Dr. Pia Salk is a psychologist, animal welfare advocate, and expert on the human-animal bond. Pia frequently highlights the important role that animals play in our lives and how our societal treatment of animals conveys important messages to our youth. In her own work, Pia often credits the animals as being "the real therapists."
Pia is also a writer and the spokesperson for Adopt-A-Pet.com, North America's largest non-profit pet adoption website. She is a professor in the area of diversity and family systems and a frequent guest on national radio programs, speaking on such topics as companion animals being important members of the family. Her extensive involvement in animal rescue efforts and her expertise on animal welfare have been featured on many national shows including The Martha Stewart Show.
Pia is the niece of polio vaccine developer Jonas Salk and daughter of bestselling author and psychologist Lee Salk. She resides in Los Angeles, California, with her multiple adopted animals.
As a child I remember giggling hysterically when anyone would give me an “Eskimo Kiss.” Rubbing noses seemed funny to begin with and then being told it was how Eskimo’s Kiss, seemed kinda neat at the time. As one who loves ’snout to snout’ critter photos, I decided to research ‘Eskimo Kissing’ a bit …
Canines are amazing creatures who inherently wish to know their boundaries and please their leaders. Communicating with, and training, Fido can be more rewarding when the human trainer has a better understanding of how Fido perceives his world. Today’s gallery offers some interesting factoids about pooch behavior….
Communication is key to all peaceful and successful interactions. …
Summertime reminds me of one of my favorite stories, the Starfish Story. Many people who have adopted, rescued or fostered an animal will relate deeply to its simple and empowering message, one that’s great to share with children. The story is attributed to the writer Loren Eiseley, who lived and wrote between 1907 and 1977, …
Summer really brings out the silly in pooches! Whether it’s the smells, the sprinkler, the sand, or the swimming, they embrace the season with complete abandon.
Let’s be sure to take a cue from our canine friends this season. Smell the flowers in the park. Feel the sand under your feet. Fetch shells. Splash in …
A dear friend of mine recently shared the story of what is not an atypical weekend for her- I thought I’d pass it along as it’s a story that will likely resonate with many of you…..
Hey Pia-
I just recovered from quite an eventful weekend and thought that of all my friends, you’d be sure to …
It’s that time of year folks. We are well into “Kitten Season,” as millions of unaltered cats are producing litters that average between 3 and 5 little furballs in need of care and shelter. The population of homeless cats explodes exponentially this time of year, but fortunately there are many things you can do to …
This time of year brings the delights of snow cones and splashing at the beach. But it also brings the very real risk of heatstroke for two and four leggers alike. Pet Safety Expert Denise Fleck offers valuable information and tips on what to do in the case of a companion animal heatstroke …
Ever wonder what your four-leggers are feeling or trying to tell you? If you are anything like me, you are constantly trying to decode the inner psyche of your furry children. Many of my critters tend to lay back to back or sleep leaning on one another. Sometimes they even sleep tushy-to-tushy …
One of the most rewarding things about rescuing an animal is witnessing them finally relax and fall asleep. Sleep in some form, is critical to the survival of most living creatures. Dogs are not much different from their two-legged counterparts when it comes to the need for sleep that includes dreaming and other …
On the heels of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share some new information regarding how multiple humans view their canine’ kids’. A recent study conducted by Kelton Research reveals that 8 in 10 Pet Parents surveyed consider their dogs to be equal members of the family.
Given that social justice issues are subtly reflected …
