Shelby McDonald is an internationally recognized scholar whose interdisciplinary work focuses on human-animal interaction, trauma and health equity. She serves as director of the Human–Animal Bond in Colorado Center, holds the Sarama Bliss Endowed Chair in Human-Animal Interaction, and is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Colorado State University.

McDonald directs the RISE HAI Lab (Research for Inclusion, Social Justice, and Equity in Human-Animal Interaction), which leads equity-driven, community-engaged research on the social, structural and ecological conditions that shape multispecies wellbeing. She studies how relationships with animals influence human health and wellbeing, and how social and structural inequities shape those relationships and their impact across contexts such as mental health, substance use, violence prevention and access to housing and healthc are.

Her research has been supported by organizations including the NIH, HABRI and the ASPCA, and has informed policy, practice and public discourse on trauma, mental health and human-animal relationships at national and international levels, including presentations at congressional briefings.

McDonald’s leadership in advancing inclusive, evidence-based approaches to human-animal interaction has earned national recognition — she was featured on Rover’s “10 Notable Women Changing the Pet World” list, highlighting her influence at the intersection of research, equity and the pet-care community. Her work continues to promote health, safety and justice across species.