Dr. Franklin McMillan
Dr. Franklin McMillan is the Director of Well-Being Studies at Best Friends. He assesses and studies the mental health and emotional well-being of animals who have endured hardship, adversity, and psychological trauma. He hopes to learn what the effects of trauma are - the psychological injuries and scars - and how best to treat them in order to restore to these animals a life of enjoyment rather than one of fear and emotional distress. He studied the psychological health and behavior of the breeding dogs rescued from puppy mills and of dogs purchased from pet stores. He is conducting studies on cats from an institutionalized hoarding situation, the psychological causes and effects of abuse in dogs, the emotional rehabilitation and recovery of the fighting dogs, and measuring personality and quality of life in cats. He authored Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals and Unlocking the Animal Mind: How Your Pet’s Feelings Hold the Key to His Health and Happiness. www.bestfriends.org.
