies surveillance; (ii) if patients in Brazil are receiving appropriate PEP and (iii) the benefits of implementing the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on PEP. Analysing SINAN records from 2008 to 2017 reveals an average of 506,148 bite-injury patients/year [range: 437k-545k] in the country, equivalent to an incidence of 255 bite-injuries/100,000 people/year [range: 231–280]. The number of reports of bites from suspect rabid dogs generally increased over time. In most states, records from SINAN indicating a suspect rabid dog do not correlate with confirmed dog rabies cases reported to the Regional Information System for Epidemiological Surveillance of Rabies (SIRVERA) maintained by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Analyses showed that in 2017, only 45% of patients received appropriate PEP as indicated by the Brazilian Ministry of Health guidance. Implementation of the latest WHO guidance using an abridged intradermal post-exposure vaccination regimen including one precautionary dose for dog bites prior to observation would reduce the volume of vaccine required by up to 64%, with potential for annual savings of over USD 6 million from reduced vaccine use. Our results highlight the need to improve the implementation of SINAN, including training of health workers responsible for delivering PEP using an Integrated Bite Case Management approach so that SINAN can serve as a reliable surveillance tool for canine rabies elimination.

Hookworm disease is a major global public health concern, annually affecting 500–700 million of the world's poorest people. The World Health Organization is targeting the elimination of hookworm as a public health problem by 2030 using a strategy of mass drug administration (MDA) to at-risk human populations. However, in Southeast Asia and the Pacific the zoonotic hookworm species, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, is endemic in dogs and commonly infects people. This presents a potential impediment to the effectiveness of MDA that targets only humans. Here, we develop a novel multi-host (dog and human) transmission model of A. ceylanicum and compare the effectiveness of human-only and “One Health” (human plus dog) MDA strategies under a range of eco-epidemiological assumptions. We show that One Health interventions—targeting both dogs and humans—could suppress prevalence in humans to ≤ 1% by the end of 2030, even with only modest coverage (25–50%) of the animal reservoir. With increasing coverage, One Health interventions may even interrupt transmission. We discuss key unresolved questions on the eco-epidemiology of A. ceylanicum, the challenges of delivering MDA to animal reservoirs, and the growing importance of One Health interventions to human public health.

BackgroundCanine rabies is one of the most important and feared zoonotic diseases in the world. In some regions rabies elimination is being successfully coordinated, whereas in others rabies is endemic and continues to spread to uninfected areas. As epidemics emerge, both accepted and contentious control methods are used, as questions remain over the most effective strategy to eliminate rabies. The Indonesian island of Bali was rabies-free until 2008 when an epidemic in domestic dogs began, resulting in the deaths of over 100 people. Here we analyze data from the epidemic and compare the effectiveness of control methods at eliminating rabies.Methodology/Principal FindingsUsing data from Bali, we estimated the basic reproductive number, R0, of rabies in dogs, to be ∼1·2, almost identical to that obtained in ten–fold less dense dog populations and suggesting rabies will not be effectively controlled by reducing dog density. We then developed a model to compare options for mass dog vaccination. Comprehensive high coverage was the single most important factor for achieving elimination, with omission of even small areas (<0.5% of the dog population) jeopardizing success. Parameterizing the model with data from the 2010 and 2011 vaccination campaigns, we show that a comprehensive high coverage campaign in 2012 would likely result in elimination, saving ∼550 human lives and ∼$15 million in prophylaxis costs over the next ten years.Conclusions/SignificanceThe elimination of rabies from Bali will not be achieved through achievable reductions in dog density. To ensure elimination, concerted high coverage, repeated, mass dog vaccination campaigns are necessary and the cooperation of all regions of the island is critical. Momentum is building towards development of a strategy for the global elimination of canine rabies, and this study offers valuable new insights about the dynamics and control of this disease, with immediate practical relevance.

Sensitivities and specificities for the seven dogs for patients without clinical signs, past or current medical conditions and not using the most frequently reported drugs.