Pets help knit communities together
The positive impact of pet ownership on our physical and mental health has long been recognised but now researchers are finding that pet ownership can help build community and minimize social isolation.
A recent study published in the PLOS ONE looked at the results of an international telephone survey of approximately 2500 people in four cities across Australia and the USA which examined the way pets connected members of the community in ways which strengthened social bonds and built friendship.
The study concluded that pets act as a “social lubricant”, creating a level playing field and icebreaker for members of the community who may otherwise have not interacted. Forty-two per cent of survey responders noted that they received practical and/or emotional support from others that they met through their pets.
This sense of belonging wasn’t just limited to dog owners, the obvious beneficiaries, but owners of all different types of pets from the very small to the very large. Each provides a reason for social contact and commonality.
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