James Serpell

James Serpell holds the Marie A. Moore endowed Chair of Animal Ethics & Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor’s degree in Zoology from University College London and his PhD in Animal Behavior from the University of Liverpool, UK. At Penn Vet he teaches veterinary ethics and animal welfare. His research focuses on the behavior and welfare of dogs and cats, the development of human attitudes to animals, and the history and impact of human-animal relationships. He has published more than 180 articles and book chapters on these and related topics, and is the author, editor or co-editor of several books including Animals & Human Society: Changing Perspectives (1994), In the Company of Animals (1986 & 1996), Companion Animals & Us (2000), and The Domestic Dog (1995 & 2016). He is also the creator of the widely-used Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ: www.cbarq.org).

Participant In These Roundtable Discussions

Sat
Dec 15th
2018
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The Animal Human Continuum

This roundtable explores the continuity between human and animal minds, examining emotions, consciousness, and behavior across species through perspectives from neuroscience, philosophy, and history. It considers the ethical implications of how we understand and relate to animals, and how these insights inform both science and our treatment of other living beings.