Thank you!

To Our Paw-ticipants,

It is with bittersweet emotion that I share the news that I am leaving my position at the Thinking Dog Center (TDC) to take on a new role as Director of Canine Research and Development at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Sadly, this means that the Thinking Dog Center will be closing its doors effective June 30th.  As the founder and Director of the TDC, I am so incredibly grateful to the dogs, cats, and their guardians for contributing to canine and feline science. Perhaps the best part of this experience has been getting to know so many amazing individuals. Thank you!

I could not be more appreciative to have had the opportunity to be a part of the CUNY and Hunter College community. Without the immense support of the College, the Psychology Department, and the Animal Behavior and Conservation program we would not have been able to create this environment truly geared towards understanding the thinking of our furry companion animals. Across the four years in which we have been open we have seen immense change, overcome unexpected challenges, and helped many students discover their careers in science.

It is my hope that you and your furry friend will continue your dedication and interest in canine and feline science! While the Thinking Dog Center will no longer be recruiting participants, there are canine cognition centers far and wide! Please consider staying involved with our TDC PhD student, Dana Ravid, who will continue working on her research projects under the supervision of Dr. Bertram O. Ploog (College of Staten Island, CUNY). She will be looking for participants for her studies during the summer and in the fall. If you are interested in participating in their upcoming online study, or if you are interested in bringing your dog to an in-person study, please email them to cunydogs@gmail.com, so that they can reach out to you in the future.

Soon, we will no longer be monitoring our social media accounts, email, and website. However, we will keep these accounts active to communicate with our past study participants about the outcomes of our TDC projects as they are published. If you would like to stay in touch, please don’t hesitate! You can follow me on Twitter (@SEByosiere), reach out via e-mail (SEByosiere@gmail.com), or stay up to date with my research on my website (https://sites.google.com/view/sebyosiere/home).

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for letting the Thinking Dog Center into your life and the life of your companion animal. Your participation in our studies has paved the way for ground-breaking research into the lives of our dogs (and cats!). For this, I am forever grateful.

Best Woofs,

Sarah

Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, Ph.D., CAAB

Director - Thinking Dog Center

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

Animal Behavior and Conservation Program

Hunter College & The Graduate Center

City University of New York (CUNY)