{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:06:07Z","timestamp":1760144767674,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1716336000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The reported positive outcomes of animal-assisted services have led to an emerging interest in many different aspects of human\u2013animal interactions. The influence of an assistance animal is thought to encompass several psychosocial domains in the life of a person with a significant health impairment. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Hearing Dogs and their owners. A prospective study design using a written questionnaire method was utilized to survey 58 current and 23 prospective Australian Lions Hearing Dogs owners. The Pet Expectations Inventory (PEI) was used to investigate the anticipated role of Hearing Dogs in waitlisted persons with hearing loss\/Deafness, whereas the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) was completed by current owners to assess emotional attachment. The results revealed a high mean PEI score (M = 73.1, SD = 10.9, Mdn = 73.0, range: 55\u201391), with prospective owners strongly expecting the role of Hearing Dogs to include companionship\/love and security. Furthermore, strong attachment features were evident in the owners\u2019 relationships with Hearing Dogs, as demonstrated by a high total LAPS score (M = 81.2, SD = 7.5, range: 63\u201391). Mean scores for statements within the \u201cpeople substitution\u201d category were highest (range = 3.6\/4.00\u20133.9\/4.00). In this demographically homogenous study cohort, it appeared that the high expectations of potential Hearing Dog owners for their animals to serve supportive roles beyond hearing assistance should be achievable, as evidenced by the strong attachment relationships displayed between Hearing Dogs and their owners.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani14111527","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T06:54:09Z","timestamp":1716360849000},"page":"1527","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exploring the Relationship between Persons with Hearing Loss\/Deafness and Their Hearing Dogs"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5037-392X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlie J.","family":"Driscoll","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal-Assisted Interventions Research Alliance, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2650-455X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jessica","family":"Hill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal-Assisted Interventions Research Alliance, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Torre","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal-Assisted Interventions Research Alliance, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8927-4205","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nancy","family":"Pachana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2024, January 18). 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