Experts say the animals represent an important milestone in the field of animal-to-human transplants, known as xenotransplantation.
The courses are part of the growing, but still undefined, field of animal studies.
Dr. Hauser's early research work was in the field of animal communication.
Today, however, there is a growing field of animal happiness studies, although scientists prefer the term "positive emotions".
Many of those working in the field of animal happiness are motivated by a belief that animals have rights and their studies have big implications for meat-eaters.
He studied vervet monkeys in Kenya with Dr. Seyfarth and Dr. Cheney, and then did postdoctoral work with Peter Marler, a pioneer in the field of animal communication.
Along with the explosion in animal imagery there has been an uptick of interest within academia, spurred by the growing field of animal studies, in the relations and interactions between humans and animals.
Luckily, basic palliative care is not particularly expensive, and the emerging field of animal hospice will allow more owners to give respite to their dying animals without going broke.
Dr. Hauser is a leader in the field of animal and human cognition, and in 2006 wrote a well-received book, "Moral Minds: How Nature Designed Our Universal Sense of Right and Wrong".
Julian Huxley, a pioneer in the field of animal behavior, and Aldous Huxley, the author of "Brave New World" and other works, were half brothers from his father's first marriage.
Although the field of animal-assisted therapy has grown a lot in the last four decades, experts readily acknowledge that it suffers from a lack of well-designed research that can establish guidelines for safety and effectiveness in various situations.
