Live Long and Thrive…the Need for Enrichment for Our Pets
The Baby Boomer phenomenon is not just occurring in people. Our pets are living longer due to advances in medicine and improvements in home care. But is just living enough? Do our pets need to be mentally stimulated, enriched, in order to truly have the best quality of life…to thrive and not just survive? And what is enrichment? You buy them toys but they just don’t want to play? You invested in a fancy dancy pet monitor that tosses treats to them and they just seem bored. They are just old…and there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to bring back that spark of youth.
Dr. Julie Albright is one of 65 board-certified veterinary behaviorists in the US and an assistant professor of veterinary behavior and PetSafe Chair of Small Animal Behavioral Research at the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine.
BIO:
Dr. Albright is a veterinarian and one of 65 board-certified veterinary behaviorists in the US. Her duties as an assistant professor include consulting with families to help improve companion animal behavior problems and teaching vet students about animal behavior. As the PetSafe® Chair of Small Animal Behavioral Research at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Albright also conducts research into the causes and best treatments for problem behaviors in companion animals.
Dr. Albright received a Master’s degree in Animal Behavior and DVM from the University of Tennessee before completing a residency in Animal Behavior at Cornell University CVM. Her current research interests include behavioral development and documenting the effects of stress and reducing stressors in animal facilities. Dr. Albright along with members of the University of Tennessee’s Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee (HABIT) team are also researching the benefits of animal-assisted activities and the welfare of therapy animals.
When not working, Dr. Albright enjoys spending time with her family and pets. Dr. Albright has passed the horse-bug onto her daughter and they fill most of their free time in horse-related activities these days.