Confessions of a canine scientist: Interview with the awesome Mia Cobb

Canine researcher and science communicator Mia Cobb (photo courtesy Mel Travis, http://whataboutcharlie.com.au/)

Mia Cobb is a canine researcher and science communicator who according to the blog she co-writes says yes too often...but often enjoys the experiences this brings her way. She said yes to an interview with SAT. Mia is one of those people who is a positive force - she's always moving, always doing something to benefit animals, and is equipped with a sharp mind to question our assumptions, to analyse the science and to consider how we apply science to real life. 

Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

I have previously worked in animal shelter and working dog organisations. Growing up I had lots of different pets and always found animals fascinating. My education in science at university focused on zoology (animal behaviour and ecology) and my work experiences since then have led me to be very interested in animal welfare. I’m particularly interested in the welfare of our working and sporting dogs and how industry and scientists can work together to improve the welfare of these diverse and valuable dogs.

You’re passionate about all things canine, as evidenced by your research focus and your fantastic blog, Do you believe in dog? What is it about dogs that gets you?

Ah – dogs! Their diversity, adaptability and resilience is amazing. And of course – so much of this research is not just about dogs, but about dogs and the way they interact with people. As companions, as co-workers, as guardians – I think they have an incredible history and future with us. It would be nice to have a better understanding of the world from their point of view.

How do dogs see the world? (photo courtesy Mel Travis, http://whataboutcharlie.com.au/)

As a welfare science consultant, what sort of projects have you worked on?

I have been involved with some projects that were supported by the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy – a federal government initiative to improve the welfare of all animals in Australia. The first project was to benchmark the welfare of Australia’s working and sporting dogs, and then there was a follow up project to extend those findings into a strategic action plan to act as an industry road map to better working and sporting dog welfare. I’ve also been involved in some consultancy work, advising organisations and companies on things like kennel enrichment and facility design.

You founded the Working Dog Alliance which recently hosted a successful inaugural conference. What are the major welfare problems faced by working dogs in particular?

There are a couple of ways to look at the issues related to the welfare of working dogs: one is to look at the big picture efficiency of the industry sectors, the other is to look at the experiences of individual dogs.

Our benchmarking survey showed us that across the private (e.g. farm and guard), government (e.g. police, customs, quarantine, military), assistance (e.g. guide/seeing eye, assistance, hearing) and sporting (e.g. racing greyhounds) sectors, a 50-70% fail rate is normal. That means that in a litter of 10 puppies, only 3-5 are expected to be successful at working/racing for the purpose they were bred for. That’s a pretty low success rate!

For some sectors, the consequences of not being successful mean a career change for the dog to being a pet; in other sectors, the outcomes are less positive. There are lots of reasons dogs don’t succeed, these can relate to things like genetics, physical health, puppy raising, selection assessments, training techniques and trainer education.

On an individual level, our broadening understanding of animal cognition, motivation, social needs and complex behaviours over the last thirty years mean that we now accept animals can feel pain, be fearful and experience various forms of pleasure. So the way we house, care for, handle, train and manage unsuccessful dogs can have significant impacts on individual dog welfare.

What can we do about these?

Our research showed some key areas for improvement and we used these along with extensive investigation into what else is happening worldwide to put together the Australian Working Dog Industry Action Plan.

The plan can be summarised by its three main goals:

1. Engage all industry stakeholders in a collaborative partnership, ensuring the optimised performance, productivity and sustainable development of the Australian Working Dog Industry.
2. Promote an evidence-based best practice industry environment with an ethos of continuous quality improvement.
3. Facilitate open communication and knowledge sharing between all working dog stakeholders on a national scale.

We were surprised by how little information sharing was taking place within and between industry sectors and by the absence of cross-sectoral, or whole-industry, professional networking and development opportunities there were for breeders, trainers, kennel staff, vets and others working in this field. That’s one of the key reasons we developed the Working Dog Conference in 2013 and made most of the content available online afterwards.

Some scholars claim that anthropomorphism is unscientific or downright misleading. What is your stance on this and why?

Great question! My blogging partner, Julie Hecht, actually studies anthropomorphism and what triggers us to assign human qualities to non-human animals – such an interesting topic! I think we do best by dogs when we consider their point of view first. I think this can be informed by considering what humans might think or feel, but that we can’t ignore major differences between our species (for example, we live in a very visual world, dogs are thought to similarly experience smell as their primary sense). We see this reflected in the scientific research.

Can you relate to this pic? Does anyone else get to work with their dogs? (photo courtesy Mel Travis, http://whataboutcharlie.com.au/)

Sometimes we find striking similarities between humans and dogs (perhaps in terms of physiological responses to stressful situations, like the way we respond to being separated from significant companions) and other times we see differences (for example the way humans attribute guilt to dogs, but what we’re seeing is most probably just dogs reacting to our behaviour).

You’ve written much about the human-animal bond. Why is this important?

Our lives with animals are just that – people and animals. Companion animals are dependent on us to care for them, working animals perform tasks we consider important. Our impact on the environment means we are also impacting wildlife by reducing their natural habitat or learning to live with them as they adapt to urbanised areas. I find it interesting that not all people feel the same way about animals – some are ambivalent, others are the opposite end of the spectrum and feel very passionately about the rights of animals.

I am fascinated by animals, their behaviour, our behaviour around them, the feelings they evoke in us and the ways we care for and utilise them in our lives. Science offers a wonderful framework to ask questions and explore these relationships. I guess I get excited by the topics and want everyone else to know about them too! So much excellent research is shared in academic journals but is not readily available to the public. Writing about it on a blog can help it jump out of the journals where everyone can know about it.

You’ve been podcasting for Human Animal Science. Who has been your favourite interview and why?

Oh no! You can’t ask me that! We’ve been so lucky to speak with so many wonderful people about fascinating areas of research… I suppose if I had to choose, I’d probably say Hal Herzog, who is recognised as one of the earlier researcher to focus on the study of human-animal interactions, or  Anthrozoology. Our conversation with him jumped from pets to zoos and many things in between. He was very easy to speak to (for a bit of a rock star in the field!).

Mia with companions. (photo courtesy Mel Travis, http://whataboutcharlie.com.au/)

Have you got any tips for veterinarians and vet students around improving our approach to working dogs?

Ooh! There’s so much exciting new research happening in the field of working dog and canine performance science right now – I guess I’d encourage them to stay abreast as our understanding of how health, stress, welfare and performance all relate to each other grows. Be aware that some people regard their working dog as a tool to get the job done while others consider them a vital companion – and being sensitive to their point of view if it differs to your own. We know from our research that most working dog owners take their dogs to see a vet at least annually, making vets one of the most important sources of new information and education for many working dog trainers and handlers. Don’t underestimate the importance of the annual health check for these dogs and owners!

Finally, you wrote a beautiful post about the loss of your dog Elke which was very moving and informative. How do you think your relationship with her changed you as a person?

Elke, a companion, muse and inspiration.

I’ve shared my life with many dogs. Hundreds up hundreds of them. Elke was the first dog I have had from a young pup (she was a cruelty case that came through the RSPCA when I was working there) all the way through to old age. So she will always be very special to me. She was a significant part of the landscape of my life – she was there when I moved out of home, there when my partner proposed to me, there when we brought our baby home, there whenever an apple was bitten into! So many memories of my bouncy, spotty dog. [To read Mia's very moving post, visit here].

Sharing a cuddle with the kids.

How did she change me as person? Hmmm… Like most dogs, she embraced every day full of energy and enthusiasm. I like to think she left me with some of that optimism – and I’ll keep it focussed on a brighter future for all dogs.

Thank you Mia for sharing this with us. If you are keen to read or hear more of Mia's work, head on over to Do You Believe in Dog? or Human Animal Science to check out some brilliant podcasts. You can also check out the Society for the Promotion of Applied Science in Canine Research page here.

Phil's pills: how I stick to the prescription

Phil on his sick bed. (He also flakes out like this when he isn't sick, so it can be hard to tell).

This week poor Phil has suffered a flare up of his spectacular recurrent lymphocytic-plasmacytic rhinitis – a condition that causes him to sniffle, snort and produce monster boogers of dramatic proportions. It can obstruct his upper respiratory tract to such a degree that he can’t do much – eating, walking and even breathing become a challenge.

Example of a monster booger. Note it emerges from his right nostril, then silly-strings itself around his muzzle to form a complete circle. (There's not much this dog does that doesn't impress me).

He’s been examined multiple times and he’s back on pills - and much improved (thank goodness). But as someone who prescribes medication regularly I wanted to share my experience: I need a little bit of help to comply with the medication regime at home.

I want to discuss the word compliance firstly, as it is a word that people occasionally take offence to and it isn't meant in an offensive way. When we talk about compliance in a clinical setting, we talk about whether the patient or owner has been able to give the medication as directed – to follow the prescription. We don’t mean that compliance is good and non-compliance is evil. We aren’t power-hungry dictators forcing unruly pet owners to comply with our regime. We hope that pet owners and animal carers comply in the sense that medications are given according to the course, as they will be more effective and often this will reduce side effects.

There are plenty of reasons for poor compliance – yes, being slack is one, and yes, it does happen! - but quite commonly just struggling to administer medication is an issue (ever struggled to give an angry cat a capsule, only to have it spat out and rendered increasingly soggy, sticky and even more impossible to give?), so is poor communication (one member of the household thought the other one gave the dog his pill, and vice-versa), losing the medication (it happens), or simply forgetting a dose. [There are other types of “poor compliance” – such as administering via an inappropriate administration (sticking a tablet in a dog’s ear) – but they’re less common and I won’t discuss them here].

It happens, and vets are JUST as capable of forgetting as the next person. In hospitals it isn’t an issue because we have systems to remind us when meds are due, which kind and so forth. But at home we’re like every other pet owner – at the mercy of our own wits.

It can be even trickier when you need to give multiple medications, particularly when the dose rate of one or more of those meds changes through the course. The most common example is steroids. When we give steroids we aim to taper the dose to avoid side effects associated with sudden withdrawal – so early in the course you might be giving a full dose, which is then halved and later halved again.

This is the case with Sir Phil. When I prescribe meds to clients, especially steroids, I often say “it helps to write the doses on a calendar so you can check them off”. Not because I think my clients are silly. Far from it. It’s because I do it myself.

I don’t want to end up missing a dose, giving him an over-dose or an under-dose.

Here is my little chart for the current course of meds. I know there are uber-nerds out there using Excel, some might even use apps…this one works for us. (If you’re wondering why I’ve used the pink tablet/white tablet system, it’s for the benefit of Phil’s dog-sitter).

Phil's Pill chart. Note the pic. This is optional. (Its not like there's any danger of me giving the meds to the wrong dog, but in some households this could be an issue).

Easy as pie. And list-makers out there will appreciate the pure thrill of being able to tick these things off each time you give them. 

[And around that matter of compliance - if you don't think you can give a particular medication to your pet, let the vet know. We won't judge, promise. We've all met plenty of animals who evade our best clinical efforts, and treating them is easy once we work out the best formulation. Quite often an alternative to tablets is available, so don't be shy about asking].

So readers, how do you ensure that your pet receives all the required medication?

Vitamin B deficiency and pet diets

Minty poses the question: What can we do to protect our pets from preventable dietary deficiencies?

One of the fantastic things about being a vet is being able to collaborate on interesting projects that might benefit the welfare of animals. I was fortunate enough to work alongside the talented Drs Ye Yao and Richard Miller investigating a case of serious vitamin B deficiency that caused neurological signs in the cat.

The reason we published this case is that although this is by no means new – there are some fantastic reports of vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency (see references below) it’s a known phenomenon in humans and in animals – but it’s an on-going, preventable issue.

[I was interviewed about this by Kaye from Pet Talk via Skype. Feel free to watch the video but note it may not display if you're viewing this page via a tablet or smartphone - so try this link: http://youtu.be/L52NUK-rs48 . ]

Here’s my summary: vitamin B1, aka thiamine, is an important component of lots of pathways in your body, especially aerobic energy metabolism and synthesis of neurotransmitters. Without thiamine, humans and animals develop progressive encephalopathy – in plainspeak, that is disease of the brain.

In humans, chronic alcohol consumption is one route to thiamine deficiency and is thought to be behind much alcohol-related braindamage. Its one reason, aside from the shear desperation to feel better, that everyone rushes for the vitamin pills when they have a hangover.

Obviously our pets don’t have this issue, but within Australia, some pet foods (and I must stress this DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL PET FOODS) contain sulphur-dioxide preservatives that deplete thiamine. A diet containing high levels of these preservatives can lead to CLINICAL vitamin B deficiency.

What does that look like? Well, early in the course of the disease affected animals suffer from inappetence, vomiting and diarrhoea. A lot of these signs would go unnoticed, especially where animals toilet outside (and trust me that's always nice, but what I mean is it can be easier to note diarrhoea if your cat is presenting it conveniently in the litter tray).

But later more worrying signs develop – impaired vision, difficulty walking, tremors, seizures and even death.

What kind of foods? Mostly those sold as fresh pet meat or pet mince. In the case of this cat, it was a kangaroo-based meat product that the cat was totally addicted to. We actually went and tested the food and it contained around 875mg/kg of sulphur dioxide preservatives compared to 35mg/kg in another brand.

There were no other identified potential causes in the case of this cat.

Fortunately she responded pretty well to supplementation with vitamin B and dietary change.

That’s one cat. But what about the other pets affected by this? Not all will show obvious clinical signs. What can be done?

We can change legislation. In Australia the pet food industry is effectively self-regulated under the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia Code of Practice, which requires that manufacturers adhere to Australian Standards. But Pet meat producers don’t operate under this legislation.

Why do they put this stuff in food? Sulphur dioxides mask the signs of putrefaction, extending the shelf life (well, fridge life) of these products. In this day and age, in our regulated world, it seems sensible that all pet food manufacturers should be working to a minimum and enforceable standard – after all, we want to keep our pets safe.

But legislative change takes time. We believe that this is a wonderful opportunity for the major supermarket chains to take a leadership role, test the fresh meat they supply and refuse to stock products containing these preservatives.

Pets are extremely vulnerable as they tend to eat the same thing most if not all the time. The risk of adverse effects from your diet is always increased when you eat a uniform diet.

So what can pet owners do?

First educate yourself. Read product labels, look out for sulphur dioxide and sulphite preservatives, and when it comes to fresh meat, buy the human-grade stuff. OR feed a premium commercial tinned or dry food that complies with the Australian Standard for Manufactured Pet Food.

Secondly, ask your vet about the best way to vary your pet’s diet. Too much variety can cause problems – from gastrointestinal upsets to nutritional issues – so it is important to find out what is best for your individual animal. Some animals, such as those on prescription or elimination diets, should NOT have a varied diet.

Finally, when you do talk to your vet, make sure you provide a full history of what your pet is eating. This is helpful because diet impacts the health of your pet!

Reference:

Fawcett A, Yao Y and Miller R (2014) Probable dietary-induced thiamine deficiency in a cat fed pet meat containing sulfur dioxide preservative. Australian Veterinary Practitioner 44(1):554-559.

Malik R, Sibraa D. Thiamine deficiency due to sulphur dioxide preservative in ‘pet meat’: a case of deja vu. Australian Veterinary Journal 2005;83:408–411.

Singh M, Foster DJ, Child G et al. Inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid analysis in cats: clinical diagnosis and outcome. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 2005;7:77–93.

Steel RJS. Thiamine deficiency in a cat associated with the preservation of ‘pet meat’ with sulphur dioxide. Australian Veterinary Journal 1997;75:719–721

Doctor Dog: Frankie gives comfort at Bear Cottage

Frankie at work.

Most readers of this blog will be sold on the companionship that animals bring to us, but not everyone has direct experience with pets as therapy. Today;s post is about Frankie the labrador, and the important role she plays within (and indeed beyond) children's hospice Bear Cottage. Bronwen from Bear Cottage agreed to chat to us about this remarkable dog and the important role she plays in this pretty remarkable place. 

Can you tell us a little bit about Bear Cottage and what it does?

Bear Cottage is the only children’s hospice in NSW, one of only two in Australia, and the only one in the world affiliated with a children’s hospital.  It provides support, respite and end of life care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

The Children’s Hospital at Westmead began planning for Bear Cottage almost 20 years ago, when Dr John Yu and Dr Michael Stevens first thought of the idea to enhance the Hospital’s palliative care program.

The Cottage is located on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, in Manly.  Bear Cottage’s vision was to be as far removed from a hospital environment as possible – staff do not wear uniforms, no medical procedures are carried out in the bedrooms, the children’s rooms are designed to like a normal bedroom, and we even have a family pet, Frankie, our adorable Labrador.  That said, Bear Cottage is set up to provide excellence in paediatric medical care 24 hours a day, and our affiliation to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead means we have access to the best medical resources in the world.

When families are told that their child’s life will be cut short, their everyday existence takes on a monumental change.  As they embark on this terrible journey, there are limited options available to help them get through each day, and answer the many questions that arise. Having Bear Cottage available to them for care and support enables them to focus on the important things such as spending quality time together as a family and making every moment count.

Whilst staying with us, our families can do as much or as little as they like.  We have staff and volunteers on hand to do the cooking and cleaning, allowing families to forget about the stresses of everyday life, and our nurses are available 24 hours a day to administer medications and offer support and guidance.  Our resident dog Frankie, is always around for a cuddle or to lend an ear when a scared parent, sibling or patient wants to confide in someone, and our full-time play therapist and volunteers are there so mum and dad can spend time together or with their other children – often something that is forgotten when you’re caring for such a sick child.

Most families staying at Bear Cottage will come for respite; with the average length of stay is around one week to ten days.  Families are generally able to visit Bear Cottage around 4 times a year for respite, however for end of life care this can be open ended.

Frankie. She should be awarded an honorary doctorate in cuddling.

How did Frankie come to be at Bear Cottage?

Frankie has been at Bear Cottage since April 2011. She graduated from Assistance Dogs Australia in April 2011 and came to work at Bear Cottage. She replaced our much loved black Labrador Scooter who had been at Bear Cottage for over 10 years and had recently retired. She was trained by detainees from the Frank Baxter Juvenile Detention Centre as part of an Assistance Dogs program “Justice Pups”.

Some of the detainees visited Bear Cottage last year to see Frankie in action and found it incredibly moving to see what they had been involved with. These inmates have since gone on to fundraise for Bear Cottage in order to continue their support for the terminally ill children that stay with us.

It took two years for her to be fully trained at a cost of $25,000. She is very valuable, in more ways that one!

What is her role?

Frankie spends a lot of time on interactive play with the siblings. One of the great things she does if a child has no ability to use their limbs anymore, she responds to voice commands and will still play with the child even though they are immobile.  

Frankie accompanies families to the beaches and on walks. For some of our children who are almost totally immobile, she will visit and stay with them to provide company and affection. She can also performs about 20 different tricks (especially if she is rewarded with treats) e.g. turning on the electric train and rolling over, shaking hands and jumping up and gently resting her paws on a child’s wheelchair. Frankie can also “talk” on command – something the kids love because they think she is talking to them.

How do kids and families respond to her?

Frankie is a much loved companion for all the children, siblings and parents that visit us at Bear Cottage. She is always around for a cuddle, a game or for someone to have a quiet word in her ear.

Frankie also has a more serious role – many of our families are here during the most stressful and sad time of their lives. She is able to provide support in the way that only a dog can. She seems to be able to sense when she is needed for a cuddle and somehow knows when a child is nearing death.

Do you think Frankie is aware of the gravity of her role?

Frankie is very intuitive. She seems to somehow know if a child is in particular need or if they are nearing death. She will often sit outside a child’s bedroom or come in and sit on a child’s bed if that is what they want. There are times when you definitely feel that she is aware of what is going on in the house and picks up on people’s feelings.

What are Frankie’s favourite activities?

Frankie very much wants to be part of everything that goes on at Bear Cottage. Whether it’s playing catch with some of the siblings or snuggling up for a cuddle.

Sometimes we actually think that she is smiling. The staff meet every morning to catch up on what is going on in the Cottage – Frankie always when it’s time for it to start and always attends.

How can readers support Bear Cottage?

People can donate by going to our website at www.bearcottage.chw.edu.au. Look out for the special “Frankie’s Tour” on the website (or click here).

Is there anything else you want to add?

It has been said that a house is not a home without a pet. Frankie is a huge part of Bear Cottage being the warm and loving home that it is.

Thank you Bronwen for taking the time. I'm speechless, a bit teary, and very much in awe of the incredible work that Frankie and her amazing team do for families. 

The other AWESOME thing I learned about Bear Cottage is that they are running a SUPERHERO fundraiser this year. This is where you get to dress up as a SUPERHERO and raise funds. I am beside myself with excitement. If you have a superhero outfit, you can set up a fundraising page like this one or make your own.

Fur-kids and multi-species family portraits

Kerry and her inspiration, Keiko: "The relationship between a dog and his human is a precious thing and there's no denying that some people treat their dogs as their children." [Nice job BTW - all white and all black pets are pretty hard to photograph well].

Mother’s day is fast approaching. A lot of our readers aren’t mothers in the strictly biologically reproductive sense, but one expression that seems to have crept into the vernacular is “fur-kid”. (Although in truth, kid was once reserved for baby goats, it crept into the vernacular as a means of referring to human offspring. One mightn’t mind a herd of kids, but one might not be ready for a herd of kids). Different folks use different terms (I came across the term “grey-baby” for a pet greyhound), but essentially this gives us some insight into the type of relationship some of us have with pets.

Sandy and Sammy.

Another trend SAT has noticed is the appearance of fur-kids in family portraits (one of our favourite sites is www.awkwardfamilypetphotos.com). Ask someone if they have a pet and they'll usually draw their smartphone and show you a stream of cute animal portraits. Even the Royal Family is getting in on the action. 

For some of us this has never been new, but there’s been a huge growth in the number of pet photographers offering their professional skills to capture a multi-species family portrait.

SAT spoke to Kerry Martin of Akemi Photography about her job and the pros and cons of treating pets as family.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a photographer and I work with pets and their people.  I have the most awesome job of creating incredible experiences and capturing the amazing bond that pet lovers have with their pet.

How did you get into dog photography (phoDOGraphy?)?

It really started when we welcomed our own gorgeous fur child into the family. Keiko is the most adorable dog and as a puppy he looked like a baby polar bear.  That much cuteness just had to be captured and cherished and this is something that continues today!  His arrival opened up this new world for me. 

Modern family: Sam, Kerry and Keiko. Note Keiko's resemblance to a polar bear. Fortunately he's somewhat less predatory - a fact which no doubt enhances the human-animal bond.

I chased him about, capturing his every cheekiness, cuteness and new discovery in his puppy world.  I took nearly a gazillion photos of Keiko and was sharing them online.  I then had some of the families I photographed ask to include their pets in their photography sessions.  Of course, I thought this was a fabulous idea and it turned out that these were the most relaxed and fun sessions.  It then grew from there.  Today I photograph pets individually and with their families.  It’s the most amazing fun and it’s so beautiful to capture and share the love people have for their pets.

It seems there has been a huge increase in pet photography in the last decade. Why do you think this is?

Because our pets are adorable, fun and an important part of our lives.  They are beautiful.  In an individual portrait they can be stunning and a stylish piece of photo wall art.  Included in a family session, they capture another love that exists in family.  Our pets when included with the family also have an uncanny nature to make people relax and this makes for amazing photos.  

Be ready for anything: Sonny and Commander Spock.

What are the challenges in taking photos of animals and how can you overcome these?

There are quite a few challenges (and lots if you're not naturally an animal person!).  Like humans, every animal will have their own personality - what they respond to, what they enjoy and don't enjoy.  Understanding how to relate to animals while letting them be animals is essential to working with them.  Being calm and patient is equally important.  I don't have expectations of an animal doing what it is I want them to but to let them be themselves and figure out how to work with that to deliver what their people want.

Sunny and foster dog Ronnie.

Can you describe your typical client?

The typical thing about my clients is that they are all pet lovers and absolutely consider their pets part of the family.  They arrange playdates for them, they include them in whatever activities they can, the pets sleep on the bed and are just truly loved.

Have you had any unusual requests?

More often now, I'm being asked to photograph bigger groups of pets.  People want to include all the pets in the family that are important, so that might be siblings and their pets.  Pets in an extended family often spend much time together so capturing them all together is meaningful to their people.  I'm frequently photographing groups of 5, 6 and 7 pets.  It's crazy fun with those sorts of numbers of animals!

Karen, Dan and Tux.

I've also photographed with Wildlife Victoria - bats, possums, wombats and a very cheeky joey.  It was an incredible opportunity to photograph Australian wildlife.  

It has been said that for some people, animals are equivalent to children. Is that your experience and why do you think we do this?

Absolutely.  It's true for me, as well as for many of those I photograph.  I don't firsthand know the bond that a mother has for her children, but I certainly believe the love I have for my fur-kids is as meaningful.  I know many people with both human and fur children and they express the same sentiment - that they consider their pets to be part of the family.  

I work from home and one of the things I love most is that they are around me all day (I love to have a break for a 'puppy cuddle'), we plan outings and holidays around including them.  We will talk about their day and the little things that they got up to.  There's a reason why we so commonly refer to them as our best friends - they embody the best qualities we all seek in our lives - loyalty, companionship, they teach us, they grow with us, they make us feel joy and happiness, and all without conditions.  

Fiona and her fur-kids Monty and Mandy: "My dogs rule my house. They sleep in the bed with me, they each have their own routines, we organise play dates with my mum's dogs, and they're spoilt every day and get whatever they want. I have two ballgowns for Mandy and a tuxedo for Monty I'm saving for a special occasion."

Do you think there is a down-side to this bonding?

It is absolutely heartbreaking when they leave us.  And the problem with pets, is that that's always too soon.  This can be made more difficult by the fact that others don't necessarily understand the deep connection pet lovers have with their pet.  Non-pet people will say 'it's only a dog' believing that it will help us to find "perspective" and adjust quicker.  In fact that minimises what's being felt and can make us feel isolated.  Our pets are such a constant part of our lives and we often associate them with other great memories throughout our lives, it leaves such a gap when they depart.  

Kim and Daisy, who she rescued off the streets of Budapest 17 years ago. "I have a one-on-one relationship with Daisy and we know each other's moves and I can predict her needs. I adore every hair on her body."

Do you have any non-humans in your life? Can you tell us a bit about them?

I've already mentioned our top dog, Keiko.  He's a 3 year old Japanese Spitz.  He's also the world's cutest dog ;)  We also have our cat Kimba (who is in fact, top 'dog' in our house putting Keiko in his place when the need arises).  He's 7 years old and a being a Ragdoll cross Maine Coon (from what we can tell), a big boy.  Snuggles on the couch are one of our favourite things in this house.  

Do you ever get sick of taking pics of animals?

To my husband's sometimes displeasure - no!  I love being around animals and when they are doing something adorable I can't help but feel the need to capture it.  I take some sort of camera (if not my SLR) with me everywhere I go.  Keiko I photograph pretty much every day still.  I will see or meet a dog while out walking and want to photograph them because they are so adorable/playful/unique/etc.  I have ideas about a way that I'd like to photograph a particular breed or I'll purchase a new prop or lens which opens another creative photography avenue. Or I'll discover a new amazing location, like taking dogs to the snow, which inspires more photography.  Photographing animals and pets is the perfect mix of my passions - I can't get enough of it. And I say to hubby’s displeasure because he's often the one I rope in to 'assist' me!

Thanks Kerry. I must confess I have one or two [potentially 65,000] photos of my multi-species family around the place here and there. Readers, do you include your pet in family portraits? SAT would love to see them. Are your portraits strictly mono-species? Tell us why. Do you consider yourself a "pet parent" of "fur kids" (and will you celebrate mother's day with your pet) or disagree with use of this terminology?