TigerPlace: training veterinarians about animal companionship for the elderly.

Students learn more effectively when they are actively engaged in the learning process. Therefore, case studies have become increasingly popular as a way to teach students about a representative subject. This article discusses the benefits of case studies, with a primary focus on how case studies can help veterinary medical students learn about the human-animal bond. The discussion is particularly aimed at veterinary medicine instructors and discusses how case studies can be used and why they are important. TigerPlace, a pet-friendly, innovative housing facility for older adults, is used as an example of a case study that can be used to teach about, and to study, the human-animal bond. In particular, the article addresses the special advantages of TigerPlace to students with respect to learning about older adults and the bond they have with their pets.