The Surprising Effects of Pet Ownership

Owning a pet has been shown to have a wide variety of beneficial effects on both physical and mental health. For numerous reasons, including the increased physical activity that comes from owning a pet and the psychological companionship they provide, studies have routinely shown that a person with a pet is more likely to be physically fit, emotionally stable, and less likely to fall prey to minor ailments. The emotional effects of the bond between people and their pets have been shown to have myriad positive consequences, and there is even evidence that interaction with animals has been shown to cause profound physical effects such as spurring the production of important hormones that contribute greatly to overall physical health. This means that in a number of ways, a person with a pet will likely be significantly different from and healthier than a comparable individual with no pets. This paper will explore the evidence for the variations between pet owners and the rest of the population and the reasons we see such significant deviation.

Owning a pet has been conclusively shown to have a strong correlation with serious emotional and physical benefits. In one study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine pet owners “reported a highly significant reduction in minor health problems during the first month following pet acquisition, and this effect was sustained in dog owners through to 10 months. The pet-acquiring groups also showed improvements in their scores on the 30-item General Health Questionnaire over the first 6 months and, in dog owners, this improvement was maintained until 10 months” (Serpell, 717). This means that not only does owning a pet have serious physical and psychological health benefits, but that dog owners experience these benefits even more than owners of other pets. Furthermore, these benefits are not simply a short term trend, but in fact are sustained over the course of almost a year following the acquisition of a dog. Clearly, owning a pet has a profound effect on an individual’s physical and psychological well-being.

The results of the aforementioned study are particularly striking due to the nearly complete lack of change in the group without pets. According to the author of the study, James Serpell of the University of Cambridge Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, “The group without pets exhibited no statistically significant changes in health or behavior, apart from a small increase in recreational walking. The results provide evidence that pet acquisition may have positive effects on human health and behavior, and that in some cases these effects are relatively long term” (717). If the study is to be believed, pet owners clearly benefit in a wide range of different manners from the companionship of animals. Of course, one study does not definitively prove anything, although it is a compelling piece of evidence. However, Serpell’s claims have been echoed in a wide variety of different studies and by a large number of venerable institutions.

The assertion that pet ownership has a wide range of health benefits is found in numerous reputable sources. According to the “Health Benefits of Pets” section of the website for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention “Pets can decrease your: blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, [and] feelings of loneliness,” in addition to increasing your “Opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities, [and] opportunities for socialization.” While some of these effects are clearly scientifically demonstrable, others are admittedly more nebulous and difficult to objectively measure. However, it seems clear cut that there are at least some demonstrable positive effects on human health generated by pet ownership, and that opportunities to engage in physically and socially healthy activities are a natural outgrowth of pet ownership. Furthermore, the connection between the pet and owner may have a profoundly powerful positive effect on the person involved.

A large element of the beneficial effects of pet ownership is the deep bond that forms between pet owners and their animals. According to an article in the medical journal BMJ entitled “Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues,” “The emotional bond between owner and pet can be as intense as that in many human relationships and may confer similar psychological benefits” (McNicholas et al.). The fact that pets can provide emotional support as strong as that of another human is a powerful piece of evidence that there are serious positive emotional effects conferred through pet ownership. The emotional element of pet ownership may in fact play a larger role in the health benefits of pet ownership than the positive effects on the owner’s physical lifestyle. However, as previously discussed, these benefits may prove more difficult to quantify than benefits to physical health that have simple statistical representations.

The emotional benefits of pet ownership can be difficult to quantify due to their inherently intangible nature. The most important aspect of pet ownership may in fact be “the contributions of the pet to quality of life” and to fully understand their impact we may need to utilize “a broader definition of health that encompasses the dimensions of wellbeing (physical and mental) and a sense of social integration” (McNicholas et al.). While these benefits may require a more holistic view of health to fully appreciate that does not lessen their value or profundity. Emotional health is often ignored due to the difficulty in quantifying it and isolating the factors that contribute, but in this case it is clear that pet ownership has demonstrable benefits in maintaining a healthy psychological perspective. In fact, interestingly, these emotional benefits may be most pronounced in and valuable to individuals with poor physical health.

The emotional benefits of pet ownership are not always applied evenly. Certain individuals stand to receive a greater benefit from the incorporation of animal companionship into their lives than others. In fact, according to McNichols et al. “Pets may be of particular value to older people and patients recovering from major illness.” An elderly or seriously ill person who has the companionship of a pet may be in a markedly improved situation to a comparable person who lacks such emotional support. The fact that pets can play such a powerful role in assuaging the pain of the sick and elderly points to their overall positive effects on all who interact with them. In addition, the amazing and fascinating phenomena of pets positively contributing to the health of humans has equally astonishing science behind it.

Examinations of the effects of pet ownership on health have shown that interacting with animals has actual physical effects on the body and brain, another piece of powerful evidence regarding the positive impact of pet ownership. According to National Public Radio “interacting with animals can increase people's level of the hormone oxytocin” which, as Rebecca Johnson states when interviewed for the piece, “… has some powerful effects for us in the body's ability to be in a state of readiness to heal, and also to grow new cells, so it predisposes us to an environment in our own bodies where we can be healthier” (Rovner). The fact that contact with animals can actually inspire the body to produce powerful hormones essential to health and rejuvenation is a powerful indication that pet ownership can have serious benefits physically as well as emotionally. Interaction with a pet seems to have a positive effect on nearly every aspect of the widely disparate functions that combine to form our overall state of health. While we have previously discussed the physical and mental effects of pet ownership on individuals, we have yet to fully examine the effects on social health.

Pets can also have a profound impact on the social outlook and interactions of their owners. According to a survey conducted in Australia “Pet ownership was found to be positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic engagement scales” (Wood et al. 1159). Pets have a profound impact not only on the physical and mental health of their owners, but also on the social relationships and community that surrounds their owners. Any study of the effects on pet ownership on individuals that fails to account for the social implications of pet ownership is missing a key ingredient. However, the positive effects of interaction with animals are contingent on some environmental factors, and may not be present on every occasion.

In some settings the beneficial effects of pet ownership are dampened by external factors. According to Allen et al. “Health benefits are also more likely to be associated with animal companionship when the care of the animal does not pose a burden to the person and the animal’s behavior is acceptable to the person. When housing and community environments are supportive of animal ownership, the human-animal relationship is strengthened” (3). While health and social benefits associated with animal interaction are very common, they are not universal and in some cases the surrounding environment or unique situation of the individual can make the animal a drain on the person’s health rather than a benefit. While these situations merit discussion, in most cases they do not prove to be a serious impediment to the positive implications of pet ownership on individuals. However, there are some who remain unconvinced by the argument that keeping pets under any circumstances has definitive health benefits.

Certain professionals believe that despite the large amount of research indicating that interaction with pets has positive implications for both the physical and mental health, more research needs to be done in order to ascertain the veracity of these claims. According to Harold Hezrog “despite the growing body of research on the bonds between people and pets, the existence of a pet effect on human health and happiness remains a hypothesis in need of confirmation rather than an established fact” (238). Hezrog believes that the evidence for the positive implications of pet ownership is inconclusive, and that more in depth research needs to be done to be sure of the correlation. This, however, puts him at odds with The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and many of his colleagues in the field. While it may be true that the study of the positive implications of interactions between humans and animals is still in its relative infancy, the data and physiological changes we have observed, as well as those that are less tangible but widely reported, seem to point towards a positive impact on human health deriving from engagement with pet animals.

Having a pet animal affects a person in a number of ways, including mentally, physically, and socially. This impact can usually be categorized as beneficial, although there are some cases where external environmental factors can limit this effect. Humans who interact with pet animals generally have better physical health, healthier emotional outlooks, and more positive social interactions. The effects of pet animals are an often overlooked and yet highly important aspect of the lives of many individuals, and the myriad positive consequences of animal interaction are more profound and varied than is commonly understood. This is an area with a fascinating variety of implications the scope of which we are only just beginning to comprehend.

Works Cited

Allen, Karen, et al.. "The Health Benefits of Companion Animals." Pets Are Wonderful Support. n.d. http://www.pawssf.org/document.doc?id=15>.

"Health Benefits of Pets." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 28 July 2010, http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/health_benefits.htm>.

Herzog, Harold. "The Impact Of Pets On Human Health And Psychological Well-Being: Fact, Fiction, Or Hypothesis?" Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 20, no. 4, 2011, pp. 236-239.

McNicholas, J., et al.. "Pet Ownership And Human Health: A Brief Review Of Evidence And Issues." BMJ, vol. 331, no. 7527, 2005, pp. 1252-1254.

Rovner, Julie. "Pet Therapy: How Animals And Humans Heal Each Other." NPR, n.d. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/03/09/146583986/pet-therapy-how-animals-and-humans-heal-each-other.

Serpell, J. "Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behaviour.." Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine, vol. 84, no. 12, 1991, pp. 717.

Wood, Lisa, Billie Giles-Corti, and Max Bulsara. "The Pet Connection: Pets As A Conduit For Social Capital?." Social Science & Medicine, vol. 61, no. 6, 2005, pp. 1159-1173.