pet owner essay

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Animals (Basel)

Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and the Role of Pet Ownership in the Daily Lives of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study

Nataša obradović.

1 School of Social Work, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada

2 Research Centre on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l’Estrie—Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CIUSSS de l’Estrie—CHUS), Sherbrooke, QC J1H 4C4, Canada

Émilie Lagueux

3 School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada; [email protected]

4 Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CRCHUS), Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N4, Canada

Karine Latulippe

5 School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada; [email protected]

Véronique Provencher

Associated data.

No new data were created or analyzed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.

Simple Summary

This qualitative case study explores the perceived benefits and challenges of pet ownership for a community-dwelling older adult and her miniature schnauzer, from the perspectives of the pet owner and her community healthcare provider. The findings suggest that the pet’s well-being is an important part of the pet–owner relationship for Violet, the older adult. Sharing her daily life with her pet, Jack, gives her a sense of safety, positively influences her mood, and motivates her to carry out her daily activities. In return, Jack benefits from her daily presence and care. The challenges of pet ownership included a low-risk potential of falling, pet-related concerns, and financial costs. Both participants agree that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both Violet and Jack. Findings of this study suggest that caring for the pet is a meaningful aspect of the pet–owner relationship. Future studies should explore how to support human–animal relationships for community-dwelling older adults via pet ownership. Improving the fit between characteristics of the elderly pet owners and their pets will maximize benefits and minimize potential challenges; thus, supporting both aging-in-place and the well-being of animals.

Human–animal interactions may positively impact the health and well-being of older adults. Considering about one third of community-dwelling older adults report owning a pet, better understanding the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership may help support the relationships between older adults and their pets. This case study aims to better understand the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of older adults and explore the benefits and the challenges of owning a pet for this population. Interviews were conducted with Violet, a 77-year-old dog owner and her healthcare provider. Qualitative data were analyzed by two evaluators and validated by the participants. Both participants agree that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both the older adult and her pet. The benefits and challenges were the following: Violet, taking care of her dog (Jack), (1) could provide Violet with a sense of safety and positively influence her mood; (2) may introduce a slight fall risk; (3) includes financial costs to consider. Ensuring Jack’s well-being is important for Violet and her dog benefits from Violet’s continual presence and care. The findings suggest that improving the fit between characteristics of the owner and their pet may support the meaningful role of pet ownership within the context of aging-in-place.

1. Introduction

Older adults aged over 65 years account for 17.5% of the Canadian population; this percentage is expected to exceed 23% by 2036 [ 1 , 2 ]. Almost 20% of older adults report feelings of social isolation, which is known to adversely affect their psychological well-being and their physical health [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Human–animal interactions (HAIs) may be an avenue worth exploring to support the health and well-being of this population, as research about the positive psychological, social, and physical impacts of HAIs is promising [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Considering about one-third of community-dwelling older adults report living with at least one companion animal (CA) [ 15 ], pet ownership might play an important role in supporting aging-in-place.

Relating to psychological and social benefits, recent studies suggest that pet ownership may improve well-being, life satisfaction, and happiness, as well as decrease loneliness and social isolation, depressive symptoms, and anxiety [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. It may also increase levels of physical activity and/or walking of older adult pet owners [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. Other benefits include providing an overall sense of purpose and encouraging a daily routine [ 24 , 30 , 31 ]. Apart from these benefits for older adults, animal well-being is also important to consider in the pet–owner relationship. Providing daily care to a CA to ensure its well-being entails ongoing duties and responsibilities, regardless of the pet owner’s age. Pitteri and colleagues report that dogs owned by older adults have similar physical conditions to dogs owned by adult owners. However, the study suggests that the dogs’ quality of life may be influenced by contextual factors, such as older adults’ employment conditions, level of education, and type of dwelling [ 32 ].

Other potential factors to consider are health conditions and functional decline that may occur as part of normal aging and that affect older adults more frequently. These may exacerbate some challenges associated with pet care [ 9 , 33 ]. Furthermore, the companion animal’s health conditions and needs may change (e.g., needing physical assistance to use the stairs, more regular veterinary visits), which may modify their level of needed care as they, too, age [ 32 ]. Frequently reported challenges related to owning a pet by older adults include: grief related to pet loss and fear of outliving them, pet care being perceived as a chore [ 9 , 10 , 13 , 17 , 23 , 34 ], risk of falls [ 35 , 36 ], financial costs (especially fees related to veterinary care), and the fear of needing to leave a pet in the event of a relocation [ 34 ]. If such challenges become too great for the older adult pet owner, the well-being of the owner and the companion animal may be compromised if the owner struggles to fulfill the basic needs of both parties.

Therefore, considering these potential issues, it is essential to depict a realistic representation of the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of community-dwelling older adults. Optimizing benefits while minimizing challenges will ultimately support the health and well-being of both older adults and their CAs. However, there is little research on if (and how) the potential benefits outweigh the challenges of owning a pet for community-dwelling older adults and their CAs [ 11 , 14 ].

As most older adults prefer to age in their homes [ 37 ], community-based healthcare services may play a crucial role in enabling older adults and their CA to age-in-place. Indeed, besides promoting independent living and safety in their homes, healthcare providers may also support pet–owner relationships. Yet, few studies have simultaneously explored the perspectives of both healthcare providers and older care recipients on the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership in their daily lives [ 14 ]. Combining these perspectives could provide a comprehensive and detailed view of how pet–owner relationships may simultaneously promote healthy aging-in-place of community-dwelling older adult pet owners, as well as the well-being of their CAs. For this study, community-dwelling older adults included older adults living in their homes or in an assisted living facility, but excluded those living in nursing homes (i.e., needing continuous medical care).

Thus, the purpose of this study was to further explore the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of community-dwelling older adults. More specifically, it aimed to: (1) describe the benefits and challenges of owning a CA for both older adults and their companion animals, as perceived by older adults and their healthcare providers; (2) explore the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of older adults; (3) examine the balance between the benefits and the challenges of owning a pet by this population.

2.1. Study Design

A qualitative, single-case study was conducted. The case involved (1) a community-dwelling older adult and her companion animal (CA); (2) her community healthcare provider for home care services. Case studies allow for in-depth, multi-faceted explorations of complex and emerging phenomena and issues [ 38 ]. In the current study, aspects of pet ownership were explored in relation to the characteristics of the person, their CAs, and the environments in which they evolve [ 39 ].

2.2. Recruitment

Participants were recruited by purposive sampling through a professional organization. The healthcare provider who participated in the study worked in a community health centre; she referred to the first author, (N.O.), an older adult from her caseload who she judged could meet the objectives of this study. This case enabled the examination of how an older adult pet owner managed the demands of pet ownership despite potential challenges, such as physical disabilities, and despite being the only caretaker of her pet. The study was approved by the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS Ethics Committee (#2020-3336) and informed consent was obtained from both participants.

2.3. Participants

The older adult participant is a 77-year-old woman named Violet (pseudonym) who lives with her dog, an 8-year-old miniature schnauzer named Jack (pseudonym). Jack is Violet’s companion animal and has not received any training to acquire specific skills (i.e., he is not considered a service dog or emotional support animal). Violet does not receive any financial support or services related to her disabilities to help with Jack’s care. As for Violet, she has physical disabilities and moves around in a motorized wheelchair, which is the main reason that she receives community-based healthcare services. Violet’s community healthcare provider has more than 15 years of experience in the field and, at the time of the study, had known Violet for the past 17 years. She is also Violet’s healthcare coordinator, meaning that she plans and organizes her medical and health services. She reassesses Violet’s needs annually to ensure that the home care services are adapted to suit her needs.

2.4. Data Collection

The first author conducted semi-structured interviews with Violet and her community healthcare provider. Both interviews aimed to explore the perspectives of Violet and her healthcare provider about themes related to pet ownership (psychological, physical, daily benefits, and challenges of taking care of the CA, the role of pet ownership in daily life, the pet–owner relationship, and the well-being of the pet). Interview guidelines were developed by the research team and feedback was obtained by an experienced healthcare provider working with older adults in a clinical setting. Table 1 provides examples of some interview and follow-up questions for both participants. Prior to the interviews, both guidelines were tested with individuals who met the inclusion criteria, i.e., two community-dwelling older adult pet owners and a community healthcare provider. Two interviews were carried out in April 2020 via videoconference with the healthcare provider and by telephone with the older adult, due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic context. Each interview lasted from 60 to 90 min. As it was not possible to conduct the interviews at the older adult’s home, as initially planned, the participants were questioned about the home environments and interactions with the CA, including its behaviour (i.e., does it jump up on the older adult, does it bark, etc.). Sociodemographic data about age, gender, education, years of clinical experience for the community healthcare provider and pet characteristics (age, species, number of years living with the older adult, pet care activities, health condition) were also collected during the interviews to provide contextual information. This information is reported in Section 3 to the extent that the confidentiality of the participant was kept.

Example of interview questions.

2.5. Data Analysis

Interviews were audio-recorded, and the transcripts were read numerous times to get a sense of the data. Each transcript was analyzed line-by-line independently using thematic content analysis (continuous thematization) by the first and third authors, who have extensive experience in qualitative analysis [ 40 ]. Units of analysis were the older adult and the healthcare provider’s perceptions about benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership in daily life. Themes emerged during the reading of the transcripts. The authors met to review and to compare themes for similarities and/or discrepancies. In the case of disagreements, a consensus was sought. The themes and their relationships were then categorized within a matrix containing categories pertaining to the person/companion animal, the environments, and the activities of daily living [ 39 ]. This matrix was used to determine the overall balance between the perceived benefits and challenges related to pet ownership. The content of written summaries was validated by conducting two additional interviews with the participants, lasting from 60 to 90 min. This step (member checking) increases the credibility and reliability of the analysis and interpretations [ 41 ]. In addition to the two perspectives of the participants, the independent identification of themes by two evaluators ensured data triangulation, and memos written by the first author further increased the credibility of the analysis [ 41 , 42 ]. Furthermore, the research team regularly discussed the findings to maintain reflexivity and to gain a deeper understanding of the participant’s characteristics, daily functioning, and context.

3.1. Case Summary

Violet and her dog Jack live in an urban area, in a one-bedroom rent-subsidized apartment. Her apartment is subsidized due to having limited financial resources. Jack was offered to Violet as a gift from her daughter, a couple of months after Violet’s former dog passed away. Violet is Jack’s sole caretaker, and she has raised him since he was a puppy. Jack is a small adult dog, weighing approximately 12 lbs, and he is sturdy, according to Violet. She reports that these characteristics are an adequate fit for her and enable her to maintain her balance while picking him up. Furthermore, Violet mentions that Jack is in good health and that she ensures that she meets his basic daily needs. Violet, divorced for several years, maintains regular contact with her children and grandchildren. Before the pandemic, she visited them and engaged in activities such as shopping with her daughter. Violet has loved animals since childhood and has had dogs as pets for all of her adult life.

Violet has physical disabilities, which are mainly due to a medical condition that resulted in having multiple amputations to her lower and upper limbs over the years. She wears below-the-knee leg prostheses and reports having daily lower back pain, which varies in intensity. According to the PRISMA-7, a screening tool that identifies older adults at risk for moderate to severe disabilities, she has significant disabilities [ 43 ]. According to her healthcare provider, Violet has adequate cognitive functioning, which was also the case during the interviews (i.e., she showed no signs of cognitive impairment according to the clinical judgement of the interviewer).

Regarding Violet’s functioning during daily activities, she carries out some activities independently and needs assistance for others. She has been receiving community-based home care services for several years, including help for self-care, housekeeping, and maintenance for her motorized wheelchair. However, she can prepare meals, manage her budget and appointments independently, move around inside and outside of the home, as well as carry out leisure activities. Inside her apartment, she walks with leg prostheses. She leans on surfaces, such as furniture or walls, to maintain her balance. According to her healthcare provider, her environment is adapted to her needs, which helps her to live independently and safely in her home with her dog. In the community, Violet always uses her motorized wheelchair for shopping with Jack or going to medical appointments. She reports feeling safer this way. For leisure, she enjoys playing games on her computer and spending time with Jack. Lastly, she takes care of her dog independently. Caring for Jack involves feeding him, brushing him, and taking him on daily walks. Violet reports that she has bathed him occasionally in the past, but she now prefers to take him to the groomer because she feels that it is safer than manipulating him in the bathtub, due to her back pain. Violet and Jack’s daily walks are adapted to the seasons (i.e., they stop during the wintertime and resume in the spring). As for Jack’s healthcare, Violet takes him to the veterinarian only when she deems it necessary. She reports that Jack has been healthy since he was a puppy, except for occasional ear infections. According to both Violet and her healthcare provider, people who meet Jack seem to appreciate him and they did not raise any issues regarding his behaviour, other than him occasionally being persistent when demanding affection.

3.2. Benefits and Challenges of Pet Ownership for the Older Adult

Several benefits and challenges were mentioned by both Violet and her healthcare provider. They are presented here according to psychological and physical benefits/challenges.

3.2.1. Psychological Benefits and Challenges

Sense of security and good mood. The main finding regarding the psychological benefits is that Jack’s presence in Violet’s daily life has a positive influence on her emotions—an aspect that both Violet and her healthcare provider agree on. Violet mentions that Jack makes her “feel safe” and helps her “be in a good mood”. She reports that without him she would feel “alone and abandoned”. Having a presence in her home and this sense of security is very important for Violet. This presence in her house became even more important to her since she has been living alone and after she turned 60:

“I feel safe, in the house. That’s very important for me because I don’t like the darkness, I don’t like when there is wind, when it thunders (laughter). So, Jack makes me feel safe, you know? […] At least I’m not alone in the house, there is a presence.”

According to both Violet and her healthcare provider, Jack also helps Violet channel stress and anxiety, which helps calm her down and weather difficult emotions. They both agree that caring for Jack is a direct factor that contributes to regulating Violet’s mood, since tending to her dog’s needs focuses her attention and takes her mind off negative emotions. Jack also provides feedback with his behaviour, which allows Violet to be more mindful of her emotional state and to regulate her emotions, for both her own and Jack’s well-being:

“When I’m not calm, when I’m under continuous stress, Jack feels it and he becomes bothersome. […] When I’m like that, he senses it and wants to cuddle, cuddle, cuddle. So when I see that I’m making him unhappy, I say to myself: Calm down, look at what you’re doing to him. He was happy before and now he’s feeling down because of you. So that’s why I have been telling you: Jack is a big part of my life!”

Source of pride. Besides positively influencing Violet’s moods, Jack is also a source of pride. Violet considers that taking care of her dog is akin to taking care of a child, and that, like a child, he needs “to go outside and get fresh air, […] needs someone to take care of him, to give him everything”. She therefore ensures Jack’s well-being and prides herself with her ability to appropriately care for him, despite her disabilities:

“I feel proud of myself! A lot of people ask me: How do you manage to keep a dog in your house—you have no hands or legs. And I answer: So what? Do you need hands and legs to take care of a dog? No! You manage and find ways to do it. I don’t have any problems with my dog. I brush him, I bathe him—you find ways to get organized. There are a lot of things that you figure out along the way.”

In a sense, providing care for Jack and being able to meet his needs gives Violet the opportunity to be a care provider, a role that she feels comfortable in and that she has carried out her entire life. This aspect was only mentioned by Violet.

Concerns about health and the future. Both Violet and her healthcare provider agree that concerns related to Jack’s health or his future are some of the main challenges. They both considered what would happen to Jack in the event of a hospitalization or a relocation, where Violet might have to part with her dog:

“If he’s healthy like he is now, and I leave for the hospital and they send me to a nursing home, I can’t bring him with me. What do I do then? My son said that he was going to take him in, and I agree that he won’t be neglected by my son! But I won’t have him beside me like I do right now…To get rid of Jack and give him to my son, my life would be over…that, would bother me.”

Both participants agree that being obliged to part with Jack under such circumstances would be difficult and would bring up negative emotions. In Violet’s words:

“I would tell myself: You’re abandoning him. […] Say I don’t have a choice and I can’t take care of him anymore…I’m quite scared to go there [nursing home] and not be able to bring him with me because there aren’t any [animals]. At my age, that bothers me a little more, [the] I think about it…”

In anticipation to departing with Jack, Violet even mentioned that he might be the last dog that she shares her life with, to avoid such difficult feelings.

3.2.2. Physical Benefits and Challenges

It is worth mentioning that the only benefit regarding pet ownership and Violet’s physical condition was reported by the healthcare provider. According to her, he may encourage Violet to be slightly more active in her home (e.g., bending down to feed him, walking around in the home to find him). However, as most of the walks are done with the motorized wheelchair, she reports that, in Violet’s case, benefits usually associated with walking are likely not significant. Nonetheless, Jack encourages her to go out into the community and get fresh air.

Risk of falls. A potential risk raised by Violet’s healthcare provider is the risk of falling. Although she assessed the risk as low, she acknowledged that it is still present. For example, in situations when Violet walks with her prostheses or bends down to pick up Jack:

“It could put her at risk of falling when she moves quickly like that […]. When she picks him up slowly to feed him, there is no danger, but maybe with the excitement, when she picks him up quickly and says: ok, you’re being a pest…she could fall.”

Violet reports that Jack has never been the cause of a fall and perceives the risk of falling because of him as being null. She points out that Jack has adapted his behaviour to her health condition. For example, he jumps up on her motorized wheelchair instead of her picking him up like in the past. Violet also mentioned that the dog’s size is well suited to her lifestyle and habits, that he walks in front of her, and stays out of her way when she walks around in her apartment. Lastly, Violet takes her dog outside only with her motorized wheelchair, weather permitting, and does not pick him up when she feels tired. Moreover, Jack uses puppy pads inside the home, which enables Violet to take care of her dog’s needs independently even when she cannot take him outside. She does admit, however, that you cannot predict the future and that it is not possible to assert that a fall will never occur.

3.2.3. Other Potential Challenges

Financial costs. Both Violet and her healthcare provider mentioned financial costs surrounding pet care as a potential issue, especially regarding veterinary fees. However, their perspectives differed slightly when reporting them. Her healthcare provider points out that veterinary costs could be “a financial burden for her […] maybe she sacrifices some things to be able to pay for the veterinarian services.”

For Violet, financial costs do not seem to be a current issue and she reports not having to sacrifice her own well-being to meet Jack’s needs. She explains that she takes him to the veterinarian only when he is sick and tries to find affordable care solutions, if necessary. For example, after many costly visits to the veterinarian to treat Jack for an ear infection, she followed recommendations from a previous veterinarian and instead bought less expensive eardrops for children, which helped treat him successfully. Violet’s cost-reducing solution does not necessarily confirm her healthcare provider’s assumption that “there is probably a part of her budget that is for the veterinarian”. However, it is an example of how she manages expenses related to pet care and how this enables her to take care of Jack despite her limited income.

Relationships with healthcare providers. Violet’s healthcare provider recalled a situation where there were tensions between Violet and a community home health aide. The home health aide was newly appointed to Violet and was not comfortable with Jack’s presence, even though he was enclosed in his cage, in another room. Both Violet and her healthcare provider agreed that Violet followed the home support organization’s regulations by confining her dog in another room. They also agree that it is necessary to follow these regulations if a healthcare provider is uncomfortable with Jack’s presence. However, her healthcare provider reports that usually the home health aides appointed to Violet appreciate Jack. Lastly, Violet mentions that she has never refused home support services and that she would not refuse them for this reason.

3.3. Well-Being of the Companion Animal

From both Violet and her healthcare provider’s perspectives, Jack received adequate care from Violet. One of the major advantages reported by Violet relating to her dog’s well-being is that Jack always has someone with him, since Violet spends most of her time at home. The healthcare provider suggested that perhaps Jack could benefit from going on more walks during the wintertime, which could, according to her, further improve his well-being. Nonetheless, both participants report that Jack’s basic needs were fulfilled according to them, and that his overall health and well-being were assured under Violet’s care.

3.4. The Role of the Pet–Owner Relationship and Owning a Pet in Daily Life

3.4.1. meaningful activity.

Both Violet and her healthcare provider agreed that the pet–owner relationship between Violet and Jack was significant; taking care of her dog is a highly meaningful activity for Violet, even central in her life. Violet considers Jack “like her baby” especially since her children have moved out of the home and that she lives alone. Her healthcare provider notes that Violet is not socially isolated and that, on the contrary, she maintains good relationships with her family members. In her opinion, taking care of Jack is not only an activity that Violet engages in due to social isolation or feeling lonely; he is a daily companion and, in Violet’s words:

“I have something to take care of. Me, I need something to keep busy, and well Jack, he’s that. I can watch television and then I say: Ok, we will go take a nap on the couch then watch television. I always need to talk to him. And then Jack jumps up on the couch […]. He sleeps, and I watch television, but he is right beside me. You know what I mean? I’m not alone in the house, there is another presence.”

3.4.2. Providing Purpose and Routine

In addition to these perceived psychological benefits, according to her healthcare provider, caring for Jack provides Violet with a purpose and a daily routine, and gives her a daily structure:

“Well the fact that she can’t decide to not get up one morning or take him out, it forces her to get up every morning—it gives her structure.”

When describing a typical day in Violet and Jack’s lives, as well as the daily activities that Violet carries out, clearly Violet and Jack’s daily routines are integrated. In Violet’s words, life without Jack would be, “boring, very boring! That wouldn’t be any kind of life.” She adds:

“What kind of life is that for an older person, always alone? I realize that even more since I turned 60.”

For Violet, taking care of her dog is an impetus for carrying out daily activities, such as eating, shopping, and going out into the community to take walks:

“Every day, we get out, and he walks 8 km per day. And I take him out on walks every day—otherwise I wouldn’t go outside, I would stay at home.”

The role of pet ownership in Violet’s daily life was clear when she spent five months living without a pet after her late dog passed:

“When I lost my other little dog to cancer, I didn’t do anything for five months. I didn’t feel like cooking—I loved cooking—I didn’t feel like it anymore. I didn’t feel like…oh the real word is living. I don’t know if I would still be here today, because after three months Jack entered my life and I started taking care of him. That’s when my smile and mood came back, everything came back!”

Her relationship with Jack significantly enhances her engagement in other daily activities, such as going out into the community, shopping, interacting with other people, and taking care of herself. Indeed, Violet and Jack go shopping together, and Jack facilitates social interactions as he can stay in her motorized wheelchair. Violet reports that engaging in these activities shows her “her independence.” When a life without Jack was mentioned during the interview, Violet promptly answered that she would not carry out some of her activities if it were not for his presence:

“I wouldn’t go, I wouldn’t be interested in going anywhere […] not even going to see my children. You know, Jack is kind of like my husband. You don’t go out without your husband—well I don’t go out without Jack. I wouldn’t go grocery shopping, I would ask my children to do that stuff, like they do now [during the COVID-19 pandemic].”

Besides going out for walks with Jack and into the community, Violet also describes how her relationship with her dog encourages her to take care of herself so that she is able to be there for him as long possible. For example, having to feed Jack everyday prompts her to have dinner as well, as they frequently eat together. Meeting her dog’s needs and his well-being are clearly important for Violet. Although she is sometimes concerned about Jack’s future if something happened to her, Violet reports that she “will focus on Jack” and that:

“I don’t want to get sick. I will be careful and protect myself in any possible way. I have about four or five years left with him, so I tell myself: Don’t fool around, you can tough it out five years!”

Her healthcare provider also illustrates the positive role of pet ownership and the pet–owner relationship in Violet’s life:

“For Violet I think it’s positive—because there could be a negative side to being obligated to follow a certain routine for the dog. If someone wanted to do other activities or wanted more flexibility…but for her it’s positive. She has the time to do it, and I don’t think it prevents her from doing things that she would do if she didn’t have a dog.”

3.5. Balance between the Benefits and Challenges of Pet Ownership

Both Violet and her healthcare provider agreed that the benefits of pet ownership outweigh the potential challenges for both the older adult owner and her companion animal. On one hand, in Violet’s case, the pet–owner relationship with Jack has overall psychological benefits, adds meaning to her daily life and enhances engagement in daily activities. On the other hand, Jack benefits from Violet’s daily presence and care. Both participants perceive that the potential challenges associated with pet care are manageable by Violet and that she can adequately fulfill Jack’s needs to ensure his well-being (e.g., feeding him, taking him on walks). They both agree that pet ownership is a positive experience in this case, despite factors that could have potentially increased the demands associated with pet care (e.g., Violet being Jack’s sole caretaker, having physical disabilities, limited financial resources). In other words, from their points of view, the pet–owner relationship is beneficial for both the older adult and her companion animal’s well-being.

4. Discussion

The aim of this study was to explore the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of community-dwelling older adults from the perspectives of an older adult and her community healthcare provider. To our knowledge, this is the first study that aimed to gain a comprehensive view of the interaction between the characteristics of a person and her CA, their environments, and their daily habits, to explore if (and how) the benefits and challenges of pet ownership outweigh one another.

One of the main findings in the current study is that the pet–owner relationship is highly meaningful for Violet, the older adult participant, and that pet ownership plays a central role in her daily life. Both the older adult and her healthcare provider concluded that, in Violet and Jack’s case, the benefits of the pet–owner relationship outweigh the potential challenges for both parties, despite the owner having physical and functional limitations. On one hand, they highlighted that Jack’s continual presence is beneficial for Violet’s psychological and physical health and that the responsibilities associated with fulfilling her dog’s needs keep her busy. On the other hand, Violet’s presence, and ability to provide adequate care to Jack is also beneficial for the companion animal. She takes pride in being able to meet her dog’s needs, which gives her a sense of independence. Jack is an integral part of his older adult owner’s daily life, which is in line with reported findings [ 23 , 44 ]. His companionship makes Violet feel safe and less alone—these aspects have gained even more importance for her over time. Daily companionship is indeed one of the main reasons reported by older adults for adopting pets [ 10 , 13 , 45 , 46 ]. CAs are often considered like family members [ 31 , 46 ], which is in line with the findings of the current study. Violet often referred to Jack as her “baby” or “like a child” that needs to be cared for. Both Violet and her healthcare provider acknowledge the importance of Jack’s daily companionship. Scheibeck and colleagues (2011) also acknowledged that dogs can be an important part of community-dwelling older adults’ lives, partners in life, and companions providing their owners with a sense of purpose and daily structure [ 31 ]. It is interesting to note that Violet’s healthcare provider does not consider Violet as being socially isolated and does not perceive pet ownership as a way to compensate a lack of social relationships, in Violet’s case. Such findings may indicate the importance of the human–animal bond that is formed through pet ownership, despite an older adult being socially connected. Human–animal bonds may fulfill different needs in daily life, even when an older adult maintains social relationships, which is an aspect that merits further research. Jack and Violet’s relationship has indeed some characteristics of the human–animal bond, in that it is continuous, reciprocal, and both parties mutually benefit from an increase in their well-being [ 47 ].

Regarding the challenges of pet ownership, a risk of falling while walking in her home was the main concern, considering Violet’s leg amputations. However, both participants assessed this risk as being low, and no falls related to Violet’s dog were reported. Violet and Jack’s case may be an example of how an adequate fit between the characteristics of the older adult, their CA and their environment may maximize the benefits related to pet care. Violet has adapted her routine or found solutions to minimize the challenges and to be able to meet Jack’s needs, despite her physical disabilities and limited income. Jack also seems to have adapted his behaviour to Violet’s health condition. According to Violet, her dog’s physical characteristics (i.e., small size, sturdy stature) fit well with her own characteristics. This may also play a role in managing the fall risk. In this case, the risk of falling is considered low, but as fall risk assessment is complex and multifactorial, it should be noted that it might not be the case for other older adults that share their lives with companion animals. Indeed, older adult pet owners may present different protective and risk factors (e.g., functional limitations, pain, depressive symptoms) [ 48 ], which may influence the fall risk. In a study conducted with 16 cases of pet-related falls involving older adults aged over 75 years, Kurrle and colleagues (2004) reported that some falls were related to the person’s behavior (e.g., climbing on a chair to catch a pet canary), while others were related to the animal’s behaviour (e.g., dog pulling on a leash or tripping over a cat in a dark hallway) [ 35 ].

However, to our knowledge, analyzing the fit between the requirements of pet care, the older adult pet owners, their companion animals, and their environments, has seldom been explored. Future research may further investigate contextual factors when assessing the fall risk of older adult pet owners. Such research may help to identify protective and/or risk factors, which managed, may decrease the risk of falling. Assessing such factors may be a way for healthcare providers to support human–animal relationships through pet ownership [ 48 ]. This could help determine if, how, for whom, and under which circumstances pet ownership may be beneficial for older adults with disabilities and their companion animals, in the context of aging-in-place. In cases where owning a pet appears to be harmful for either the well-being of the older adult or the pet, interventions could be implemented to reduce the challenges associated with pet care and enhance the well-being of both parties (e.g., helping find animal-friendly housing, offering assistance with pet care) [ 49 , 50 , 51 ]. Such interventions may be especially beneficial for older adults with disabilities, socioeconomically vulnerable, frail, or isolated older adults, for whom it may be more difficult to find affordable housing that accepts companion animals [ 52 , 53 ]. Addressing issues like the shortage of affordable pet-friendly housing may be helpful to prevent situations in which older adults are faced with difficult decisions that may compromise their own well-being or that of their pet (e.g., having to choose between options that oppose their own well-being to that of their CAs). In Violet’s case, these were not manly because Jack was permitted in her apartment building. Nonetheless, future relocation to a dwelling that may not accept her dog was raised as a potential concern, by both Violet and her healthcare provider.

Lastly, another important finding is that the pet–owner relationship developed through pet ownership led to enhancing the older participant’s engagement in activities of daily living. Being responsible for the well-being of a living being motivates Violet to take care of herself, to remain healthy, and to be able to take care of her dog as long as possible. Sharing her daily life with Jack encourages her to carry out other daily activities independently, such as going out for shopping or taking Jack for walks. Similar findings have been reported by Johansson and colleagues (2014) in their qualitative study that explored community-dwelling older adults’ experiences with their CAs after a stroke, as their pets motivated them to handle daily activities due to a feeling of responsibility. Responsible pet ownership also involved helping their pet’s daily routine, which contributed to adding meaning to the older adults’ lives [ 30 ]. Notably, in Violet’s case, she has loved and cared for animals since her childhood. It is possible that being Jack’s caretaker and the human–animal bond formed with her dog enables her to pursue a significant lifelong role. For her, the reciprocal relationship with her dog, as well as providing adequate care to him is an important part of her role as a pet owner. Maintaining roles may provide a sense of continuity by linking the past to the future, which may facilitate the adaptation to transitions and buffer hardships [ 48 ]. The continuity theory, indeed, states that pursuing habits and a lifestyle may be one of the strategies that help people to adapt to the ageing process [ 49 ].

On one hand, pet ownership may provide older adults with an opportunity to pursue a meaningful role such as being a caregiver and may even be a way to sustain their independence in later years. Direct and indirect activities associated with pet care may nudge older adult owners into engaging in daily activities or leisure activities, as responsibilities may support physical, emotional, and financial independence [ 23 , 46 , 54 ]. On the other hand, ensuring a companion animal’s well-being is also a crucial part of responsible pet ownership, and should be considered when examining the role of pets in the older adults’ lives. For example, although Jack’s well-being was not at risk, interventions such as assistance from volunteers (e.g., from organizations like ElderDog Canada) to ensure he gets regular walks all year long could further promote Jack’s well-being [ 55 ]. This was not explored with the participants of this study, as it was not the purpose. However, future research could examine acceptable strategies for older adults and their healthcare providers to optimize the well-being of older adults and their companion animals, in cases where the challenges of pet ownership outweigh the benefits. Collaborations between community health services, animal welfare organizations, and animal health professionals may be a way to encourage such strategies. Research should help create policies that support human–animal relationships through pet ownership in the context of aging-in-place, while ensuring the well-being of both older adult pet owners and their companion animals.

Limitations and Future Directions

This study has some limitations. First, although a total of four interviews were conducted with the participants, having more cases with older adults presenting different profiles would have increased their transferability to other community-dwelling older adults. Efforts were made to include more participants in the case, such as the older adult’s health aide, but this was not possible due to transfers of healthcare providers between health organizations, which were related to the pandemic. Second, the COVID-19 lockdown prevented direct observations of the participant’s home environment and interactions with her animal, which would have enriched the case. However, alternative ways were used to document this information and particular attention was taken to increase the credibility of the results (i.e., independent analysis, member checking). Although information related to the companion animal’s well-being was documented via the participants’ perspectives, the perspectives of an animal professional could have enriched the case. However, in the present study, the companion animal did not have an appointed health professional. Lastly, the single-case study approach does not establish causality. This should be noted, even though the aim of the study was to better understand and explore the benefits and challenges of pet ownership for older adults, rather than to find causality.

Future research should replicate this study with more cases to deepen the understanding of the role of pet ownership in the lives of community-dwelling older adults with disabilities. Such research is crucial to supporting human–animal relationships through pet ownership, for example by exploring how to strike a balance between the benefits and challenges of pet ownership (i.e., the demands of pet care vs. the older adult owner’s abilities). Interviews with healthcare providers, animal health professionals (e.g., veterinarians), animal behaviourists, and other community actors who are called to work with community-dwelling older adults may offer nuanced, contextually sensitive research.

5. Conclusions

Findings of this case study suggest that the benefits and challenges associated with pet ownership may be influenced by factors related to the characteristics of these individuals, their CAs, their environments, and their daily living activities. The perspectives of both older adults and their healthcare providers are important to gain a comprehensive understanding of the circumstances surrounding pet care. Being able to maintain human–animal relationships and to carry out meaningful roles, such as being a caregiver, may be an important part of healthy aging. Ultimately, future research should help develop strategies and/or policies that will aim to support pet ownership in the context of aging-in-place, while ensuring the well-being of both older adults and their companion animals.

Acknowledgments

The first author would like to thank the participants (Violet, Jack, and the healthcare provider) for sharing their experiences, as well as those who helped with the validation of the interview guides; the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal for accepting that the study be conducted.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, V.P., É.L. and N.O.; methodology, V.P., É.L., N.O. and K.L.; formal analysis, V.P., É.L., N.O. and K.L.; investigation, N.O.; writing—original draft preparation, N.O.; writing—review and editing, V.P., É.L., N.O. and K.L.; supervision, V.P. and É.L.; funding acquisition, V.P., É.L. and N.O. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Nataša Obradović received a scholarship for this research from the Fonds de recherche du Québec—Santé (FRQ-S) (#252659). Véronique Provencher is a Junior 1 Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec (FRSQ) researcher (salary award, 2017–2021).

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS Ethics (protocol #2020–3336; 25 November 2019).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from both participants in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Pet Ownership

Do you own a pet? What does he or she add to your life?

By The Learning Network

Adoption and foster rates for pets soared during the pandemic, as people sought furry friends to make their isolation more bearable. Did your family get a pandemic pet — or did you already own one?

Tell us about a pet you own now or owned in the past. What is he or she like? What does this pet add to your life, or the life of your family? What questions do you have about his or her behavior?

Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn about six podcasts The Times recommends for pet owners.

Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column .

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

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Why owning a pet is good for body and mind

Pet ownership should be recognised as a public health strategy due to the profound benefits for individuals, families and communities, says Steven Feldman

In his article ( Want to truly have empathy for animals? Stop owning pets, 4 February ), Troy Vettese discounts the significant benefits that pets bring to the lives of billions of people worldwide. Scientific research shows that human-animal interactions can have a powerful impact on mental, physical and social health for individuals, families and entire communities.

In fact, the benefits of pets are so profound that Vettese should consider making a full U-turn – we should have more pets and we should view them as a low-cost, high-reward public health strategy .

Pets can buffer stress and help address social isolation. Health professionals are increasingly recommending pets and incorporating them into the long-term management of mental health conditions. Think about the cost of heart disease and obesity. Research demonstrates that pet owners have lower blood pressure, are more likely to achieve the recommended levels of daily exercise and are less likely to be obese. In addition, children with pets are more likely to be physically active.

Pets benefit from their close relationship with people just as much as we do. Pet owners consider their pets to be an important part of the family, and are willing to make significant lifestyle changes for them. According to a survey , 61% of pet owners would change housing to accommodate a pet, and 45% would change jobs to have increased time with pets at home. Most importantly, international research conducted in nine countries shows that strong bonds result in better veterinary care for the pets we love.

Environmentally, pets help prevent waste, reducing agriculture’s footprint . Ingredients produced during human food processing that would otherwise be discarded are safely used in pet food.

Scientific research tells the real story. The right headline should be: “Get a pet for good health at both ends of the leash!” Steven Feldman President, Human-Animal Bond Research Institute

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Essay on Having a Pet

Students are often asked to write an essay on Having a Pet in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Having a Pet

Introduction.

Having a pet is a joyous experience. Pets are not just animals; they become a part of our family, bringing happiness and companionship.

The Joy of Having Pets

Pets offer unconditional love and loyalty. They’re always there to cheer us up, making our lives more enjoyable. Playing with pets can also relieve stress.

Pets Teach Responsibility

Having a pet teaches responsibility. Pets need care and attention, teaching us about commitment and empathy.

Health Benefits of Pets

Pets can be good for our health too. Walking a dog encourages exercise, and stroking a cat can lower blood pressure.

In conclusion, having a pet is a rewarding experience that brings joy, teaches responsibility, and promotes health.

250 Words Essay on Having a Pet

The companionship of pets.

Pets have long been regarded as man’s best friend, providing companionship, loyalty, and emotional support. They are not just animals, but rather an integral part of our lives, enriching our experiences and teaching us about empathy, responsibility, and unconditional love.

Psychological Benefits

Research has indicated that having a pet can significantly reduce stress levels and improve mental health. The simple act of petting an animal can trigger the release of endorphins, creating a sense of calm and happiness. Furthermore, pets can alleviate feelings of loneliness, providing a sense of purpose and companionship.

Physical Health and Well-being

Pets, particularly dogs, require regular exercise, which inadvertently encourages their owners to lead more active lifestyles. This can result in improved cardiovascular health, reduced obesity rates, and overall better physical health.

Teaching Responsibility and Empathy

Having a pet is a long-term commitment that requires responsibility. Feeding, grooming, and caring for a pet can teach individuals, especially young adults, about responsibility. Moreover, pets can help develop empathy as we learn to understand and cater to their needs.

In essence, having a pet is a rewarding experience that offers numerous benefits. It is a relationship that goes beyond the physical realm, touching upon emotional and psychological aspects. Despite the challenges and responsibilities that come with pet ownership, the invaluable lessons and companionship they offer make it a worthwhile endeavor.

500 Words Essay on Having a Pet

The joy and responsibility of having a pet.

Pets, in many ways, can be considered as an extension of our family. They provide companionship, emotional support, and can even contribute to improved physical health. However, owning a pet also comes with significant responsibilities and potential challenges.

The Psychological Benefits of Pet Ownership

The psychological benefits of having a pet are well-documented. Research indicates that pets can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Their constant companionship can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose. For instance, the act of petting a dog or a cat has been shown to release oxytocin, a hormone associated with stress reduction and mood enhancement.

Physical Health Advantages

Beyond mental health, pets also contribute to physical health. Regular walks with a dog, for example, promote cardiovascular health and fitness. Pets can also help their owners maintain a regular sleep schedule, as they typically require feeding, exercise, and bathroom breaks at consistent times.

Life Skills Acquired

Owning a pet can also impart valuable life skills, particularly for young adults. The responsibility of caring for another living being can foster empathy, compassion, and responsibility. It also provides an opportunity to learn about the cycle of life and death, helping to develop emotional resilience.

The Challenges of Pet Ownership

Despite these benefits, pet ownership is not without its challenges. The financial costs can be significant, encompassing food, veterinary care, grooming, and potential property damage. Pets also require time and attention, which can be difficult for busy individuals or families. Moreover, pets can limit spontaneity, as their needs often require planning and cannot be easily delegated.

Choosing the Right Pet

Choosing the right pet is a crucial step in ensuring a positive pet ownership experience. This decision should be based on lifestyle, living situation, financial capability, and personal preference. For example, a dog may be a poor choice for someone with a busy schedule or limited living space, while a cat or a fish may be a more suitable option.

In conclusion, owning a pet can be a rewarding experience, offering numerous psychological and physical health benefits. However, it is not a decision to be taken lightly, as pets require significant time, attention, and financial resources. Prospective pet owners should carefully consider their lifestyle and capabilities before welcoming a pet into their home. Ultimately, the joy and companionship pets offer can greatly enrich our lives, making the challenges worthwhile.

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Pet Owners, Essay Example

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When you start thinking about getting a pet and becoming a pet owner, there are couple things to consider in the first place: cost, maintenance, space, and attention required for the pet. It is very important to decide whether you have spare time to devote it to the pet, so the pet is well-groomed and happy to stay with you. Consequently, pet owner classify maintenance to three different levels: low maintenance, medium maintenance, and high maintenance.

People live different lives, have different jobs and hobbies, thus some of them are busy most of the time making their living. Therefore, they do not have that much time to take care of a pet. However, some pets require little maintenance, when simply do not have to sacrifice and of your previous activities. Pets that fall into this category are fish, worm farms, and ant farms, for they can be fed and watered only once a day and do not require any extra attention. Moreover, pet owners do not have to worry about any veterinarian care with them.

Furthermore, there are pets that require a medium maintenance, for pet owner who wish to spend more time with their little friends. This category includes birds, snakes, iguanas, mice, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, turtles and others. These types of pets can be fed or watered only twice a day and sometimes you may want to show them to veterinarian for examination. Occasionally, you also have to clean up their cages and see whether anything should be changed. If compare them to fish and aquarium, it is obvious that they are more active and you can pat them.

Finally, if a pet owner has lots of time to take care of his new animal, he might pick one that needs more maintenance and attention. This category involves cats, dogs, and ferrets, which definitely require extra attention. For cats and dogs, one must feed them at least three times a day and change their litter when needed. Both of them must be taken outside for a walk to get a breath of fresh air and have some fun running around. However, if cats can go to the bathroom in a litter box, dogs do this only outside. Moreover, “studies suggest that pets confer health benefits such as lower blood pressure”.(World Watch, 2007) Ferrets must be given time to run around outside the cage for at least three hours a day, for they are pretty energetic pets and sometimes need more space. It is very hard to take care of the dog if a pet owner is always on the go, thus it is not the best option for such people. Some pet owners prefer setting doggie doors, which allow dogs to get in and out of the house without bothering anybody.

In conclusion, it is vitally important do decide whether you need a low, medium, or high maintenance pet. It all depends on your schedule, job, hobby, and of course desire and interest. Eventually, some animals are low maintenance while others need constant care and attention every day, but every species requires life-long commitment. If you work out how much time you are able to offer short and long-term to a new member of your family will take you one step closer to make a right choice of the pet for your household.

Works Cited

Greystoke, Paul. “Pet Watch”. Evening Chronicle [Newcastle, England] 8 Sep. 2004.

World Watch. “Pets”. Vol. 20 (Sep. 2007).

USA Today. “Pets May Serve as Disease Watchdogs.” Society for the Advancement of Education Vol. 134 (June 2006).

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Pet ownership and...

Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues

Related content
Peer review
June McNicholas , psychologist ( june{at}cullach.fsnet.co.uk ) 1 ,
Andrew Gilbey , lecturer 2 ,
Ann Rennie , general practitioner 3 ,
Sam Ahmedzai , professor of palliative medicine 4 ,
Jo-Ann Dono , director 3 ,
Elizabeth Ormerod , veterinary surgeon 3
1 Croit Cullach, Durnamuck, Dundonnell, Ross-shire
2 Massey University, New Zealand
3 Society for Companion Animal Studies, Blue Cross, Burford, Oxon
4 Royal Hallamshire Hospital, University of Sheffield
Correspondence to: J McNicholas
Accepted 4 November 2005

Research into the association between pet ownership and human health has produced intriguing, although frequently contradictory, results often raising uncertainty as to whether pet ownership is advisable on health grounds

Introduction

The question of whether someone should own a pet is never as simple as whether that pet has a measurably beneficial or detrimental effect on the owner's physical health. The emotional bond between owner and pet can be as intense as that in many human relationships and may confer similar psychological benefits. Death of a pet can cause grief similar to that in human bereavement, whereas threat of loss of a pet may be met with blunt refusal and non-compliance with advice on health.

We examine the current evidence for a link between pet ownership and human health and discuss the importance of understanding the role of pets in people's lives.

Is pet ownership associated with human health?

Research dating from the 1980s popularised the view that pet ownership could have positive benefits on human health. Benefits ranged from higher survival rates from myocardial infarction 1 ; a significantly lower use of general practitioner services (prompting some researchers to speculate on considerable potential savings to health expenditure) 2 ; a reduced risk of asthma and allergic rhinitis in children exposed to pet allergens during the first year of life 3 4 ; a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease 5 ; and better physical and psychological wellbeing in community dwelling older people. 6 No studies have found significant social or economic differences between people who do or do not have pets that would adequately explain differences in health outcome, leading to the belief that pet ownership itself is the primary cause of the reported benefits.

Although the research did much to raise awareness of the importance that people attach to their pets, recent studies have failed to replicate the benefits. A review of the association between pets and allergic sensitisation found inconsistent results for cat ownership between studies of similar design, whereas dog ownership seemed to have no effect or even protected against specific sensitisation to dog allergens and allergic sensitisation in general. 7 Other studies on the subject suggest that exposure to pets may be beneficial provided that exposure is sufficient, as lower levels may enhance sensitisation whereas higher levels may protect against sensitisation. 8 Yet others suggest that the effects may heavily depend on age at exposure and type of pet. 9

Similarly, recent research has failed to support earlier findings that pet ownership is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, 10 a reduced use of general practitioner services, 11 or any psychological or physical benefits on health for community dwelling older people. 12 Research has, however, pointed to significantly less absenteeism from school through sickness among children who live with pets. w1

Do we need a broader definition of health?

The main issue may not be whether pet ownership per se confers measurable physical benefits but the role that pets have in individual people's lives—namely, the contributions of the pet to quality of life or the costs to wellbeing through a pet's death. This issue embraces a broader definition of health that encompasses the dimensions of wellbeing (physical and mental) and a sense of social integration.

Three potential mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between pet ownership and benefits to human health ( fig 1 ). 13 The first is that there is no real association between the two, rather that cofactors such as personality traits, age, and economic or health status impact on the decision to own a pet and thus produce an apparent link between pets and health. So far, however, evidence is lacking that any of these cofactors account for both health promoting attributes and propensity to own pets, suggesting that health benefits, when reported, may be attributable to some aspect of pet ownership.

Three proposed mechanisms for association between pet ownership and health benefits for humans

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A Munduruku boy carries his pet, a domesticated wild boar, for a daily cleansing swim in the Rio Canuma

Credit: GERD LUDWIG/PANOS

The second proposal is that pets may enhance social interactions with other people, thus providing an indirect effect on wellbeing. Social contact has been long recognised as beneficial in that it alleviates feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Pets undoubtedly act as “social catalysts,” leading to greater social contact between people. 14 These factors may be particularly important for those at risk of social isolation, such as elderly people or people with physical disabilities, who lack many of the opportunities for social interactions of their more able bodied peers. 15

The third proposal focuses on ways in which pet ownership may exert a direct effect on human health and wellbeing through the nature of the relationship. Close human relationships have a powerful influence on wellbeing by providing emotional support. They may reduce perceptions of stressful events thus protecting against anxiety related illness, may give confidence that successful coping strategies can be found to deal with stress, and may enhance recovery from serious illness such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and cancer. These aspects of a relationship are collectively referred to as social support. Social relationships, or the lack of, seem to constitute a major risk factor for health, rivalling the effects of well established risk factors such as cigarette smoking, blood pressure, blood lipid concentrations, obesity, and lack of physical activity. 16

The value of companionship

Companionship—a commonly stated reason for pet ownership—is regarded as theoretically distinct from social support in that it does not offer extrinsic support but provides intrinsic satisfactions, such as shared pleasure in recreation, relaxation, and uncensored spontaneity, all of which add to quality of life. Thus companionship may be important in fostering positive mental health on a day to day basis, whereas social support may be of particular value in buffering threats to mental health and wellbeing from real or perceived stressors. Figure 2 illustrates the inter-relationship between functions served by pet ownership and human health outcomes. 15

Correlations between questionnaire items measuring social facilitation, affectionate relationship, social support, and recipients' self perceived health in study on non-task related benefits of a trained assistance dog to people with physical disabilities. Correlations, derived from carrying out Pearson's correlation, are significant at P<0.05

Although research has primarily focused on human relationships as providing support and companionship, it is a short step to extrapolating these to pets. Studies have shown that the support from pets may mirror some of the elements of human relationships known to contribute to health. 17 Although support from pets should not be regarded as a replacement for help from people, the fact that pets are not human confers certain advantages; the relationships are less subject to provider burnout or to fluctuations, and they do not impose a strain or cause concern about continuing stability. Relationships with pets seem to be of value in the early stages of bereavement w2 and after treatment for breast cancer. w3

Most pets are valued family members

Credit: BARRY LEWIS/NETWORK PHOTOGRAPHERS

Why pet ownership should be taken seriously

The question of whether a person should acquire a pet or continue to own a pet requires careful consideration of the balance between benefits and potential problems. About half of households in the United Kingdom own pets. w4 Most are valued as family members. Conflict between health interests and pet ownership can cause non-compliance with advice on health. Some sources estimate that up to 70% of pet owners would disregard advice to get rid of a pet owing to allergies, w5 whereas reports abound of older people avoiding medical care through fear of being admitted to hospital or residential care as this often means giving up a pet. w6

Summary points

Over 90% of pet owners regard their pet as a valued family member

Reluctance to part with a pet may lead to non-compliance with health advice

Pets may be of particular value to older people and patients recovering from major illness

The death of a pet may cause great distress to owners, especially when the pet has associations with a deceased spouse or former lifestyle

Many people would welcome advice and support to enable them to reconcile or manage pet ownership and health problems whenever possible

The loss of a pet may be particularly distressing for owners if it was linked with a deceased spouse or if it offered companionship or social contact with people. 18 For these reasons many people may appreciate help and advice on how to manage a pet in the event of a health problem in the family.

Animal welfare organisations cite allergies and the fear of zoonoses as common reasons for people giving up their pets. Yet in some cases this may not be necessary. Research from the University of West Virginia shows that simple, day to day hygiene and pet care can reduce allergic reactions by up to 95%. 3 A recent review of pets in nursing homes provides a comprehensive list of potential health problems and steps that can be taken to avoid these. 19

People do not own pets specifically to enhance their health, rather they value the relationship and the contribution their pet makes to their quality of life. 20 Greater understanding among health professionals is needed to assure people that they do not need to choose between pet ownership and compliance with health advice.

Contributors and sources JMcN has special research interests in the influence of pet ownership on health and lifestyle. She was formerly based at the University of Warwick. Her current work is with Dogs for the Disabled, the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad, and Cats Protection, UK. She is a member of the Society of Companion Animal Studies. AG gained his doctorate from the University of Warwick, researching the role of pets in the alleviation of loneliness. AR and SA are members of the Society of Companion Animal Studies. J-AD has a degree in psychology and is director of the Society of Companion Animal Studies. EO is chairwoman of the Society of Companion Animal Studies. References refer to primary sources located through MIMAS web of knowledge service/web of science records. JMcN wrote the article, with contributions from the other authors, and is guarantor.

Competing interests JMcN received a research award, 2000-2, from Masterfoods UK to investigate the role of pets in children's health. AG was employed as a research assistant at University of Warwick, 1999-2003, funded by Waltham Centre for Animal Nutrition.

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Weiland SK ,
Siebert E ,
Parslow RA ,
Christensen H ,
Rodgers B ,
McNicholas J ,
Landis KR ,
Collis GM ,
McNicholas J
Podbercek AL ,

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Pet attachment and owner personality.

Animal Behaviour Centre, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Introduction: Research points to a relationship between owner personality and strength of attachment to one’s pet, with implications for psychological health. So far, studies in this area, albeit sparse, have focused on the ‘Big Five’ traits of owner personality. The ‘Dark Triad’ is a cluster of traits that has also been linked to emotional deficits, but has been overlooked in relation to pet attachment. This study therefore examined the association between owner personality and pet attachment, focusing on both the ‘Big Five’ and ‘Dark Triad’ traits of personality.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed to collect quantitative data from dog and cat owners across the globe between May-June 2023. A purpose-designed online survey collected sociodemographic details, along with information on pet ownership, strength of the pet-owner bond and participant personality, assessed using the Big Five personality scale and the Short Dark Triad scale. The survey was fully completed by 759 dog and 179 cat owners.

Results: Analysis revealed significant correlations between many of the participants’ personality traits, both within and between scales. Strength of pet attachment was positively correlated with neuroticism and conscientiousness, and, more weakly, to Machiavellianism. Regression analysis revealed that females, dog owners, people over the age of 50 and individuals who had children under 18 years to care for were more strongly attached to their pets than others. Both neuroticism and conscientiousness were found to be significant predictors of participants’ pet attachment scores. None of the Dark Triad traits significantly predicted the criterion.

Discussion: This study points to a relationship between strength of attachment to one’s pet and owner personality, at least as measured using the Big Five approach to personality assessment. There was little to support an association between the Dark Triad traits and strength of attachment to one’s pet, although the link between these characteristics and attachment styles is still unknown. The investigation lends support for the idea that high attachment levels are associated with personality traits aligned to psychological ill-health. Further work is recommended in this area, with a greater focus on both strength and quality (e.g., attachment style) of the pet-owner bond.

1 Introduction

Pet ownership is a global phenomenon in today’s society, with over 500 million pets residing in homes across the world ( 1 ). Figures show that in the United Kingdom alone, over 12 million dogs and 11 million cats were kept as pets in 2023, with incidence figures increasing on a yearly basis ( 2 ).

Although people keep pets for a myriad of reasons (e.g., companionship, recreation, protection), some acquire a companion animal in the belief that it offers health advantages [for reviews see ( 3 , 4 )]. Numerous studies have explored the widely held claim that ‘pets are good for us’, with some yielding positive results in this respect, particularly in relation to dog ownership [for review see ( 5 )]. For example, pet ownership has been found to be negatively associated with depression in homeless youths ( 6 ), men infected with AIDS ( 7 ) and dog-owners living with HIV ( 8 ). The ownership of a pet, and again notably a dog, may also have a role to play in improving cardiovascular health, perhaps partly because of the increased exercise that typically accompanies the ownership of this species ( 9 , 10 ). Whilst positive findings are widely published in the area, research does present a somewhat mixed picture, with some studies yielding either null results or pointing to some detrimental associations ( 11 , 12 ). Amiot and colleagues ( 13 ), for instance, reported poorer mental health in pet owners than non-owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, while older Canadian pet owners were found to be less satisfied with their lives than non-pet owners ( 14 ).

One factor that may influence the extent to which an owner gains health benefits from their pet is the strength of the human-animal bond. Attachment theory was first proposed by Bowlby ( 15 ) to outline the child-caregiver relationship, but has since been used successfully to explain owner-pet relationships ( 16 , 17 ), with studies suggesting that companion animals can serve as important attachment figures ( 18 ). One might expect a stronger attachment to one’s companion animal to be associated with enhanced wellbeing, and, indeed, this is supported by some studies. Garrity and colleagues ( 19 ), for example, found lower levels of depression in older adults who reported higher attachment to their pets than more weakly bonded individuals. More recently, Teo and Thomas ( 20 ) reported that people who were “securely” attached to the animals in their care had lower levels of psychological distress and psychopathology and better quality of life than individuals less securely attached. Whilst perhaps counter-intuitive, some studies in this area have reported poorer mental health in people who are more strongly bonded with their pets. Wells and colleagues ( 21 ), for instance, found that higher bonds of attachment to one’s dog or cat were associated with higher levels of depression, loneliness and lower levels of positive experience. Miltiades and Shearer ( 22 ) likewise found that higher levels of attachment to one’s companion animal were associated with higher levels of depression in a group of older American adults, while Lass-Hennemann and associates ( 23 ) reported an association between stronger attachment to one’s dog and higher levels of psychopathological symptoms. One explanation for these discrepant findings may lie with owner personality. Bagley and Gonsman ( 24 ), for example, found that people with ‘Idealist’ personality types had significantly higher pet attachment scores than ‘Rationals’ and ‘Artisans’. Reevy and Delgado ( 25 ) likewise found a positive correlation between attachment to one’s pet and neuroticism, a personality trait that has been linked to psychological health disorders, notably depression and anxiety ( 26 – 28 ). More recently, a study involving over 2,500 Finnish dog and cat owners reported that neuroticism and poor mental health are linked to ‘anxious’ attachment styles and highlighted the significance of individual personality traits in contributing to insecure attachment and, more generally, mental well-being ( 29 ).

So far, research exploring the association between owner personality and pet attachment has focused heavily on the ‘Big Five’ traits [openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, ( 30 )]. Different psychometric tests, however, measure different personality constructs and vary in their utility depending on the criterion under scrutiny ( 31 ). Other dimensions of personality are certainly worth focusing on, particularly those, like the ‘Big Five’, known to be linked to mental health. The following study therefore aimed to further explore the link between owner personality and pet attachment, focusing on both the Big Five traits of personality, and the ‘Dark Triad’, a cluster of traits [(Machievellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, ( 32 )] that has been linked to emotional deficits ( 33 ) and has been sorely overlooked in relation to pet ownership and attachment. It was anticipated that the work would shed useful light on the link between owner personality and pet attachment, with important implications for its role in psychological well-being.

2 Materials and methods

2.1 sampling and participants.

Adult dog and cat owners from across the globe were invited to take part in this study via advertisements placed on social media platforms, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Reddit. The advertisement indicated that the study was concerned with exploring pet-owner relationships, rather than drawing specific attention to its focus on attachment and personality assessment. The online survey attracted a total of 1487 responses. Following screening for inclusion criteria (provision of informed consent, dog/cat ownership, primary pet caregiver, aged 18+ years, proficiency in English) and quality of data (i.e., failure to complete the survey), 549 individuals were removed; the final dataset therefore comprised 938 eligible participants (for full details see Results).

A purpose-designed questionnaire was developed that aimed to collect information on sociodemographic background, pet ownership status, strength of the pet-owner bond and participant personality. Section 1 of the survey collected demographic information, including details on the respondents’ gender (men, women, other), age (18-35, 36-50, 51+ years), geographic location (UK/Ireland, Americas, Europe, Oceania, Rest of World), marital status (single, married/co-habiting, separated/divorced, widowed) and whether or not they cared for a child under 18 years of age (yes, no). This part of the survey also collected information on pet ownership. Respondents were required to indicate whether they owned a pet dog (yes, no) or cat (yes, no). If individuals owned more than one pet, they were asked to specify which animal (dog or cat) they would focus on for the survey. The survey also collected information on how long individuals had owned their pet (< 1 year, 1-5 years, >5 years).

The second part of the survey collected information on the participants’ personality. Two validated psychometric tests were used:

i) Big Five Personality Scale-Short [BFI-S, ( 34 )]. This is a 15-item questionnaire used to measure 5 aspects of personality (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism). Participants are required to respond to a series of statements (e.g., “I see myself as someone who worries a lot”) using a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale has been shown to have good overall validity ( 34 , 35 ).

ii) Short Dark Triad [SD3, ( 36 )]. The SD3 is a 27-item questionnaire used to measure the ‘Dark Triad’ of personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathology). Respondents are asked to indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements (e.g., “It’s not wise to share your secrets”), using a Likert scale ranging from 1 ‘strongly disagree to 5 ‘strongly agree’. The SD3 has good reliability and validity ( 36 ).

The final section of the survey (Section 3) collected information on owner-pet attachment. Participants were required to complete the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale [ LAPS , ( 37 )], a test designed to determine the strength of the animal-owner bond. The LAPS requires owners to assess their degree of agreement with 23 statements (e.g., “I consider my pet to be a friend”) on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 3 (strongly agree). The scale has been shown to have good internal consistency (coefficient alpha=0.928) and examines emotional attachment to both dogs and cats. The survey is one of the most commonly used indicators of owner-pet attachment in studies of the human-animal bond ( 21 , 24 , 25 , 38 ).

2.3 Procedure

Pet owners interested in taking part in the study followed a link to the questionnaire hosted on the online platform Qualtrics. Here, they initially read the Participant Information Sheet, which gave details on what the study entailed. If still keen to take part in the investigation, participants indicated their consent by checking a box and commenced the survey. Individuals who did not meet the necessary inclusion criteria (see earlier) were not allowed to complete the consent form or go any further with the study. Following survey completion, participants were thanked for their time and allowed to read a debrief. The study remained open for one month between May-June 2023.

2.4 Data analysis

Simple descriptive statistics were initially carried out to explore the frequency and percentage of responses to the sociodemographic information. Pearson’s moment correlations were subsequently conducted to assess any significant relationships between participants’ personality trait scores (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathology), both within and between scales, and to explore for any associations with their attachment to pet (LAPS) scores. Finally, a linear regression analysis was conducted to examine whether any of the demographic variables or personality traits served as predictors of the strength of pet attachment. Overall LAPS score was set as the criterion variable, while factors of owner gender (men, women [none of the participants checked the ‘other’ category]), age (18-35, 36-50, 51+ years), geographic location (UK/Ireland, Americas, Europe, Oceania, Rest of World), marital status (single, married/co-habiting, separated/divorced, widowed), parental status (parent of child under 18, not parent of child under 18), pet type (dog, cat), length of pet ownership (<1year, 1-5 years, >5 years) and personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, etc.), were set as the predictor variables. The assumptions underlying regression analysis were sufficiently met. Inspection of scatterplots for the continuous predictors revealed linear relationships with the criterion variable. There was no evidence of any multicollinearity between the predictor variables (all variance inflation factor (VIF) values < 1.6; mean VIF=1.32, SD=016). Scatterplots revealed homoscedasticity of residuals, while Q-Q plots showed that the residuals followed a normal distribution.

Full ethical approval for the study was granted by the University’s Faculty Ethics Research Committee (EPS 23_174).

3.1 Participants

Demographic information on the participants involved in the study can be found in Table 1 . As can be seen, most of the participants were from the Global North (UK/Ireland, Europe or the Americas). The majority of respondents were women, under 50 years of age and were married or cohabiting. Just over half of the sample were parents to children under 18 years of age. The vast majority of the cohort reported owning a dog, with most people having cared for their pet for over one year.

Table 1 Number and percentage of participants according to demographic factor ( n=938 ).

3.2 Pet owner personality

Mean personality scores for both the BFI and Dark Triad scales are presented in Table 2 . Analysis revealed a number of small, although statistically significant, correlations between many of the participants’ personality traits ( Table 3 ). All of the Dark Triad traits were positively correlated with each other. Significant correlations were also found between many of the BFI trait scores. Specifically, neuroticism was negatively correlated with traits of extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness, while extraversion was found to be positively associated with openness and conscientiousness. Both openness and agreeableness were positively correlated with conscientiousness. A number of Dark Triad trait scores were significantly correlated with BFI scores. Machiavellianism was positively correlated with neuroticism, but negatively associated with traits of conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness. Narcissism was positively correlated with openness, conscientiousness and extraversion, but negatively associated with neuroticism. Finally, significant negative correlations were found between psychopathy and BFI traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness.

Table 2 Mean (SD) personality scale scores ( n=938 ).

Table 3 Pearson moment correlations between Big Five, Dark Triad and Lexington Attachment to Pets (LAPS) scores.

3.3 Personality and pet owner attachment

Three personality traits were significantly correlated with participants’ LAPS scores, all in a positive direction: neuroticism, conscientiousness and, more weakly, Machiavellianism. None of the other personality traits were associated with owners’ strength of attachment to their pets scores ( Table 3 ).

A total of 938 cases were analysed for the linear regression model concerned with attachment level, which was found to be significantly reliable (R 2 = 0.37, F[22,937]=6.78, P<0.001). Gender, age, parental status and pet ownership status all served as significant predictors of participants’ LAPS scores ( Tables 4 , 5 ). Women had significantly higher LAPs scores than men, respondents over the age of 50 years were more strongly attached to their pets than younger individuals, carers of children under the age of 18 years had higher scores than individuals without children in this age group, while dog owners were more strongly attached to their pets than cat owners.

Table 4 Results of the linear regression analysis for Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale scores involving predictor variables of participant gender, age, geographic location, marital status, parental status, type of pet owned, length of pet ownership, BFI and Dark Triad traits.

Table 5 Mean (SD) LAPS scores according to demographic factor.

Two of the personality traits served as significant, positive predictors of the criterion variable, namely neuroticism and conscientiousness. People higher in these traits were more strongly attached to their pets than individuals lower in these traits.

4 Discussion

This paper explored the relationship between strength of the human-animal bond and owner personality, with a focus, for the first time, on the Dark Triad of traits.

The results of this study showed significant, although modest, interrelationships between many of the participants’ personality traits, both within and between scales. All of the Dark Triad traits were positively correlated with each other, a finding that concurs with other published work in this area ( 32 , 39 , 40 ). These close correlations have led some authors to question whether the Dark Triad traits are sufficiently distinct or harbour an element of conceptual redundancy ( 41 ); psychopathy, in particular, is considered by some authors to be indistinct from Machiavellianism ( 42 , 43 ). Others have suggested that we need to broaden our view of dark personality and instead of considering three traits as one construct, we should perhaps contemplate a construct that encompasses a wider range of ‘dark’ characteristics, e.g., perfectionism, spitefulness, greed ( 44 , 45 ).

Many of the Big Five traits were also found to be significantly correlated with each other, with the direction of these associations largely in line with published work on personality. For example, neuroticism has been found to be robustly negatively correlated with traits of agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion, at least at the between-person level of analysis (see ( 46 ) for a discussion of this issue), and indeed a negative correlation between these variables was found in the current study. Likewise, as unearthed here, other authors have found a negative correlation between extroversion and neuroticism and a positive association with openness to experience ( 47 ).

Significant associations were found between some of the Big Five factors and Dark Triad traits. For example, Machiavellianism and psychopathy were negatively correlated with Big Five traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness. Narcissism, by contrast, was positively correlated with openness to experience, conscientiousness and extraversion, but negatively correlated with neuroticism. Other authors have reported correlations between the Dark Triad and the Big Five variables ( 48 ). Whilst findings have been somewhat inconsistent in relation to exactly which traits are correlated and the direction of these relationships, the current investigation largely aligns with this work ( 32 , 40 , 49 ).

The results from this study revealed positive correlations between people’s attachment to pet scores (LAPS) and traits of neuroticism, conscientiousness and, to a weaker degree, Machiavellianism. Some of these personality traits are associated with poor mental health outcomes. Neuroticism, in particular, has been associated with the propensity to experience negative emotions, including sadness, anger, loneliness, anxiety and feelings of vulnerability ( 50 , 51 ). People who score more highly for this trait are at greater risk from a wide variety of psychological disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia [for review see ( 52 )]. Machiavellianism, a trait found to be positively correlated with neuroticism in this study, albeit weakly, has also been linked with poorer mental health, reduced happiness, low self-esteem and higher levels of anxiety and depression ( 53 – 55 ). Whilst neuroticism and Machiavellianism could be considered disadvantageous traits from a mental health perspective, conscientiousness, by contrast, has typically been associated with benefits. People who score highly for this trait, for example, tend to have better physical and mental health, stronger relationships and greater longevity [for review see ( 56 )].

The findings from the current investigation concur with previous work regarding the variables that predict strength of the pet-owner bond. Gender was found to be one of the strongest predictors of the criterion variable, with women being more closely attached to their pets than men, a finding that has been widely reported ( 21 , 57 , 58 ) and may be linked to women showing greater levels of empathy ( 59 , 60 ). The current study also found a significant association between level of pet attachment and parental status, with people who had children under the age of 18 years to care for being more strongly attached to their pets than individuals without these responsibilities. Interestingly, Wells and colleagues ( 21 ) reported the opposite relationship to the findings presented here; their study, however, was conducted during a COVID-19 lockdown, when parents of young children were likely to have been busy trying to juggle working from home with homeschooling, perhaps leaving less time to invest in, or bond with, their pets. In accordance with other studies ( 21 , 23 , 61 – 63 ), dog owners were found to be more strongly attached to their pets than cat owners. This discrepancy in attachment may be related to the social nature of these animals, with dogs developing stronger bonds of attachment, particularly to humans ( 64 , 65 ), than cats. Unlike other companion animals, dogs are also more likely to respond to human emotions, even adapting their behaviour in response to their carers’ emotional cues, thereby encouraging closer bonds of attachment ( 66 ).

Several authors have unearthed a positive correlation between pet owner attachment and poor mental health ( 21 – 23 ), leading one to question whether high attachment levels are associated with personality traits aligned to psychological ill-health. The results from the present investigation lend support for this, although other factors, including type of pet owned and parental status served as stronger predictors of strength of attachment than personality (see above). In relation to personality traits, however, higher levels of neuroticism, a trait known to be associated with poor mental health (see earlier), were associated with higher pet attachment scores. Interestingly, studies that have focused on the nature of the pet-owner bond (as opposed to the strength of the relationship, explored here) have shown that high levels of neuroticism are positively correlated with an ‘anxious’ style of attachment, i.e., one that reflects having worries about the pet being available, sensitive and/or responsive to the owner’s needs ( 25 , 29 , 67 ). These types of thoughts and expectations have also been reported in inter-human attachments and are deemed somewhat maladaptive working models ( 68 ).

Both the present investigation, and other studies ( 25 , 67 ), also found that conscientiousness positively predicted strength of pet attachment. This personality trait is typically associated with positive mental health outcomes (see earlier). That said, it is still unclear whether this trait is linked to adaptive or maladaptive attachment styles. For example, the trait has been found to be negatively correlated with both ‘anxiety’ and ‘avoidance’ styles of attachment ( 25 , 67 ), hinting at a more functional type of relationship. However, Stahl and colleagues ( 29 ) recently found that more conscientious cat owners were more anxiously attached to their pets. Going forwards, it is recommended that further consideration is given to the potentially important relationship between strength of attachment to one’s pet, attachment style and mental health. The results from both the present study and other investigations in this area show that people with different personality types may have similar strengths of attachment to their pets, but potentially different attachment styles that may differ in terms of their adaptivity.

One might have expected some of the Dark Triad traits to have served as significant predictors of people’s strength of attachment to their pets, particularly considering the correlation (albeit modest) that was unearthed between Machiavellianism and LAPS scores. The Dark Triad has been associated with various indicators of parenting style, with authoritative parenting being negatively correlated with Dark Triad tendencies and authoritarian and detached parenting more positively correlated with these traits ( 69 ). Vonk and colleagues ( 70 ) also found that people who were high in grandiose narcissism [as assessed by the ‘Pathological Narcissism Inventory, ( 71 )] were more attached to their ‘traditional’ pets (e.g. dog, cat, hamster) than individuals lower in this trait (this correlation was not unearthed for owners of ‘untraditional’ pets, e.g. reptiles, amphibians, parrots). Of interest, the Dark Triad has been associated with both a general dislike of animals and animal cruelty ( 72 ); it may therefore be the case that people high on these personality traits are generally less likely to own animals, or to own them for different reasons, than individuals lower on these traits. Indeed, it has been argued that people with dark personalities may be more inclined to own exotic species [for financial gain and status, ( 73 , 74 )], animals not of focus in the current investigation. Of note, lower mean scores for all of the Dark Triad traits were found in the present study compared to other populations ( 36 , 75 ); again, this could lend some support for the idea that people high in these traits are less likely to own pets and may also explain the lack of significant associations unearthed here (i.e., a floor effect).

Owner personality has important implications, not only for their own health, but that of their pets. Reevy and Delgado ( 25 ) found that a high level of neuroticism was associated with a high level of affection towards a pet and high anxious attachment, leading them to argue that neuroticism may offer benefits to a pet’s welfare, with people high on this trait perhaps being more perceptive and responsive to changes in the animal’s behaviour or health. Pet owners prone to this style of attachment do indeed report higher levels of caregiving and attentiveness to their animals ( 76 ). The impact of this on the psychological welfare of their animals, however, is very much open to debate. Indeed, neuroticism has been linked to the manifestation of various pet behaviour problems, including destructiveness, sexual mounting and owner-directed aggression ( 77 ). Gobbo and Zupan ( 78 ) found that dogs of more neurotic caregivers displayed more aggression, both towards conspecifics and humans, while Finka and associates ( 79 ) showed a link between higher owner neuroticism and an increased likelihood of cats having a behaviour problem. Together, these studies suggest that neuroticism may be a maladaptive personality trait, both for humans and their pets alike.

5 Limitations

Like other studies in this area, there are limitations to this investigation that must be acknowledged. Firstly, it is possible that the online recruitment method employed attracted a certain cohort of people, e.g., individuals who were overly attached to their companion animals. As with most, if not indeed all, studies in this area, the majority of the participants were women, a variable found to be associated with both companion animal attachment and mental well-being. Although challenging, it would be useful for future studies to focus more specifically on men, particularly in light of the difference in attachment styles that exist between the sexes ( 80 , 81 ). Whilst the scale used to assess pet attachment (LAPS) in the present study is the most commonly employed in this area, a response bias leaning towards higher attachment (perhaps with participants feeling fearful of being perceived as ‘unloving’ of, or ‘unbonded’ to their pets) cannot be ruled out. Future studies may be able to address this by including additional, perhaps more objective, measures of pet attachment (e.g., recording frequency of physical contacts between owners and their pets, oxytocin levels, etc.) and exploring the relationship between these types of attachment tool. Although this study was concerned with exploring the link between pet-owner attachment and owner personality, the role of other variables must be considered. For example, Lass-Hennemann and colleagues ( 23 ) found that attachment to humans mediated the relationship between mental health and strength of attachment to one’s dog. Future research needs to consider the wide variety of variables that may be associated with attachments and mental well-being beyond those considered here. Other studies have reported an influence of pet owner race, ethnicity, economic status, etc. ( 82 ), and the role of these demographic variables is worth exploring in future statistical models. This study also attracted participants from the global north, rendering it difficult to generalize findings beyond those reported here. Finally, it is worth remembering that this research focused purely on the strength of the owner-pet bond; further work is recommended in this area, with a greater focus on both strength and quality (i.e., attachment styles) of the pet-owner bond.

6 Conclusions

Overall, this study points to a relationship between strength of attachment to one’s pet and owner personality, at least as assessed using the Big Five approach to personality measurement. There was little to support the idea that the Dark Triad traits were associated with strength of attachment to one’s pet, although the link between these characteristics and attachment styles is still unknown. There are clearly important links between human-animal attachment and mental health outcomes, both for people and their pets. Developing scales that assess attachment relationships is therefore important from a One Health perspective. There may be benefits to moving beyond the two-dimensional models of human attachment ( 83 ) thus far employed in research on owners and their pets. Studies also need to explore, ideally using longitudinal approaches, directionality of attachment bonds and the degree of interdependence between traits of owners and their companion animals. Attachment theory points to a bidirectional relationship, with bonds shaped by both parties ( 84 ). Future studies may like to explore direction of causation to more fully understand the complex interactions between human and pet personality traits and the psychological health outcomes for both partners.

Data availability statement

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the dataset presented in this paper is considered confidential as consent for open access was not secured at the time of participant recruitment. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to [email protected] .

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by Queen’s University Belfast Faculty Ethics Research Committee. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

DW: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Validation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. KT: Data curation, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of those individuals who took part in this study.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: attachment, big five, companion animals, dark triad, human-animal bond, mental health, personality, pets

Citation: Wells DL and Treacy KR (2024) Pet attachment and owner personality. Front. Psychiatry 15:1406590. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1406590

Received: 25 March 2024; Accepted: 15 April 2024; Published: 26 April 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Wells and Treacy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Deborah L. Wells, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Pet ownership

Owning a pet is a privilege that brings us great rewards. Because our pets can’t speak for themselves, we each take on a responsibility as owners to advocate for them and provide the support and resources they need to live healthy, happy lives. Providing that support begins even before we bring a pet home.

Avoid impulsive decisions when selecting a pet.
Select a pet that's suited to your home and lifestyle.
Keep only the type and number of pets for which you can provide appropriate food, water, shelter, health care and companionship.
Commit to the relationship for the life of your pet(s).
Provide appropriate exercise and mental stimulation.
Properly socialize and train your pet.
Recognize that pet ownership requires an investment of time and money .
Make sure your pet receives preventive health care (vaccinations, parasite control, etc.), as well as care for any illnesses or injuries.
Budget for potential emergencies.
Clean up after your pet.
Obey all local ordinances, including licensing, leash requirements and noise control.
Don't allow your pet to stray or become feral.
Make sure your pet is properly identified (i.e., tags, microchips , or tattoos) and keep its registration up-to-date.
Don't contribute to our nation's pet overpopulation problem: limit your pet's reproduction through spay/neuter , containment or managed breeding.
Prepare for an emergency or disaster , including assembling an evacuation kit.
Make alternate arrangements if you can no longer provide care for your pet.
Recognize any decline in your pet's quality of life and make timely decisions in consultation with a veterinarian.

Responsible Pet Ownership - Invest in Your Pet's Health

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Dog — Dogs Are a Great Pet

Dogs Are a Great Pet

Categories: Dog Pet

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Words: 447 |

Published: Mar 20, 2024

Words: 447 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Companionship, health benefits, unique qualities of different breeds.

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Essay on My Pet Dog for Students and Children

500+ Words Essay on My Pet Dog

Pets are a great blessing in anyone’s life. They are the only ones who love us unconditionally. Pets always offer us everything they have without asking for anything in return. The main aim of any pet’s life is to make their owner happy. Nowadays, even the term ‘owner’ is changing. People prefer their pets as kids and to themselves as parents. This is how the relationship between pets is evolving. People treat them no less than humans. For instance, they celebrate their birthdays; get those matching outfits and more.

In my opinion, I feel the pets rightly deserve it. The most common pet you can find at anyone’s place is dogs. A man’s best friend and the most faithful animal, a dog. I also have a pet dog that I love to bits. We got him when he was a little baby and have watched him grow into a beautiful dog. All my family members love him with all their heart. We love his silly antics and cannot imagine our lives without him. We named him Sasha.

Sasha – My Pet Dog

My father adopted Sasha when he was a little baby. His friend had given birth to puppies and they decided to put the puppies up for adoption. We convinced our father to get one for us. Considering they knew our family well, they immediately agreed. Little did we know that our lives would change forever after his entrance.

Sasha came in like a blessing for our family. He belongs to the breed of Labrador. Sasha was black in colour, pure coal black. He came in as a puppy with his cute little paws and eyes. We couldn’t stop gushing over this beauty. My siblings used to fight with each other as to who will get the maximum time to play with Sasha.

Read 500 Words Essay on Dog here

As and when Sasha grew up, he learned various tricks. We trained him to follow our instructions and he even learned a few tricks. We loved showing him off to our colony friends and relatives. I always took Sasha out with me as he loved taking a walk on the road.

Furthermore, my siblings and I took on the responsibility of keeping Sasha clean. Every week, we took turns to bathe him and brush him nicely. I remember I even got a bow for him from my pocket money. Sasha loved it and wagged his tail in excitement. Sasha has been with us through thick and thin and we will forever be indebted to him for his loyalty.

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A Changed Life

Before having a pet dog, we didn’t know what all we would experience. After Sasha came into our lives, he changed it forever. Sasha changed the meaning of loyalty for us. We learned how this faithful animal always worked for our happiness and safety.

Certainly, Sasha made us better human beings. We are now more compassionate towards animals. There was one instance where the stray dogs were going to harm a kitten, and to our surprise, Sasha saved that little kitten and got her home.

In other words, we have learned a lot of things from Sasha. He protected us when we slept at night. He tried to cheer us up whenever anyone of us was sad. Sasha’s obedience inspired me a lot to be kind to my parents. Therefore, all the credit for changing our lives goes to Sasha.

Q.1 What are some common pet animals?

A.1 Some of the most common pet animals are dogs, cats, parrots, hamsters, rabbits, turtles and more.

Q.2 Why should one own a pet dog?

A.2 We can learn a great deal from our pet dogs. They teach us loyalty, compassion, courage, and obedience.

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For All Pet Lovers

Do pets reflect the personalities of their owners?

Introduction: do pets reflect their owners’ personalities.

Many pet owners believe that their pets reflect their personalities. Some people even choose their pets based on their own personality traits. But is there any scientific evidence to support this idea? This article explores the relationship between pets and their owners’ personalities, including studies that support the correlation between pet and owner traits, the role of attachment styles, and how pets can influence their owners’ personalities and behaviors.

Studies supporting the idea of pet-owner personality correlation

Several studies have found a correlation between pet and owner personalities. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that dog owners tended to be more outgoing and agreeable than cat owners. Another study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that owners of small dogs tended to be more neurotic than owners of larger dogs.

These studies suggest that there may be some connection between pet and owner personalities. However, it’s important to note that correlation does not equal causation. Just because there is a correlation between pet and owner traits doesn’t necessarily mean that pets are causing their owners to be a certain way.

The Big Five Personality Traits and their connection to pets

One way to measure personality is through the Big Five Personality Traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Research has found that certain pets are more likely to be associated with certain Big Five traits. For example, cat owners tend to score higher in openness and neuroticism, while dog owners tend to score higher in extraversion and conscientiousness.

These findings suggest that people may choose pets based on their own personality traits or that pets may influence their owners’ personalities over time. For example, owning a dog may encourage someone to be more outgoing and responsible, which are traits associated with dog ownership.

The role of attachment styles in pet-owner similarity

Attachment styles refer to the way people form and maintain emotional bonds with others. Research has found that people with certain attachment styles are more likely to choose certain pets. For example, people with an anxious attachment style may be more likely to choose a small dog that they can take everywhere with them.

Additionally, research has found that the relationship between pet and owner personalities is stronger when the attachment between them is stronger. This suggests that the bond between pet and owner may play a role in shaping each other’s personalities.

How pets can influence their owners’ personalities and behaviors

There is some evidence to suggest that pets can influence their owners’ personalities and behaviors. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that dog owners reported higher levels of physical activity and lower levels of anxiety and depression than non-dog owners. Another study published in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology found that children who owned pets had higher levels of empathy and social competence than children who didn’t own pets.

These findings suggest that pets may have a positive impact on their owners’ mental and physical health, which could in turn influence their personalities and behaviors.

The impact of breed choice on the owner’s personality

Some research has found that the type of pet someone chooses may be related to their personality traits. For example, a study published in the Journal of Research in Personality found that people who owned exotic pets tended to be more open-minded and unconventional than people who owned traditional pets like cats and dogs.

Similarly, research has found that people who own certain breeds of dogs tend to have certain personality traits. For example, people who own Toy Poodles tend to be more creative and artistic, while people who own Golden Retrievers tend to be more social and outgoing.

Do different types of pets reflect different aspects of their owners?

Some people believe that different types of pets reflect different aspects of their owners’ personalities. For example, cat owners may be seen as independent and introverted, while dog owners may be seen as outgoing and extroverted.

However, it’s important to remember that these are stereotypes and not necessarily true for all pet owners. Additionally, there is limited research on whether different types of pets actually reflect different aspects of their owners’ personalities.

The limitations of research on pet-owner personality correlation

While there is some evidence to suggest that pets and their owners’ personalities are correlated, there are limitations to this research. For example, much of the research is based on self-report measures, which may be subject to biases and inaccuracies. Additionally, it’s difficult to determine whether pets are causing their owners to be a certain way or whether people are choosing pets that reflect their own personalities.

Other factors that may affect the pet-owner personality connection

There are many other factors that may affect the connection between pet and owner personalities. For example, the age, gender, and cultural background of the pet owner may play a role. Additionally, the relationship between the pet and owner, as well as the pet’s behavior and personality, may influence the way the owner perceives their own personality.

The importance of understanding the pet-owner personality link

Understanding the relationship between pets and their owners’ personalities can have important implications for pet selection and animal-assisted interventions. For example, if certain pets are more likely to be associated with certain personality traits, this could be taken into account when recommending pets for therapy or emotional support.

Additionally, understanding the ways in which pets can influence their owners’ personalities and behaviors can help people make informed decisions about pet ownership and the role pets play in their lives.

Conclusion: The complex relationship between pets and their owners

While there is some evidence to suggest that pets reflect their owners’ personalities, the relationship between pet and owner traits is complex and multifaceted. While certain pets may be associated with certain personality traits, it’s important to remember that this is not true for all pet owners.

Additionally, the relationship between pet and owner personalities is likely influenced by many factors, including attachment styles, the pet’s behavior and personality, and the owner’s age, gender, and cultural background.

Future research is needed to better understand the ways in which pets and their owners’ personalities are related, as well as the potential implications of this connection for pet selection and animal-assisted interventions.

Dr. Chyrle Bonk

Pros and Cons of Owning a Pet

People enjoy the company of animals and having a pet in your life brings the feeling of joy that goes both ways. However, taking care of a pet isn’t something you should jump into without previously thinking about it.

Apart from many benefits of owning a dog or a cat , taking care of a pet also involves a number of responsibilities, like cleaning, feeding, and making sure that your pet is happy and healthy, which in turn requires certain expenses. Here are some crucial things to consider before buying or adopting a pet.

Stress relief

Pets are a constant source of comfort, support, and love . They are also great listeners you can turn to during rough patches of your life and receive only positive feedback, as they can’t judge you. They can also help you fight depression and loneliness, and teach you how to become more compassionate. As you learn to take care of your pet, you develop empathy towards others.

Some pets can make the owners feel more secure. There are many benefits of owning a dog. They, for example, are known to act as guards of the home as they can easily sense danger. There are numerous cases of dogs that saved their owners from potential misfortunes due to their intuition and quick reaction. That’s why having a pet can help you sleep better at night.

Health benefits

Benefits of owning a pet include positive impact on our physical condition. Studies suggest that people who have pets engage more often in physical activity than those without animal companions. Owning a dog, for example, involves taking them out for a walk every day, which helps pet owners in reducing obesity. Also, if you have children, exposure to pets can be extremely beneficial for them. Numerous studies show that pets strengthen children’s immune system . Additionally, research shows that pets can minimize stress levels in children, and prompt their enthusiasm for learning.

Responsibilities

Before you decide to get a pet, be absolutely sure that you’re ready to fully commit to them. Taking care of the pet means that you can’t leave them alone for too long, that you must regularly clean and feed them, and that you must make sure that they are comfortable and happy. This requires responsibility, so it’s a bad idea to take a pet if you don’t think you can manage it. Be sure that you can always spare time for them and cater to their needs.

Almost every animal can cause allergies. The proteins in their urine, saliva, and dander can act as allergens and cause an allergic reaction in some people . If you and your family are prone to allergies, it’s best to avoid animals with feathers or fur and opt for a pet fish or a pet turtle, for example. However, if you want to keep your pet dog or cat despite the allergy, you need to take some necessary steps to prevent any health risk and still enjoy the company of your furry friends.

Annual cost of owning a dog or cat can be costly. Bear in mind all the expenses you will have if you choose to get a certain pet. You’ll need to provide them with the right food, shelter, and various pet supplies necessary for a well-balanced life.

How to give your pet a royal treatment

Adopting a pet is like getting a new member of the family and naturally, you only want to give them the best.

Make sure that they eat only high-quality food and healthy treats.
Arrange a special place in your home for them where they can retreat and relax and fill this place with their favorite toys .
Provide them with a comfy place to sleep, like teepees or cushions.
You can also provide them with unique pet accessories, like cute clothes and jewelry to style them up.

Above all, remember to talk to them and do the things they love most, whether it’s belly rubbing, petting, or just letting them sit on your lap. Even when you’re away, they don’t have to feel your absence – you can get a special pet camera that allows you to see, talk and play with your pet wherever you are.

Apart from being bundles of joy, pets are also a great responsibility. Think carefully before you adopt a pet and make sure you can properly take care of them.

Claire Hastings is a proud pet owner, wanderer, designer, and a writer from Australia. She writes as long as she can remember, and she is very passionate about hiking with her dog and cuddling with her cat.

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14 Interesting Pet Ownership Statistics in California: 2024 Update

Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by Dogster Team

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Note : This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.

As the home of Silicon Valley, Hollywood, and some of the most famous national parks in the country, California might just be the state everyone knows about outside the United States. Like other parts of the country, California has many pets, but possibly not as many as you might think. In this article, you’ll learn 14 pet ownership statistics about California, including some you may find surprising.

The 14 California Pet Ownership Statistics

In California, 57.2% of households own at least one pet.
Dog owners make up 40.1% of pet-owning households in California.
Cat owners are 22.9% of the pet-owning population in California.
An estimated 5.3 million pet dogs and 5.7 million pet cats live in Los Angeles County.
Approximately 232,000 dogs live in San Francisco.
More than 500,000 dogs call San Diego home.
The most popular dog name in California is Bella.
In 2021–2022, 6,691 homeless pets entered the San Francisco Animal Care and Control shelters.
In 2021–2022, 28,117 homeless pets were received by all Los Angeles County animal care and control shelters.
An estimated 5–10% of the unhoused population of Los Angeles owns pets.
The average cost of a vet visit for one pet in California is $71.95.
The average dog-related injury insurance claim in California is $78, 818.
The average pet insurance claim payout in California is $578.
California is home to 19.2% of all insured pets in the United States.

PET_OWNERSHIP_IN_CALIFORNIA_FACTS_&_STATISTICS

How Many Pets Live in California?

1. in california, 57.2% of households own at least one pet..

(World Population Review)

While this may seem like a high percentage, it’s slightly lower than the estimated national average of 59%. California ranks in the bottom half of states when it comes to the percentage of pet ownership. In contrast, the highest is Wyoming, where 71.8% of households own at least one pet. The lowest is the District of Columbia, where 38.2% of homes have a pet.

The owner puts on a leash with a harness on a Scottish kitten for the first walk

2. Dog owners make up 40.1% of pet-owning households in California.

On this statistic, California skews close to the national average, with around 40% of U.S. households owning a dog. California households own an average of 1.6 dogs each, indicating that many are multi-dog families.

3. Cat owners are 22.9% of the pet-owning population in California.

Nationally, 27.8% of all households own cats, so California feline owners lag behind the average. In total, California households own an average of 1.7 cats.

4. An estimated 5.3 million pet dogs and 5.7 million pet cats live in Los Angeles County.

(Los Angeles Almanac)

An estimated 1.9 million of the 3.3 million households in Los Angeles County own a pet. After dogs and cats, fish are the next most popular pet in the county. Approximately 277,453 households in the county own fish.

5. Approximately 232,000 dogs live in San Francisco.

(San Francisco Magazine)

According to several estimates, San Francisco has a higher population of dogs than children. However, an accurate account of the canine population is hard to come by because not all dogs in San Francisco are properly licensed. Human census data suggests there are just over 18,000 minors in the city.

Miniature Schnauzer with little girl owner

6. More than 500,000 dogs call San Diego home.

(NBC7 San Diego)

As one of the most dog-friendly cities in the state, San Diego is home to over half a million dogs. With multiple dog beaches, hiking, parks, and other outdoor activities, San Diego provides beautiful weather and plenty to keep them busy.

7. The most popular dog name in California is Bella.

Dogs named Bella make up 5.47% of the top 50 dog names in the state. Bella is also the most popular dog name in the United States. Rounding out the top 5 are Luna, Max, Charlie, and Coco.

Homeless Pet Statistics in California

8. in 2021-2022, 6,691 homeless pets entered the san francisco animal care and control shelters..

(San Francisco Animal Care and Control)

As an open-door shelter, San Francisco Animal Care and Control accepts all surrendered, stray, and homeless pets, no questions asked. The total breakdown of animals admitted to the shelter comes to 2,232 cats, 1,974 dogs, and 2,485 other pets. Of these admissions, 92% left the shelter alive, either adopted, fostered, or reunited with their owners.

9. In 2021–2022, 28,117 homeless pets were received by all Los Angeles County animal care and control shelters.

(Los Angeles Animal Care and Control)

Most pets who entered the Los Angeles County animal shelters were picked up as strays, accounting for 72.53% of the total. An additional 20.19% were owner surrenders, and the remaining 7.29% entered the shelter in various other ways.

needy dachshund puts the head in hands of the owner

10. An estimated 5-10% of the unhoused population of Los Angeles owns pets.

(Spectrum News)

Los Angeles County is home to over 69,000 unhoused people. Many shelters don’t allow pets, leading them to choose between their animal companions or a safe sleeping spot. Recently, the state government passed a bill to encourage more homeless shelters to allow pets.

The Cost of Pet Ownership in California

11. the average cost of a vet visit for one pet in california is $71.95..

Nationwide, the average cost of a vet visit for one pet is about $61. For two pets, the average cost of a vet visit jumps to $108.39.

12. The average dog-related injury insurance claim in California is $78, 818.

(Insurance Journal)

In 2022 in the United States, the average dog injury insurance claim was $65,555. California also had the most injury claims filed of any state at 1,954. Overall, the national average of insurance payouts rose 31.7% from 2021.

a couple with pet signing insurance contract

13. The average pet insurance claim payout in California is $578.

According to ManyPets, California has the highest average insurance payout of any state. The national average is $399 per claim. Montana has the lowest state average: $238 per claim.

14. California is home to 19.2% of all insured pets in the United States.

Given what we’ve learned about the cost of vet care in California, it’s probably no surprise that the state is also home to the highest percentage of insured pets in the country. That’s more than double the next closest state, New York, at 8.7%.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular dog breeds in california.

Currently, the most popular registered dog breed in America is the French Bulldog . However, the most popular breed in California continues to be the Labrador Retriever . The rest of the top 5 includes the German Shepherd , Golden Retriever , Goldendoodle , and Chihuahua . (KRON)

What Pets Are Illegal in California?

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife provides an extensive list of species that are illegal to keep as pets in California without a permit. Animals that are prohibited include bats, hedgehogs, elephants, sloths, anteaters, crocodiles, and marine toads. You need a permit to transport or keep these and many other species (CA Dept of Wildlife.)

What Are the Entrance Requirements to Bring a Dog or Cat to California?

Dogs over the age of 4 months must have proof of rabies vaccination. If the dog is sold to a new owner, they must show a health certificate dated within 10 days of entry. Cats need neither proof of rabies vaccination nor a health certificate unless required by an airline to fly (CDFA.)

Is It Hard to Find Pet-Friendly Housing in California?

Overall, it’s hard to find affordable housing in California. Six California cities are listed as the top 10 most expensive rental markets in the country. Cities like Los Angeles encourage landlords to offer pet-friendly housing to improve their chances of finding renters. California has also passed laws to support pet-friendly accommodations, including requiring low-income housing to allow pets (KTLA.)

happy Pit Bull Terrier mixed breed dog looking up as its owner pets it

With a diverse landscape and countless opportunities for outdoor activities , California seems like the perfect state for pet owners. However, the high cost of living, including pet ownership, may be responsible for the state’s lower ranking for the number of pet-owning households. If you’re a California resident considering getting a pet, do your research and be aware of how much it will cost to do so first. Depending on your pet, you could face a decade or more of care costs.

15 Pet Ownership Statistics In New York
14 Pet Ownership Statistics in North Carolina
World Population Review
Los Angeles Almanac
San Francisco Magazine
NBC7 San Diego
San Francisco Animal Care and Control
Los Angeles Animal Care and Control
Spectrum News
Insurance Journal
CA Dept of Wildlife

Featured Image Credit: Prostock-studio, Shutterstock

About the Author

Elizabeth Gray

Elizabeth Gray is a lifelong lover of all animals great and small. She got her first cat at 5 years old and at 14, she started working for her local veterinarian. Elizabeth spent more than 20 years working as a veterinary nurse before stepping away to become a stay-at-home parent to her daughter. Now, she is excited to share her hard-earned knowledge (literally--she has scars) with the readers. Elizabeth lives in Iowa with her family, including her two furry kids, Linnard, a husky mix and Algernon, the worldʻs most patient cat. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching all sports but especially soccer, and spending time outdoors with her family.

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10 California Pet Laws You Should Know

If you own a cat or dog in California, you know first-hand how much joy pet ownership can bring. However, pet ownership also brings forth new responsibility and it’s important that you understand how those responsibilities are defined by California pet laws.

Here are 10 California pet laws every owner should know.

California Pet Laws

Each day, Californians spend time with treasured family companions – and not just of the two-legged variety. Pets are incredibly important to many families; they serve as friends, medical devices (such as in seeing-eye dogs), and even therapy supports (such as in emotional support animals).

In most jurisdictions, pets are considered a form of property. However, unlike most “objects,” they require much more care. As living property, how you take care of them is critically important. Failures in care can and do jeopardize the lives of pets and the people around them.

In the state of California, strict laws govern pet ownership.

Here are 10 California pet laws you need to know.

1. California Pet Stores May Only Sell Rescues

At the end of 2018, California officially tightened up lax laws around what pet stores can and cannot sell. Primarily, they wanted to remove the right to sell animals (especially puppies and kittens) in an effort to reduce puppy mills and dangerous backyard breeding.

Now, a new law specifies that dogs, cats, and rabbits may only be sourced from rescues and/or shelters, such as the Humane Society, the SPCA, or some other designated rescue. The idea was to push adoption and move away from risky breeding practices.

This new law does not restrict breeders from practicing ethical breeding. They simply cannot sell the products of breeding through pet stores.

2. All Dogs Must Have a Rabies Vaccine

Rabies is incredibly deadly and extremely contagious. Unfortunately, it’s also highly likely to spread because patients often don’t show symptoms for some time. Once symptoms do manifest, there is almost a zero percent chance of survival. That’s why California requires all pet owners to vaccinate their dogs for Rabies.

Dogs must receive their first rabies vaccine no later than four months of age. However, if a stray dog is located, or a dog is older or younger, or if the status of rabies inoculation is unknown, the dog must still be tested and/or vaccinated. Your vet can determine whether your dog has sufficient antibodies from a past vaccination.

Adopting from a shelter or rescue? They must provide you with proof of inoculation prior to adoption.

3. All Dogs Must be Licensed

The state of California requires that all pet owners in all counties and places license their dogs. This is true for single dog owners, multiple dog owners, and breeders. Even rescues and shelters may need to license their dogs depending on the length of stay within the facility (e.g., long-term sanctuaries).

As with the rabies vaccine, dogs must be licensed by the time they are four months of age. Pets must have proof of rabies vaccination to be granted a license.

4. Rescuers Must Spay or Neuter Cats Prior to Adoption

Adopting a cat from a local rescue or shelter? This information is for you. California requires all rescues to provide proof of spay/neuter when adopting. Rescues cannot adopt out animals for the purposes of breeding, nor can they assume the owner will take care of the surgery and adopt them out intact.

While there may be special exceptions for animals who cannot be spayed or neutered for medical reasons, all other animals must have surgery prior to adoption. This measure prevents cat overpopulation and abandonment.

5. You Must be Given Proof of Spay/Neuter When Adopting

The responsibility to spay and neuter prior to adoption extends beyond just the rescue or shelters’ own knowledge. In fact, they aren’t permitted to adopt animals out without this proof; it is an offense to do so. This is especially important where cats are concerned because overpopulation on the streets can occur so quickly.

When adopting from such facilities, you must be provided with proof . This usually comes in the form of a vet’s certificate with the date of the surgery. Most rescues combine this with proof of rabies vaccination, especially in the case of dogs.

6. Reduction of Licensing Fees for Cats with Proof of Spay/Neuter

The good news about California’s spay/neuter guidelines is that government licensing becomes cheaper if you can prove you followed the rules. Licensing offices are regulated to reduce the licensing fee by 50 percent for anyone who adopts a cat that comes with proof of spay or neuter .

What if you don’t adopt from a facility – maybe find a cat outside? Have your vet fill out a certificate for proof of surgery, anyway. The licensing office will still reduce the overall cost by 50 percent either way.

7. It is an Offense to Abandon Any Pet – Dog, Cat, or Otherwise

Far too many pet owners move away or grow bored of their pets, abandoning them to a life outdoors. This results in significant suffering as domestic animals are really not built for life alone. That’s why California also makes it illegal to abandon any dog, cat or rabbit.

This is a chargeable offense under animal cruelty laws.

8. Animal Fighting is Illegal

In the state of California, no pet owner or person may engage in animal fighting of any kind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a fish, a rooster, a dog, or something else entirely; it is still illegal. The two most common cases you hear falling under these guidelines are cockfighting (fighting two roosters) and dogfighting (fighting two dogs).

If you become aware of such activities in your neighborhood, there are options for seeking help without putting yourself at risk. Contact your local police department for ASPCA.

9. Breeders Have Specific Responsibilities

The familiar phrase “adopt don’t shop” does serve an important purpose, but sometimes, it really is best to adopt from a responsible breeder. This is often the case for people who need dogs to be specially-trained (for therapy or as a seeing-eye dog). California allows breeders to operate within specific parameters to protect buyers and animals from harm.

For example, all dog breeders must provide a written certificate at the time of sale. This certificate needs to list the breeder’s contact and identity information, the dog’s date of birth, their breed, their vet records, and even their sex and the color of their coat. The breeder must also include an affidavit swearing they know the dog to be healthy and/or suitable for sale.

Breeders also have a responsibility to properly care for the animals they breed. For example, they must provide food, water, shelter, and all required standards of care during the time the animal spends with them. This includes proper veterinary care.

10. Pet Custody After Divorce

Although pets are technically property, a newly-enacted law in California specifies how they should be handled in divorce proceedings. Unlike most property, pets now fall under custody laws like children.

What does this mean if you divorce? Ultimately, you’ll have to decide who maintains custody of your pet and for how long. The judge may assign sole custody or joint custody depending on your situation. They’ll also take into consideration what’s best for the animal, meaning cases can potentially become very challenging if emotions run high or there is a significant amount of resentment.

Still, the purpose of the new law is important. It prevents animals from becoming pawns in divorce cases – or even being surrendered to a shelter because the owners cannot agree. Your lawyer can help you come to a fair agreement.

It is illegal to keep a ferret, hedgehog, monkey, squirrel, or gerbil as a pet in California.

California is a “strict liability” state, which means you are liable if your dog bites someone in a public place or while in a private place legally. Find a dog bite attorney .

Many local governments in California have passed leash laws requiring pet owners to keep their dogs on a leash no longer than six feet.

California pet laws cover a wide range of topics, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself as a pet owner. This will ensure you and your pets enjoy a long-lasting experience together and avoid legal trouble down the road.

Are you in search for a certified attorney to represent you? Let us help you find one today!

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Has California Gone to the Dogs?

Here are a few of the unusual resources for people to explore so they can appreciate their family members (dogs) even more!

Lydia Hiby, Pet Communicator - available by phone consultation According to Hiby, when you call, she speaks to you about your pet on the phone, but is "talking" to your pet telepathically. Your animal companion's name is their own personal radio frequency that she dials in like a radio wave. "I truly understand people being skeptical about this process - all I can say to answer them is that I do half of my business over the phone with people literally all over the world."

318 Brotherton Road Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 796-4304 ydiahiby.com

Teresa Wagner, Deceased Pets Communicator (831) 236-4080 animalsinourhearts.com.

Suzi Dalling, Pet Communicator specializes in lost pets (805) 512-1720 connectinharmony.com

Laura Stinchfield, Pet Psychic Does readings by appointment and also appears Wednesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at Aloha Dog Grooming, 1076 East Front St., Ventura, CA thepetpsychic.com

Apartment rentals with pets peoplewithpets.com

At a swap meet a senior couple sat on a park bench snacking on a muffin. Their little chihuahua sat on the man's lap and tried to win his heart for some snacks (it worked). "This is our child," said the man, "though I blame my wife for spoiling our little baby."

The trends are clear. While some businesses are losing market share, pet products are on the rise, thanks to those who own dogs and are pampering them with best foods, finest clothes, and even toys. In fact, pet products now outpace toy sales-- people in the U.S. spend several billion dollars more on pet goods than they do on toys for kids. Of the 73 million homes in the U.S. with dogs, there are some households where the dog is treated better than the children.

Californians own the most dogs of any state in the U.S., spend the most money as taxpayers to have unwanted dogs euthenized (including 25% that are purebreds), and insurance companies pay out more money in dog bite settlements in California than any other state. With some of the most comprehensive laws dealing with dog bites, owners will normally be found liable in dog bite cases that occur in public places.

Nearly 40% of California households own at least one dog and they are convinced it's good for their health. The statistics support the notion that dogs can help lower blood pressure, decrease incidences of heart attacks, and reduce depression in humans. But in tough economic times, dogs can also become a source of stress. Since 2009 there has been an upward trend in people relinquishing their pets to shelters. They cite financial difficulties and home foreclosure as several reasons they have to get rid of the pooch.

One thing is certain--pet ownership is in no danger of going away, and money spent on dogs will continue to increase. That's what the data suggests. New products and innovations include a self-warming dog bed, doggie safety seats, and health and beauty products such as shampoo, conditioner, and toe nail polish. No kidding!

If you are having trouble coping with the loss of a pet, you can get grief counseling. If your pet has behavioral issues, there's an expert who talks to your pet and will tell you what the critter says. And if you miss a dog that has died, there's a person who talks to pets on the "other side".

Dog Statistics in the U.S. * There are approximately 77.5 million owned dogs in the United States * 39-40% of U.S. households own at least one dog * Most owners (67 percent) own one dog * 24% of owners own two dogs * The proportion of male to female dogs is even * 19% of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter * On average, dog owners spent $225 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually * 75% of owned dogs are spayed or neutered State Farm Insurance releases 2010 nationwide dog bite statistics

Leading insurance provider State Farm has compiled a list of statistics detailing the number of dog bite insurance claims it received in 2010. As far as State Farm claims are concerned, California leads the pack with a total of 369 claims and roughly $11 million in payouts. This averages nearly $30,000 in payouts per dog bite claim. Los Angeles postal Carriers receive the most bites in any California city.

What to do if you think a dog may attack: Always avoid eye contact

If a dog attack seems imminent, reach for the closest possible object to place between you and the animal. This could be anything from a bicycle to a purse or backpack. Dog & pet facts:

*For every human born, 7 puppies and kittens are born.

*One female cat and her offspring can produce 420,000 cats in 7 years. One female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in 6 years.

*More than 12 million dogs and cats are euthanized in shelters each year.

*As many as 25% of dogs entering shelters each year are purebreds.

*Approximately 61% of all dogs entering shelters are killed.

*It costs approximately $100 to capture, house, feed, and eventually kill each stray animal -- a cost which you, the taxpayer, eventually pay.

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Pets and animals | northern california dog owners warned by state wildlife officials to keep their canines away from raw fish, salmon, trout found in northern california waters likely to have parasitic flatworm that can be fatal.

Those who enjoy fishing and who seek trout and salmon in particular were reminded Wednesday by California Department of Fish & Wildlife officials that they should keep their dogs away from the uncooked fish.

A parasitic flatworm called Nanophyetes salmincola can be transmitted to canines that eat the two types of fish before they’re cooked, creating a bacteria-like organism in their body and a condition called salmon poisoning disease, officials said in a news release.

The parasite is seen only in dogs; the disease is potentially fatal but is treatable, experts say.

Signs of the disease in a dog include a rise in body temperature, a loss of appetite, listlessness, diarrhea and vomiting. Rapid weight loss may also occur.

Fish and Wildlife officials said the the flatworm — or “fluke” — occurs naturally in the waters of Northern California, particularly the northern part of the state. Trout found in Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Lake, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties are more likely than not to have the fluke, officials said.

Owners also should keep their dogs away from raw salmon, steelhead, and other freshwater fish, officials said. The parasite dies when the fish is cooked properly.

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1 Introduction. Pet ownership is a global phenomenon in today's society, with over 500 million pets residing in homes across the world ().Figures show that in the United Kingdom alone, over 12 million dogs and 11 million cats were kept as pets in 2023, with incidence figures increasing on a yearly basis ().Although people keep pets for a myriad of reasons (e.g., companionship, recreation ...
Pet ownership
Provide appropriate exercise and mental stimulation. Properly socialize and train your pet. Invest. Recognize that pet ownership requires an investment of time and money. Make sure your pet receives preventive health care (vaccinations, parasite control, etc.), as well as care for any illnesses or injuries. Budget for potential emergencies.
Pet Ownership Essay Examples
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Dogs Are a Great Pet: [Essay Example], 447 words GradesFixer
In conclusion, dogs are a great pet for a variety of reasons. Their loyalty, companionship, and health benefits make them an invaluable addition to any household. Whether you're looking for a running partner, a cuddly companion, or a loyal protector, dogs have something to offer everyone. With their unconditional love and devotion, it's no ...
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IELTS Essay Task 2: Pet Ownership's Advantages and Disadvantages
Thus keeping pets is very helpful for households with children or old people. Body Paragraph 2: (Disadvantages) However, pet ownership is not an easy job. Animals are often the source of many diseases such as asthma. The saliva and fur of a dog or a cat are a source of various diseases. Worse, a bite of a dog which is not properly vaccinated ...
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Studies supporting the idea of pet-owner personality correlation. Several studies have found a correlation between pet and owner personalities. For example, a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that dog owners tended to be more outgoing and agreeable than cat owners. Another study published in the Journal ...
Pros and Cons of Owning a Pet
Health benefits. Benefits of owning a pet include positive impact on our physical condition. Studies suggest that people who have pets engage more often in physical activity than those without animal companions. Owning a dog, for example, involves taking them out for a walk every day, which helps pet owners in reducing obesity.
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This ideology is true because owning a pet can be inflexible to a person's schedule; however, many people tend to overlook the many positive effects of owning a pet has. Owning a pet can influence one's personal health issues, while providing unconditional love to their owner. Also, owning a pet is beneficial to both the owner and the pet in ...
Pet Ownership Essay
Pet Ownership Essay. Choosing to have a pet is a choice to be responsible for a life other than your own. With this decision you choose to hold an animal's wellbeing in your hands. They depend on you for everything. It is common to hear someone say that having a pet is like having a child.
14 Interesting Pet Ownership Statistics in California: 2024 Update
The 14 California Pet Ownership Statistics. In California, 57.2% of households own at least one pet. Dog owners make up 40.1% of pet-owning households in California. Cat owners are 22.9% of the ...
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Rescuers Must Spay or Neuter Cats Prior to Adoption. 5. You Must be Given Proof of Spay/Neuter When Adopting. 6. Reduction of Licensing Fees for Cats with Proof of Spay/Neuter. 7. It is an Offense to Abandon Any Pet - Dog, Cat, or Otherwise. 8. Animal Fighting is Illegal.
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Leading insurance provider State Farm has compiled a list of statistics detailing the number of dog bite insurance claims it received in 2010. As far as State Farm claims are concerned, California leads the pack with a total of 369 claims and roughly $11 million in payouts. This averages nearly $30,000 in payouts per dog bite claim.
Owner Requested Euthanasia
Sometimes the hardest part of being a loving pet owner is making the decision to have your pet humanely euthanized. We accept owned pets for euthanasia when the pet is suffering from a medical condition, life-threatening injury, or poses a safety risk to other pets or people because of its behavior. Euthanasia Fee. $50.00 per animal. Disposal Fee
Northern California dog owners warned by state wildlife officials to
Signs of the disease in a dog include a rise in body temperature, a loss of appetite, listlessness, diarrhea and vomiting. Rapid weight loss may also occur. Dogs with those symptoms should be ...

Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and the Role of Pet Ownership in the Daily Lives of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study

Émilie Lagueux

Karine Latulippe

Véronique Provencher

Simple Summary

1. Introduction

2.1. Study Design

2.2. Recruitment

2.3. Participants

2.4. Data Collection

2.5. Data Analysis

3.1. Case Summary

3.2. Benefits and Challenges of Pet Ownership for the Older Adult

3.2.1. Psychological Benefits and Challenges

3.2.2. Physical Benefits and Challenges

3.2.3. Other Potential Challenges

3.3. Well-Being of the Companion Animal

3.4. The Role of the Pet–Owner Relationship and Owning a Pet in Daily Life

3.4.2. Providing Purpose and Routine

3.5. Balance between the Benefits and Challenges of Pet Ownership

4. Discussion

Limitations and Future Directions

5. Conclusions

Acknowledgments

Author Contributions

Institutional Review Board Statement

Informed Consent Statement

Data Availability Statement

Pet Ownership

Why owning a pet is good for body and mind

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Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues

Introduction

Is pet ownership associated with human health?

Do we need a broader definition of health?

The value of companionship

Why pet ownership should be taken seriously

Summary points

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

1 Introduction

2 Materials and methods

2.3 Procedure

2.4 Data analysis

3.1 Participants

3.2 Pet owner personality

3.3 Personality and pet owner attachment

4 Discussion

5 Limitations

6 Conclusions

Data availability statement

Ethics statement

Author contributions

Acknowledgments

Conflict of interest

Publisher’s note

Pet ownership