Rate My Professor Lisa Gunter

Lisa Gunter, PhD, CAAB, is an Assistant Professor in Animal Behavior and Welfare in the School of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech, where she directs the Companion Animal Research and Education (CARE) Lab. She earned her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology from Arizona State University in 2018 and an MA from the same program in 2015. Her earlier degrees include a BA in Journalism from The Evergreen State College in 2001 and an AA in Communications from Elgin Community College in 1998. Before her current position, Gunter served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Coastal Carolina University and as the Maddie’s Fund Research Fellow at Arizona State University, managing the ASU/VT Maddie’s Nationwide Fostering Study. Prior to academia, she worked nearly a decade in animal shelters as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, behavior consultant, and trainer in San Francisco, managing behavior programs at shelters, teaching group classes on fear, anxiety, and aggression, co-founding Wagfield Academy (acquired by the Humane Society of the United States Pets for Life program), and the Institute for Shelter Dogs with Dr. Erica Feuerbacher.

Gunter’s research focuses on companion animal behavior and welfare, particularly human-animal interactions related to sheltering, behavioral issues, and training. Her studies investigate breed labeling and genetic heritage of shelter dogs, weeklong fostering, temporary stays, short-term outings, shelter housing, social interactions, barking interventions, post-adoption owner retention, and crisis fostering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notable publications include “The implications of weeklong fostering and co-housing on shelter dog welfare” (PeerJ, 2026, with J.M. Platzer et al.), “Companion animal foster caregiving: a scoping review exploring animal and caregiver welfare” (PeerJ, 2024, with G.E. Phillips), “A Canine Identity Crisis: Genetic Breed Heritage Testing of Shelter Dogs” (PLoS ONE, 2018), “What’s in a Name? Effect of Breed Perceptions & Labeling on Attractiveness, Adoptions & Length of Stay for Pit-Bull-Type Dogs” (PLoS ONE, 2016), and “Evaluating the effects of a temporary fostering program on shelter dog welfare” (PeerJ, 2019). She has received the Nestlé Purina Companion Animal Award from the International Society for Applied Ethology in 2019 and 2021, the Outstanding Mentor Award from Arizona State University’s Graduate & Professional Student Association in 2018, and multiple best presentation awards. Gunter teaches APSC 5984: Managed Animal Ethology & Welfare and APSC 4984: Companion Animal Socialization & Behavior Laboratory, and holds memberships in the Animal Behavior Society, International Society for Applied Ethology, and others.