Dr. Candace Croney
Education
Ph.D., Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 1999
MS., Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 1999
B.S., Animal Science, Rutgers University, 1993
Ph: (765) 496-6665 (office)
Fax: (765) 494-9830
Email: ccroney@purdue.edu
Research
My goal is to better understand how to meet the needs of agricultural (pigs) and companion animals (cats and dogs) so that we can improve the quality of life these animals experience whether they are housed on farms, maintained in laboratories, or kept in shelters or breeding kennels. I also aim to understand the ethical implications of animal care and use decisions and how people’s values, beliefs and attitudes impact their perceptions of animal agriculture, animal welfare and related communications and policies.
My group uses animal behavior and health to evaluate how well animals are coping in the environments in which they are kept and how they respond to interventions intended to support their well-being (e.g., enhancing the quality and complexity of their environments through enrichment, using low stress handling techniques, designing housing environments that accommodate their behavioral needs). Our collaborations with social scientists use surveys, questionnaires and focus groups to gauge people’s views and related behaviors on animal welfare issues. These approaches have helped us to clarify what sources of information people use to inform themselves on animal welfare, how animal welfare may be related to notions of corporate and individual social responsibility, and how these insights may help decision-makers and policy influencers.
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