Pauleen Charmayne Bennett (born 13 October 1963) is an Australian scientist researching anthrozoology at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia.

In the immediate years following high school, Bennett held an amateur jockey's licence and rode racehorses in training for a while, before enrolling in simultaneous Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and Bachelor of Behavioural Science with Honours (Psychology) degrees at La Trobe University, where she received numerous accolades for best performance over the course of her degrees (1989–1994).

[9] Bennett changed her research focus from the neurosciences to anthrozoology in the Department of Psychology in 2002, as a member of the faculty of Monash University, working in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Science Centre.

Her review of the issues surrounding cosmetic tail docking of dogs and finding "that the theory of cognitive dissonance...may provide a useful framework within which to understand, and attempt to alter, attitudes that persist even though they appear contrary to available empirical evidence" coincided with a national ban on tail docking of dogs in all states of Australia under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Welfare Acts.

[29] Bennett lives in regional Victoria outside of Bendigo with her partner, Ron Wheeler, and their collection of dogs, horses, goats and one cat.