Weekly News Roundup 6/19 to 6/25

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New school year brings hybrid curriculum

How do you fit 100 students in a lecture hall when they must stay 6 feet apart? That’s a question many veterinary educators are working to answer. Laura Nelson, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA, associate dean and director of academic affairs at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, said classrooms at the veterinary college aren’t big enough for the average class of 100 students because of COVID-19-related social distancing. “When those realities sank in, we realized we needed to adapt,” she said. “We can’t fill our rooms like we are used to.” . . . more

Women less likely to date a man holding a cat in his profile picture

Men who like cats are less likely to get a date. That's the takeaway from a study by Colorado State University that found women are less likely to swipe right—or say yes—to men if they’re posing with a cat in a picture. Scientists showed hundreds of women photos of two men, each pictured with and without a furry companion. For one man, 38% of the women asked said they were likely or very likely to causally date him, and 37% said they would consider a serious relationship with him. But as soon as they were shown a picture of the same man with a cat, the numbers dropped to 33% for each category. . . . more

Strolls with shelter dogs may reduce PTSD symptoms in military veterans

The United States is home to more than 21 million military veterans, many of whom have difficulty reintegrating into civilian life. A staggering 20% of them suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), one of the most common trauma-induced mental illnesses. Moreover, it is estimated that 20 veterans die of suicide each day, resulting in about 6,000 deaths by suicide each year. With President Trump’s announcement last week of a roadmap to increase public awareness and training to curb these deaths in our military veterans, a unique study exploring the human-animal bond could play an important role in helping this initiative. . . . more

Juggling kids and work during a pandemic

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic this spring, Michelle Meyer, DVM, MS, began overseeing distance learning for her three sons while continuing to practice—and found that cooking helped her cope. Kate Brucker, DVM, was practicing while checking in with her two daughters and son back at home. Tasha McNerney, CVT, CVPP, VTS, was balancing working with schooling her son and providing online anesthesia content. Work got busier for Brenten Minick, DVM, a solo practitioner, but his wife is a behavioral teacher’s assistant who started schooling their two sons at home instead. Kate Boatright, DVM, was continuing to practice while a nanny cared for her infant son, but she still had plenty of worries. . . . more

A look back at every World’s Ugliest Dog contest winner since 2002

Like so many other events this year, the 2020 World’s Ugliest Dog contest has been canceled. The event was scheduled to take place Friday, June 26, in Petaluma, California. In the meantime, here’s a look back last year’s winner, Scamp the Tramp, as well as contest champs all the way back to 2002. . . . more

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