Texas Tech University

Anastasia Stellato, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor: Companion Animal Science
Animal and Food Sciences

Email: Anastasia.Stellato@ttu.edu

Phone: 806-834-8426

Room Number: 219 AFS

Lab Website: Human-Animal Interaction Lab

 

Dr. Anastasia Stellato

Dr. Stellato earned her B.S in Conservation Biology at the University of Toronto and her M.S in Animal Behavior and Welfare at the University of Guelph. She completed her PhD in Epidemiology, in the Ontario Veterinary College Companion Animal Behavior and Welfare lab. She continued her studies as a post-doctoral associate at the University of Guelph.

She is an expert in companion animal behavior, with a professional background in advising the public on responsible pet ownership, identifying companion animal behavior, and performing appropriate behavior modifications. Prior to her new position at Texas Tech, she devoted her previous employment to improving the welfare of animals as a dog behaviorist for Toronto Animal Services, and a Canine Adoption Counselor at the Toronto Humane Society.

Her research uses epidemiological methods to study companion animal welfare. She has conducted research in a variety of areas including the identification and validation of dog fear behaviors, the assessment and mitigation of dog fear and fear-based aggression within a veterinary setting, and understanding the behavioral impacts of providing outdoor access to cats.

Dr. Stellato's research focuses on improving our interactions with companion animals. Broadly, she has three main areas of focus: 1) improving canine welfare in the veterinary clinic, 2) mitigating companion animal stress within shelter, and 3) examining human-animal interactions during routine handling and other practices, with a focus on exploring the influence of low-stress handling.

Her research program aims to evaluate the impact of human-animal interactions on the behavior and welfare of companion animals, and to identify ways to prevent and reduce animal stress. Her research will investigate behavioral and physiological animal welfare indicators, the human-animal bond, and mental wellness of humans to improve the human-animal relationship within various applied environments, including veterinary clinics and animal shelters.

She is currently accepting graduate students and undergraduate research volunteers. If you are interested in joining Dr. Stellato's lab, please email at Anastasia.Stellato@ttu.edu with your CV and research interests. Her lab is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment; all students are encouraged to apply.

Animal & Food Sciences