The relationship between women who have experienced breast cancer and their dogs and whether this positively impacts on their health forms new academic research.
Melissa Symonds, a dog-owner and senior lecturer in oncology at Northampton University, is conducting the research for her PhD and is looking for women around the UK to lend their views in an online survey.
Her aim is to take their responses to help inform healthcare professionals about the important role dogs play in the lives of women with breast cancer so they can help support the bond women with breast cancer have with their four-legged friends.
The survey is online and anonymous and takes around 20 minutes to complete. The questions cover the physical, emotional and social impact of having breast cancer and women’s relationship with their dogs, such as the practicalities of looking after it, how attentive and messy they feel the dog is, the emotional bond between them and how women feel their dog impacts on their life.
Click here to complete the survey.
