Why #PetPower Matters

Mutual benefits for both animals and people

Benefits of Pet Ownership

Pets provide companionship, affection and protection and unique bonds are formed with owners. In addition to being a source of love and friendship, there have been numerous scientific studies analyzing the many ways in which pets are good for our health, for everyone, from children to the elderly and those with special needs.

One of the more obvious health benefits of owning a pet is exercise – dog walking or playing with a cat are great ways to stay active. However, in addition to supporting good physical health, interaction with animals is proven to encourage physiological and psychological benefits: reducing stress, helping to prevent illness and allergies, lowering blood pressure, aiding recovery, and boosting chances of survival after a life-threatening illness.

Companionship
Affection
Good for Health
Exercise
Reduces Stress
Lowers Blood Pressure

The Science Behind #PetPower

There is a long history of anecdotal and observational evidence of the mutual benefits of the human-animal bond. Internationally, the depth and quality of evidence and research on the substantive benefits to people and pets is growing.

Many peer-reviewed studies illustrate the myriad beneficial effects of pet ownership to people, with positive impacts on areas such as: physical wellbeing and mental health promotion, early child development, healthy ageing and social inclusion for marginalised and disadvantaged people.

Findings to date confirm the significant social and societal potential that the human-animal bond offers in directing national and regional priorities for healthcare policies, healthy aging policies, education policies, etc.

Table of Contents

    1. Pets encourage physical activity

    Research shows that pets keep us more active. People are more likely to get out walking with a dog. You can also be more playful with other pets such as cats too.

    • In January 2024, research from the University of Western Australia among 600 children confirmed that girls who have a dog spent almost an hour more being active per day, suggesting dog ownership could help curb childhood obesity.1
    • A huge study in the UK of 6000 people during lockdown in 2020, linked pets to improved health with 95% saying their pet helped keep them fit and active.2
    • Dog owners are four times more likely to meet the activity guidelines of 150 mins per week confirms a 2019 Study in the UK.3
    • A Czechia study showed: Young women with 3 or more animals reported higher levels of moderate physical activity. Owners of dogs, horses and other domestic animals are more likely to be active, due to carrying out a lot of physical exercise with them. In particular horse owners had significantly higher levels of activity than non-animal owners.4
    1. Adams E, K et al, 2024, Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children’s movement behaviours, International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-023-01544-9
    2. Shoesmith E, Shahab L et al, 2020, Human-animal relationships and interactions during Covid-19 lockdown phase in the UK, Plos One.  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239397
    3. Westgarth C, Christley R M et al, 2019, Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog, Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-41254-6
    4. Machova K, Dadova, K et al, 2019, Does having a pet influence the physical activity of their young female owners? BMC Public Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31830957/

    2. Pets support our mental health

    Research shows that pets help our mental health in numerous ways. Taking care of a pet provides companionship and helps reduce feelings of loneliness.  The interaction can also help reduce depression and stress levels. There is a wide range of studies looking at the benefits from a variety of pets from dogs and cats to birds and fish.

    • A 2024 Korean Study published in Serbia monitored brain waves during activities with study participants and concluded that pet interaction contributed to emotional stability and relaxation.1 
    • A UK study of 6000 people by the University of York and Lincoln during 2020 confirmed that over 90% cope better emotionally because of their pet.2 
    • A study from the Netherlands confirms that owning a companion animal has been associated with reduced loneliness, lower levels of depression and with higher levels of life satisfaction.3

    • An American Study in 2019 confirmed that observing fish contributed to self-reported improvements in mood and relaxation.4
    1. Yoo O, Wu, Y etc al, 2024, Psychophysiological and emotional effects of human-dog interactions, Plos One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298384
    2. Ratschen E et al, 2020, Human-animal relationships and interactions during the Covid-19 lockdown phase in the UK: Investigating links with mental health and loneliness, Plos One.
      https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0239397
    3. Enders-Sedgers M-J, Walker J K et al, 2016, The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals, Anthrozoos. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2015.1075299
    4. Gee N R, Reed T, et al, 2019, Observing Live Fish improves perception s of mood, relaxation and anxiety, International Journal of Research Public Health.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6747257/

    3. Pets facilitate social interaction

    Owners can feel less isolated in general due to the companionship of their pet. Research also shows that the presence of a dog often increases social interactions.

    • A 2020 German study of more than 1000 people over 65 years old without a partner revealed that female dog owners were less socially isolated and less lonely than women without pets.1
    • A review of international studies from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and Norway detected that there was a link between pet ownership and reduced social isolation. The value of pet ownership in terms of loneliness was strengthened during the Covid 19 pandemic.2
    • A study of 2600 pet owners across Australia and the US confirmed that pet owners were more likely to get to know people in their neighbourhood than non-pet owners.3
    • An Austrian paper reported: Dogs can boost the self-esteem and agency of their human partners and are excellent “social lubricants,” thereby connecting people.4
    1. Hajek A et al, 2019, How do cat owners, dog owners and individuals without pets differ in terms of psychosocial outcomes among individuals in old age without a partner? Aging and Mental Health. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2019.1647137
    2. Kretzler B, Konig H et al, 2022, Pet Ownership, loneliness, and social isolation: a systematic review, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9272860/
    3. Wood L et al, 2017, Social capital and pet ownership – a tale of four cities, ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827317300344
    4. Kotrschal K, 2018, How Wolves turned into Dogs and How Dogs are valuable in meeting Human Social Needs, People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/paij/article/1015/&path_info=1015_Kotrschal.pdf

    4. Pets improve our cardiovascular health

    Many scientific studies have looked at the positive impact of pet interaction on the cardiovascular system.

    • A study among 10,905 people in the US in 2020, links pet interaction with improved outcomes after major cardiovascular events.1
    • A Polish review of research in 2022 has indicated that pet interaction helps reduce the risk of developing hypertension and improves blood pressure, resulting in positive outcomes for the cardiovascular system.2

    • In 2019, a review of studies with over 3.8 million participants in total, associated dog ownership with a 24% reduction for all-cause mortality as compared to non-dog ownership.3
    • A study of 321,430 Swedish adults aged 40 to 85 linked dog ownership with a lower risk of death after an acute myocardial infarction.4
    1. Krittanawong C, 2020, Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Health in the US General Population, Americal Journal of Cardiology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32093954/
    2. Surma, S et al, 2022, Pet Ownership and the Risk of Arterial Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, Springer Nature.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11906-022-01191-8
    3. Kramer K et al, 2019, Dog Ownership and Survival: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, American Heart Association: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.119.005554
    4. Mubanga M et al, 2019, Dog Ownership and Survival after a Major Cardiovascular Event, American Heart Association: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.118.005342

    5. Pets contribute to healthy ageing

    Lots of studies demonstrate the wide ranging benefits of pet interaction for older people ranging from stress reduction, suppressing dementia and improving cognitive function.

    • In 2023, a UK Study of almost 8000 adults over 50 years old linked pet ownership with slower rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency among individuals living alone.1
    • A study of over 11,000 Japanese pet owners suggests dog ownership has a suppressive effect on incident disabling dementia over a 4-year follow-up period.2
    • A study in Italy showed that people with Alzheimer’s receiving animal assisted therapy showed an improvement in cognitive function and mood.3
    • A Spanish review of studies reported that animal interaction stimulates social contact amongst older adults in homes or institutions. Elderly pet owners also had fewer doctor visits that were attributable to stressful life events.4
    1. Yanzhi L et al, 2023, Pet Ownership, Living Alone, and Cognitive Decline among adults 50 years and older, JAMA Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2813138 
    2. Taniguchi Y et al, 2023, Protective effects of dog ownership against the onset of disabling dementia in older community-dwelling Japanese: A longitudinal study, Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221133552300356X?via%3Dihub
    3. Santaniello A et al, 2020, Animal-Assisted Therapy as a Non-Pharmacological Approach in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Retrospective Study, Animals (Basel) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7401549/
    4. Virues-Ortega J et al, 2010, Effect of animal-assisted therapy on the psychological and functional status of elderly populations, Health Psychology Review. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2010.534965?scroll=top&needAccess=true

    6. Pets support child development

    Pets can boost children’s positive emotions and reduce anxiety. They can also help support learning by reducing stress in the classroom.

    • A huge study in Japan of over 30,000 children associated pet ownership with better emotional expression.1
    • An investigation among UK primary school teachers about ‘Reading To Dogs’ confirms that teachers are positive about the social, emotional and behavioural benefits in addition to reading confidence among children.2
    • In addition to helping improve the whole family function, a US Study confirms that the symptoms of ADHD and ASD among children can be alleviated by pet interaction.3
    • A US Study among children showed that interactions with dogs boosted children’s positive emotions and reduced anxiety.4
    1. Sato R et al, 2019, Pet Ownership and Children’s Emotional Expression: Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Japan, International Journal of Environmental Res Public Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427570/
    2.  Steel J, Williams J M & McGeown S, 2020, Reading to dogs in schools: an exploratory study of teacher perspectives, Educational Research. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131881.2021.1956989?src=recsys
    3. Carlisle G K, Johnson RA et al, 2021, Exploratory Study of Cat Adoption in Families of Children with Autism: Impact on Children’s Social Skills and Anxiety, Journal of Paediatric Nursing. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0882596320306631?dgcid=author
    4. Crossman M K et al, 2018, The Influence of Interactions with Dogs on Affect, Anxiety, and Arousal in Children. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15374416.2018.1520119

    7. Pets help reduce health care spending

    Studies over the years have looked at whether pet ownership can be associated with cost savings for the health service.

    • One study in the UK claimed that pets save the NHS up to £2.45 billion a year.1

    • Another study in the US confirmed that people with pets pay far fewer visits to physicians with implied cost savings.2

    • A study carried out in Germany showed that pet owners make about 15% fewer annual doctor visits than non-owners.3
    1. Mills, D, McCune S et al, 2016, Companion animal economics: the economic impact of companion animals in the UK. Research report, CABI, https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.1079/9781786391728.0000
    2. Clower t, Neaves T et al, 2015, The Health Care Cost Savings of Pet Ownership, The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation, https://habri.org/assets/uploads/HABRI_Report_-_Healthcare_Cost_Savings_from_Pet_Ownership_.pdf
    3. Headey, Bruce; Grabka, Markus M., Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia:National Longitudinal Results. https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/66146/3/Headey_2007_Pets-Human-Health.pdf
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