Human-Animal Wellness Research
Bridging service dog science and real-world practice
I study service dog partnerships as a health intervention, contributing to research that improves outcomes for people with disabilities and their families.
About my work
Scholar, practitioner, & advocate
I'm a Research Scientist in the OHAIRE Lab with the University of Arizona Center for Human-Animal Wellness Research, where I contribute to a program of translational research on service dog partnerships.
Our work, led by Dr. Maggie O'Haire, is designed to be feasible for service dog organizations, meaningful for service dog partners, and informative for clinicians and policymakers — helping close the gap between rigorous science and real-world practice.
Selected contributions
Service Dogs · Veterans
Meta-analysis: 41 studies, 1,765 veterans
Service dog placement associated with a large, clinically meaningful reduction in PTSD symptom severity.
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Clinical outcomes · PTSD
66% lower odds of PTSD diagnosis
Published in JAMA Network Open. Lower PTSD symptom severity, depression, and anxiety; better psychosocial functioning across nearly every outcome assessed.
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Service Dogs · Autism
Impact extends beyond the individual
Service dogs reduce stigma and build resilience — not just for the autistic youth, but for their whole family.
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"Sarah is passionate about refining the service dog intervention to be as effective as possible, deeply committed to dismantling societal barriers to access and belonging, and dedicated to promoting a culture of inclusion."
— Citation for the 2024 APA Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology
Background
Before returning to academia, I spent over a decade at Canine Companions, ultimately as National Director of Training & Client Services, where I trained more than 100 dogs toward service dog partnership and oversaw 2,000+ placements. I remain actively engaged in practice as a volunteer puppy raiser and through leading service dog training classes at the Federal Correctional Complex in Tucson.