Pawsitivity

The pet effect

The pet effect

We all know pets help us feel good. That’s why it’s so hard to say goodbye. So many of are unaware of the incredible impact pets have on our health and well-being.

The pet effect is the healing effect pets have on us. There are emotional and physical health benefits that come from human-pet interactions. Studies show pets can help lower blood pressure and risk of heart disease, prevent allergies in children, reduce stress, anxiety and depression, improve our immune system, and increase social interactions, among others.

Special thanks to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute for making all of this information publicly available.

Pets positively impact our mental health

 
 

Having a pet and interacting with animals has been shown to improve mental health and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

  • Pets act as an important source of social and emotional support that positively impacts mental health [1]. Therapy animals or pets are often included in depression plans [2].

  • Petting and observing a pet can play a role in reducing anxiety [3][4].

  • Pets can significantly lower heart rate and blood pressure, and increase feelings of calm when experiencing stress [5].

  • 96 per cent of pet caregivers agreed their pets have a positive impact on their life and their families [6].

Pets positively impact child health

Smiling toddler holding a kitten
 
 

A family pet can affect a child’s physical health, mental well-being, and emotional development.

  • Children can see pets as a source of non-judgemental and confidential support. This helps to encourage better mental, social and emotional well-being [7] [8] [9].

    Having a pet helps improve self-esteem and helps to create more positive images of themselves [9].

    Students, aged 13-19 with a pet, reported significantly lower levels of loneliness compared to their peers who didn’t have pets [10].

  • The presence of a pet lowered behavioural distress, suggesting that animals can decrease procedure-induced distress in children in a variety of health care settings [11].

  • Growing up with a pet early in a child’s life may reduce the risk of some allergies or asthma in at-risk children [12][13].

  • When children with autism spectrum disorder interact with animals, they frequently experience positive behavioural changes and increased social interaction skills [14][15][16][17].

Pets positively impact healthy aging

Senior woman smiling with her beagle
 
 

Pets can have an important role in our lives as we age.

  • Pets can help us live longer, reduce our risk of illness, and improve our well-being [18].

  • Dogs’ smell receptors are 10,000 times more sensitive than humans. They are very sensitive to smell. In one study, trained dogs could detect blood samples from people with lung cancer with almost 97 percent accuracy [19].

  • Pets promote relaxation and help seniors enhance their mobility and well-being [20].

  • Dog caregivers typically walk more than those who don’t have pets and are 54 per cent more likely to reach their recommended physical activity level [21][22].

  • Pets can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, help us maintain a lower resting heart rate, and significantly reduce our risk of heart attack [23][24][25].

Pets positively impact the workplace

Man petting his dog at the office.
 
 

Whether you’re doing hybrid work (working partly at the office and at home) or have returned to the office, research has shown having pets in the office makes a difference.

  • 91 per cent of people in pet-friendly offices feel their company promotes good work-life balance compared to 58 per cent of people in non-pet-friendly offices [26].

  • People in pet friendly offices are three times more likely to experience positive working relationships with their colleagues [27].

  • 91 per cent of employees in a pet-friendly company feel the company supports their mental well-being versus 53 per cent who work in non-pet friendly workplaces [27].

  • 91 per cent of people in pet-friendly offices are more engaged compared to 65 per cent of people in non-pet friendly offices [27].

We’re creating better health outcomes and stronger connections
between pets, caregivers, and us.

  • Special thanks to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute for making this information publicly available.

    [1] Brooks, H. L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K., Bee, P., Walker, L., Grant, L., & Rogers, A. (2018). The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC psychiatry, 18(1), 1-12.

    [2] Trembath, F. (2016). Animal-Assisted Intervention for People with Depression. Habri Central Briefs. https://habricentral.org/resources/55606/download/hc_brief_depression20160127access.pdf

    [3] Gee NR, Reed T, Whiting A, Friedmann E, Snellgrove D, Sloman KA. Observing Live Fish Improves Perceptions of Mood, Relaxation and Anxiety, But Does Not Consistently Alter Heart Rate or Heart Rate Variability. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(17):3113. Published 2019 Aug 27. doi:10.3390/ijerph16173113.

    [4] Shiloh, S., Sorek, G., & Terkel, J. (2003). Reduction of state-anxiety by petting animals in a controlled laboratory experiment. Anxiety, stress, and coping, 16(4), 387-395.

    [5] Allen, K., Blascovich, J., & Mendes, W. B. (2002). Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends, and spouses: The truth about cats and dogs. Psychosomatic medicine, 64(5), 727-739.

    [6] Nationwide-HABRI Survey. (2018). Workplace Wellness Survey. https://habri.org/research/mental-health/workplace-wellness/.

    [7] Kertes, D. A., Liu, J., Hall, N. J., Hadad, N. A., Wynne, C. D., & Bhatt, S. S. (2017). Effect of pet dogs on children's perceived stress and cortisol stress response. Social development, 26(2), 382-401. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5400290.

    [8] https://habri.org/grants/projects/the-health-and-developmental-benefits-of-companion-animals-for-young-children-advancing-the-evidence-base.

    [9] Purewal, R., Christley, R., Kordas, K., Joinson, C., Meints, K., Gee, N., & Westgarth, C. (2017). Companion animals and child/adolescent development: a systematic review of the evidence. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(3), 234.

    [10] Black, K. (2012). The relationship between companion animals and loneliness among rural adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 27(2), 103-112.

    [11] Hansen, K. M., Messinger, C. J., Baun, M. M., & Megel, M. (1999). Companion animals alleviating distress in children. Anthrozoös, 12(3), 142-148.

    [12] Wegienka, G., Johnson, C. C., Havstad, S., Ownby, D. R., Nicholas, C., & Zoratti, E. M. (2011). Lifetime dog and cat exposure and dog‐and cat‐specific sensitization at age 18 years. Clinical & experimental allergy, 41(7), 979-986.

    [13] Gern, J. E., Reardon, C. L., Hoffjan, S., Nicolae, D., Li, Z., Roberg, K. A., … & Anderson, E. (2004). Effects of dog ownership and genotype on immune development and atopy in infancy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 113(2), 307-314.

    [14] Carlisle, G., Johnson, R., Wang, Z., Bibbo, J., Cheak-Zamora, N., Lyons, L. (2021). Exploratory study of cat adoption in families of children with autism: Impact on children's social skills and anxiety. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, Volume 58, Pages 28-35.

    [15] https://habri.org/grants/projects/shelter-cat-adoption-in-families-of-children-with-autism-impact-on-childrens-social-skills-and-anxiety-as-well-as-cat-stress.

    [16] Hall, Sophie S., et al. "The long-term benefits of dog ownership in families with children with autism." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 13 (2016): 46-54. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S155878781630034X.

    [17] https://habri.org/grants/projects/long-term-effects-of-pet-dogs-on-families-with-children-with-autism.

    [18] https://habri.org/research/healthy-aging/

    [19] Experimental Biology. (2019, April 8). Study shows dogs can accurately sniff out cancer in blood: Canine cancer detection could lead to new noninvasive, inexpensive ways to detect cancer. ScienceDaily.

    [20] Colombo, Giovanni, et al. “Pet therapy and institutionalized elderly: a study on 144 cognitively unimpaired subjects.” Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 42.2 (2006): 207-216.

    [21] Oka, K., & Shibata, A. (2009). Dog ownership and health-related physical activity among Japanese adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 6(4), 412-418.

    [22] Reeves, Matthew J., et al. “The impact of dog walking on leisure-time physical activity: results from a population-based survey of Michigan adults.” J Phys Act Health 8.3 (2011): 436-444.

    [23] Anderson, W. P., Reid, C. M., & Jennings, G. L. (1992). Pet ownership and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Medical journal of Australia, 157(5), 298-301.

    [24] Kramer, Caroline K., Sadia Mehmood, and Renée S. Suen. "Dog ownership and survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes 12.10 (2019): e005554.

    [25] Levine, Glenn N., et al. "Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association." Circulation 127.23 (2013): 2353-2363.

    [26] https://habri.org/research/mental-health/workplace-wellness/

    [27] Nationwide-HABRI Survey. (2018). Workplace Wellness Survey. https://habri.org/research/mental-health/workplace-wellness/