Profile Introduction

Human-animal relationships; communication and social behavior in large mammals; applied animal behavior in dogs and cats.

Research Interests

Human-animal relationships; communication and social behavior in large mammals; applied animal behavior in dogs and cats.

Grad Group Affiliations

• Epidemiology
• Geography

Specialties / Focus

• Psychosocial Effects of Animals
• Animal Management and Welfare
• Communication

Courses

• PHR 106 Human-Animal Interactions: Benefits and Issues, Winter

Professional Societies

• International Society of Anthrozoology
• Animal Behavior Society
• American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior

Degrees

• BA Physical Science Education Brigham Young University
• MS Educational Psychology University of California, Berkeley
• PhD Animal Behavior, Zoology Rutgers University

Publications (selected)

Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH, Lyons LA, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hart BL. 2018. Affectionate interactions of cats with children having autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00039

Walther S, Yamamoto M, Thigpen AP, Garcia A, Willits NH. 2017. Assistance dogs: Historic patterns and roles of dogs placed by ADI or IGDF accredited facilities and by non-accredited US facilities. Frontiers Vet Sci.  DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00001

Hart LA, Yamamoto M. 2016. Dogs as helping partners and companions for humans, In: J Serpell (ed), The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People, Second Edition, Cambridge University Press, England. Book chapter

Yamamoto M,Lopez MT, Hart LA. 2015. Registrations of assistance dogs in California for ID tags: 1999-2012. PLoS ONE 2015;10(8). DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0132820

O'Connell-Rodwell CE, Arnason B and Hart LA. 2000. Seismic properties of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) vocalizations and locomotion. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 108:3066-3072

O'Connell-Rodwell CE, Rodwell T, Rice M, and LA Hart. 2000. Living with the modern conservation paradigm: can agricultural communities co-exist with elephants? A five-year case study in East Caprivi, Namibia. Biological Conservation. 93:381-391

Zasloff RL and LA Hart. 1998. Attitudes and care practices of cat caretakers in Hawaii Attitudes and care practices of cat caretakers in Hawaii. Anthrozoos. 11:42-248