Robin Ganzert Announces First-of-its-Kind Canines and Childhood Cancer Study

WASHINGTON, DC, March 11, 2014

Working alongside Zoetis Inc., the American Humane Association and their CEO and president, Robin Ganzert, have announced a first-of-its-kind clinical trial to study the effects of animal-assisted therapy on pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Named the Canines and Childhood Cancer Study or CCC Study, this new trial will examine how the symptoms of stress and anxiety are affected among children facing cancer and their parents or guardians by animal-assisted therapy, such as the use of therapy dogs. The study will also be examining how the therapy animals themselves are affected by participating in animal-assisted therapy sessions with this population.

Five leading children's hospitals will be participating in the CCC Study, with each site collecting data for about 12 months, with staggering dates of initiation. The population of patients in the study will be children between the ages of three and 12 who have recently been diagnosed with childhood cancer and who are receiving regular outpatient clinic chemotherapy treatment.

"This clinical trial is an important step forward in identifying and understanding perhaps under-used weapons in the war on childhood cancer," says Dr. Robin Ganzert. "After years of anecdotal evidence pointing to its effectiveness, we are hoping to examine in a rigorous manner the scientific underpinning of the benefits of animal-assisted therapy on children with cancer."

Although programs utilizing therapy dogs are common in many different children's hospitals all over the country, there has been no rigorous evaluation about how to best implement this type of therapy in situations of pediatric oncology. Though therapy dog owners, doctors, patients, and their families have all long shared anecdotal information on the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in cancer patients, there has been little hard evidence to actually back up these claims.

This is precisely the gap in hard evidence that the CCC Study seeks to fill, says Robin Ganzert. The trial is unique in that it will study the therapy dogs' well-being in addition to the effects that the therapy has on the child patients and their families across the multiple test sites.

"We strive to advance the understanding and scientific rigor around animal-assisted therapy and to broaden informed adoption of the therapeutic power of the human-animal bond," says Zoetis' Director of Academic & Professional Affairs, Vanessa Mariani. "These incredible partnerships with participating sites and the collaboration between children's health providers, patients, and veterinarians is a model that we hope to continue advancing in the future for the benefit of children and animals through strong science."

Before this 12-month trial was launched, both Zoetis and the American Humane Association published a comprehensive review of the literature on animal-assisted therapy and pediatric oncology. According to Robin Ganzert, the two groups also launched a pilot study of six months in early 2013.

ABOUT:

Since 2010, Robin Ganzert has been the president and CEO of the American Humane Association, an animal welfare advocacy organization. Since she began serving in this role, she has played a crucial part in making the organization more active and relevant as well as implementing a wide variety of beneficial initiatives. Through her work, Dr. Ganzert remains committed to protecting the welfare, wellness and well-being of children and animals everywhere in order to maximize the potential of the bond between humans and animals.