Can pets power health in Europe?
September 29 2021
#PetPower is our way of talking about human-animal interactions, the bond between our species, and the many benefits that can be drawn from close relationships between people and pets.
But is this #PetPower bond understood in Europe? Do Europeans recognise the many benefits that assistance animals can provide? Can companion animals play a more prominent role in our society and in our health?
Our online event was organised together with Parliament Magazine to discuss these questions with EU institutions and special project Nosaïs-Covid-19 from the Maisons-Alfort National Veterinary School (EnvA) in France.
Our panel of experts was moderated by Dave Keating and included:
- MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen – shared views on how pets help with mental health, provide companionship, especially during past year.
- Professor Dominique Grandjean – presented the Project Nosaïs-Covid-19 detection dogs and survey findings on public views on covid sniffing dogs
- Andrea Gavinelli, DG SANTE – shared the Commission’s views on pet care and their role in public health
- Hans-Guenther Dittrich & Annet Palamba shared Pet Alliance Europe’s views on the importance of human-animal bond research
