The history of the human-canine relationship and the human-canine bond is
longstanding and has grown and developed throughout the years. Today, dogs are
considered part of the family and are beneficial in impacting people across the United
States. Introducing the community to dog safety education may strengthen the awareness
and confidence of dog lovers across the state of Florida and hopefully reduce the number
of preventable dog emergencies.
This research suggested the reasons for dog ownership and the importance of
protecting our beloved canines by presenting a literature review covering the evolution of
the human-canine relationship, human-canine bond, positive effects of canines on
humans, history of humane education to demonstrate the importance of dogs in the lives
of American citizens and an overview of community education and the importance dog
safety community education. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to understand the current state of
dog safety community education in Florida and to introduce the need for policies and
procedures for dog safety training for adults, if needed based on the research. This topic
was analyzed through a needs assessment administered through a Parks & Recreation
department in south Florida and online through social media. Ten key informants were
selected to interview for an in-depth understanding of their perspective on this topic.
Document analysis was conducted to see if results of the needs assessment were
addressed in brochures and other media locally. The participants were community
members of Florida who were also dog owners. Participants were adults over the age of
18. The participants’ anonymity was protected, as no names were collected from the
survey.
After carefully examining data collected from 10 interviews, document analysis,
and surveys of 150 participants who are dog owners in Florida, the researcher of this
study revealed factors that show substantial value that dog owners place on their dogs and
interest in educational opportunities to protect their safety. The significance of this study
presented additional research dispelling a misconception that dog safety education as
easily accessible and available in Florida based communities. This study was also
significant because it contributes to the literature by identifying the value dog owners
place on their dogs, as demonstrated in both survey and document analysis. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fau.edu/oai:fau.digital.flvc.org:fau_34544 |
| Contributors | Falcone, Jaclyn Nicole (author), Bryan, Valerie (Thesis advisor), Florida Atlantic University (Degree grantor), College of Education, Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology |
| Publisher | Florida Atlantic University |
| Source Sets | Florida Atlantic University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, Text |
| Format | 113 p., application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder., http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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