CSU Animal-Human Policy Center

Join us to hear Melina Jacques talk about her new book, What it Really Means to Love Dogs: A Cultural and Ethical Exploration. The book examines the social and ethical consequences of the modern elevation of dogs. It explores how dog devotion has become intertwined with moral identity, social expectations, and ideas about virtue and belonging, while examining the often-overlooked costs to people, other animals, and the environment. The book challenges widely held assumptions about what it means to love dogs and asks who bears the consequences when an animal becomes a cultural ideal. Melina Jacques is an independent researcher and writer whose work examines the cultural, historical, and symbolic dimensions of human-dog relationships. She has spent many years researching the subject across animal studies, psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, philosophy, ethics, and related fields.

Learn how topical pet flea and tick preventives impacts our water and our environment from Stephanie Hughes, a registered Chemical Engineer with 30 years of experience in water quality and regulatory compliance. Stephanie teaches at Santa Clara University and advises California municipalities. Since 2014, Stephanie has been evaluating less-toxic options to on-pet topical flea control due to water quality and public health concerns.

Join Dr. Nichole L. Nageotte (Community Research and Evaluation Manager) and Dr. Lynn Von Hagen (Africa Conservation Program Director) - both at the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance - talk about the important role zoos play in conservation.

Join us for a conversation with Oxford zoologist Tim Coulson about octopus biology, how predator-prey arms races have shaped life on Earth, and the challenges of human-wildlife coexistence following wolf reintroduction in the American West.

Learn from Dr Ana Davidson and Lindsey Sterling Krank about prairie dogs in the west. These keystone species are threatened by plague and unlimited shooting on public lands, but conservationists are working to stop these threats. 

Listen to AHPC co-director Becky Niemiec share her reflections on what we can learn from Dr Jane Goodall. 

Join us for a discussion with Dr Jo Hockenhull, the Head of Research at The Donkey Sanctuary, leading a team of dedicated researchers working to improve the lives of donkeys and their hybrids across the world. 

Join us in a discussion with Dr Sarah King about wild horses and burros in the Western United States. Learn how they are managed, why they are managed, and the complexity of achieving improved wild horse welfare.

Learn about the effort to stop Colorado's unlimited trapping and hunting of coyotes, foxes, bobcats and other "furbearers" in the state.Samantha works with the Center for Biological Diversity's Carnivore Conservation program. She handles carnivore issues nationwide with a focus on state-level progress. Samantha's career has included wildlife commission reform, political advocacy, and coalition building to advance carnivore policyacross the U.S. West. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University California Riverside and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University.

Join us as we talk to Noelle Webb about the personal risks, ethical dilemmas, and societal impact of whistleblowers who challenge powerful institutions in pursuit of accountability and justice.After a 30-year award-winning career in pharmaceuticalsales, Noelle Webb became a whistleblower in 2014, reporting illegal off-label marketing of pain medications and fraud against Medicare. During the ensuing decade of personal and professional upheaval, she found a new path training service dogs for veterans with PTSD, earning a MS in canine cognition. She shares her experiences and the resilience-building power of the human–dog bond in her forthcoming book, Leash of Courage (March 20, 2026).