Integrating Education and Welfare Across Species

At The Cross‑Species Institute, we bring together education, research, and practical animal welfare in a way that’s engaging, evidence‑based, and accessible. Our work takes place online and here in Northern Sicily, where learning is rooted in real animals, real environments, and real community needs. Through Sicily Animal Support, we stay closely connected to local welfare challenges, ensuring that science and compassion translate into meaningful, everyday impact. Our aim is simple: to improve animal well‑being and help people understand behaviour through clear, practical learning and hands‑on experiences. Whether you’re a student, practitioner, researcher, or animal lover, there’s something here for you — a place where learning meets compassion and small actions help create lasting change.

'We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals' - Immanuel Kant.

“Meet the Founder of the Cross‑Species Institute”

Dean Hart is the founder of the Cross‑Species Institute, a research‑led organisation dedicated to improving animal welfare through evidence‑based practice and accessible education. A behavioural biologist and applied welfare practitioner, Dean works at the intersection of behavioural ecology, stress physiology, and humane care across species. His research spans canine stress physiology, colour‑linked behavioural responses in domestic animals, and exploratory field observations on adaptive behaviour and environmental stress responses in Mediterranean agroecosystems. He brings over 23 years of clinical behavioural experience on veterinary referral in the UK, where he was regarded as one of the country’s leading animal behaviourists, informing his welfare‑centred approach to behavioural assessment and cross‑species emotional regulation.