Animals Studies as a discipline strives to understand the animal-human relationships through various lenses, from challenging the lines we draw between humans and animals to wondering what life and experience are like from animal perspectives. The field is wide-reaching, with some sections focusing on animal activism, animals in literature, culture, and history, and animals in politics. Whether they are wild, companion, used in agriculture or science, the field seeks to think carefully and critically about all nonhuman animals.

Common questions within this field include: How do animals experience the world? What role do animals play in our lives? What are our moral obligations to animals? How are animals represented in cultural texts? How can we learn to live responsibly and ethically with animals?

I am an Assistant Professor of English at Acadia University. My research focuses on the relationships between race, animals, and the environment. I want people to understand that everyone has a relationship to animals, to feel an obligation to the natural world, and to work creatively and use their unique skills to fulfill some of these responsibilities.

Hi! My name is Teagan and I am a graduate student in geography at the University of Ottawa with a passion for animals. I credit much of my interest in animal wellbeing to my upbringing, as I lived in a house with 14 pets. Living in a "zoo" really teaches you that every animal is unique, they have emotions, personalities, and desire love like any human. Through my academic journey, I seek to better understand the interplay between animals and humans in order to design urban areas with animals' best interests in mind. I believe we as humans (and as the dominant being on this planet) have a responsibility to care for, protect, and preserve the natural world and it is our responsibility to ensure every animal has a voice.