Donkeys are integral to the lives of over a quarter of a billion people living in poverty, yet their socio-cultural roles remain poorly understood. This study explored the diverse roles that donkeys play in drought-prone pastoralist communities in Kenya and Ethiopia. A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving 41 key informant interviews with stakeholders and 18 gender-segregated participatory workshops with donkey owners. Four key themes were identified: (1) donkeys are a cornerstone of pastoralist culture, enabling nomadic mobility, strengthening social bonds, and preserving cultural identity and traditions; (2) their vital role is paradoxically undermined by cultural devaluation, leading to poor welfare and glaring policy gaps; (3) donkeys are inextricably linked to women, who are often the primary users and bear the greatest burden when donkeys are lost; and (4) the illegal donkey skin trade heightens these vulnerabilities, impacting women and threatening the stability of donkey-dependent communities. We conclude that human-donkey interdependence is an overlooked but key component of pastoralist culture in arid and semi-arid lands. Effective climate adaptation and drought resilience strategies must integrate community perspectives and address policy gaps undermining donkey welfare.
Human relationships with animals are marked by striking inconsistencies: while some animals are cherished as companions, others are consumed as food. In this pre-registered study, we investigated how empathy, speciesism, and animal categorization (domestication, edibility) jointly shape emotional and moral responses to animal suffering. Two hundred and sixty-seven participants took part in this study, each exposed to six vignettes depicting harm inflicted on animals systematically varied by domestication (domestic vs. wild) and edibility (edible, mixed, non-edible). Participants completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI; trait empathy) and the Caviola Speciesism Scale. State empathy and related emotions (anger toward humans, justification of harm, concern for animals, perceived suffering) were measured after each vignette. Linear mixed-effects models tested the influence of animal categories and individual differences. Domesticated animals evoked more empathy than wild animals. Trait empathy predicted stronger empathy, while speciesism predicted weaker empathy and less moral condemnation. Trait empathy especially predicted empathic responses among participants low in speciesism. Edibility effects were less pronounced but aligned with expectations: food animals evoked weaker moral concern. Women and younger participants reported higher empathy overall. The "meat paradox" highlights the psychological mechanisms behind empathy and speciesism, showing inconsistent moral concern across categories. Interventions like humanizing farmed animals and challenging speciesist ideologies can broaden the moral circle and support animal welfare. This study highlights the impact of human-animal relations on ethics, diets, and public policy.
Human emotions toward animals, perception of animal minds, and moral concern play crucial roles in shaping public support for wildlife management initiatives. This study uses Moral Typecasting Theory to explore how these psychological factors influence attitudes toward controlling two non-native species, feral cats (Felis catus) and European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), in the context of New Zealand's Predator Free 2050 initiative. A sample of 395 New Zealand residents completed a survey assessing their emotional responses, perceptions of animal minds, and support for mitigation strategies concerning these species. Using latent profile analysis, we identified three distinct psychological segments for each animal - Advocates, Detractors, and Indifferents - characterized by varying levels of emotional engagement, perception of animal mind, resulting moral concern, and support for control measures. Advocates expressed strong positive emotions, high attribution of animal "experience" and moral concern, along with low support for lethal control; Detractors exhibited strong negative emotions, high attribution of animal "agency" associated with a lower attribution of moral concern, high perceived threat, and strong support for control; and Indifferents held moderate views across all dimensions. These profiles were significantly associated with demographic factors such as age, location, residency duration, and pet ownership. Our findings underscore the value of psychological segmentation in designing targeted communication and policy strategies to foster broader public engagement with conservation goals. We argue that tailoring interventions to the emotional and cognitive dispositions of different segments can enhance the legitimacy, effectiveness, and social sustainability of wildlife management initiatives.
This study examined emotional bonds between humans and companion animals within the family context, drawing on a situated investigation conducted in the urban setting of Manizales (Colombia). Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, data were collected through 400 surveys and nine in-depth interviews. Quantitative analysis identified statistically significant associations between the intensity of the emotional bond and the animal's symbolic representation, as well as with sociodemographic variables such as age and marital status, although the latter showed small effect sizes. Qualitative findings indicate that companion animals are integrated into everyday life as sources of emotional wellbeing and comfort, through practices of care, proximity, and emotional recognition. Grounded in the sociology of emotions, the study argues that these bonds do not stem from isolated individual choices but rather they take shape as social practices that organize affective experience within family life. In this framework, shared affective experience with companion animals emerges as an intense and socially meaningful relational bond, constructed through everyday dynamics of care, negotiation, and ambivalence, without instituting literal equivalences or displacing existing human bonds.
Animal experimentation occupies a morally contested space within human-animal relations, where the pursuit of scientific knowledge coexists with the infliction of harm. Veterinarians stand at the center of this tension, balancing commitments to animal welfare with their role in enabling research. This qualitative study examined how veterinarians working with laboratory animals in T & uuml;rkiye interpret and negotiate ethical tensions emerging at the intersection of regulatory frameworks and everyday laboratory practice. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with veterinarians recruited via purposive sampling across diverse research settings and were analyzed thematically. Three main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) frameworks justifying animal experimentation, (2) dynamics shaping research processes, and (3) veterinarians stuck between ethical autonomy and hierarchical relations. Findings indicate that ethical tensions do not arise solely from individual moral ambivalence but are embedded within infrastructural conditions, ethical review processes, and hierarchical decision-making structures that shape professional agency. While these challenges resonate globally, resource constraints, fragmented institutional structures, and publication pressures driven by performance-based evaluation systems in T & uuml;rkiye further intensify ethical vulnerability. Animal experimentation thus operates within a broader moral economy in which regulatory frameworks and productivity pressures shape how animal use is justified and routinized. Addressing these tensions requires strengthening institutional accountability, investing in well-equipped facilities, incentivizing the development and adoption of alternative methods, re-centering animal welfare as a shared moral concern, and safeguarding professional autonomy. Such measures are essential for redistributing ethical responsibility from individual resilience to structurally embedded governance and for fostering a more ethically coherent practice of animal research.
Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2013 and 2025, this study examined contemporary camel-human relationships among sedentary Y & ouml;r & uuml;k communities in western and southern Anatolia (T & uuml;rkiye). While camels once served essential economic roles in transport and transhumance during nomadic life, Y & ouml;r & uuml;ks today raise and maintain camels primarily to preserve family heritage and enhance social prestige. Camel wrestling shows have become a central arena through which cultural identity is expressed, transmitted, and celebrated. Practices such as caring for camels with deep respect and affection, naming them, decorating them for wrestling events, and performing rituals against the evil eye highlight the symbolic, spiritual, and emotional dimensions of camel culture. Camels, in turn, display forms of agency through decision-making, communication, and social responsiveness. Their behavior in wrestling arenas is shaped not by coercive training but by instinct, affective bonds, and intersubjective attunement with their caretakers (savrans). These interactions exemplify intersubjectivity and multispecies cooperation, in which humans and camels co-produce shared meanings, actions, and environments. By situating camel husbandry and camel-human interactions within the broader shift from utilitarian caravan labor to post-utilitarian heritage practice, this study argues that contemporary camel-human relationships are enabled and reshaped by socioeconomic change. Rather than passive remnants of nomadic life, camels emerge as cultural icons and active co-participants in sustaining Y & ouml;r & uuml;k identity in contemporary Anatolia.
The human-animal bond plays a central role in how people interact with and evaluate animals, particularly companion animals such as dogs. Perceptions of a dog's sociability influence decisions regarding pet adoption, training, and behavior assessment. However, there is no single, clear definition of "sociability" in dogs, which complicates consistent evaluation. This study aimed to explore how people in Flanders (Belgium) define canine sociability and how they apply this concept, while recognizing that findings may reflect cultural characteristics of this region. An online survey was developed to explore public perceptions of canine sociability. Both laypeople and professionals first described what they consider a sociable dog to be, then rated the sociability of six dogs in photos, followed by seven dogs in short video clips. Finally, demographic data were collected, including gender, age group, dog ownership, dog-related professional experience, and frequency of contact with dogs. A total of 213 respondents were included in the final analysis. Open-ended responses on what defines a sociable dog yielded 701 response elements across 27 categories. The most frequently mentioned features involved emotions and behaviors suggesting intent (e.g., "initiating contact," "greeting"), while "type of person" (e.g., children, (un)familiar people) was more often highlighted by male respondents, and "context" (e.g., situation or environment) was particularly emphasized by those with a lot of contact with dogs. When participants judged dogs based on still images, perceived sociability was associated with factors such as breed, respondent gender, and prior contact with the breed. In contrast, when participants evaluated dogs based on short video clips, the perception was primarily associated with the specific video shown and the respondent's contact with dogs. Notably, professionals did not differ from laypeople in their description of sociability and their sociability score on the photos or the videos. While canine sociability may have heritable components, our findings indicate that its interpretation is strongly shaped by human perception, situational context, and observer background. This underscores the need for a shared, standardized method of assessment to support better dog selection, training, and welfare - and ultimately a stronger human-dog bond.
Through an online survey, this study examined the associations between horse owner attachment styles (Pet Attachment Questionnaire adjusted to horses) and personality traits (Short Five Questionnaire) with the frequency of their interactions with horses, including frequency of riding, groundwork training, and quality time with their horses, as well as headgear choices. Additionally, we investigated the associations with relationship length, number of horses owned, and whether owners are professional equestrians. We found that higher avoidant attachment was associated with less frequent interaction with horses (riding, groundwork, and quality time), while higher anxious attachment correlated with more frequent quality time. Personality traits such as conscientiousness and extraversion were positively correlated with riding frequency, while higher openness was associated with more frequent groundwork training. Owners with higher avoidant attachment were more likely to use bit-based headgear. Equestrian professionals exhibited higher avoidant attachment. Owners with one horse displayed higher anxious attachment. Longer relationships with horses were associated with lower avoidant attachment. Additionally, owners of mares exhibited higher avoidant attachment compared with those of geldings or stallions. These findings highlight the importance of understanding psychological factors in equestrian practices, offering insights into more personalized, welfare-oriented approaches to horse care and training. A better understanding of horse-owner psychology can guide the development of tailored training programs and improve human-horse interactions and relationships. Designing tools to provide equestrians with awareness of their psychological profiles could lead to better horse management and welfare.
Numerous studies suggest that pet ownership may have a positive impact on owners' health. However, its effects on mental health, quality of life, and happiness remain inconclusive. This study examined the association between pet ownership and subjective happiness in the Japanese general population. We analyzed data collected during 2021-2022 as part of the Yamagata Cohort Study, which was conducted in northeastern Japan. Data were drawn from 10,418 participants, with 8,149 (78.1%) identified as non-pet owners and 2,287 (21.9%) as pet owners. Among the pet owners, 765 owned only dogs and 1,140 owned only cats. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the presence or absence of subjective happiness across three groups: non-pet owners, dog-only owners, and cat-only owners. After adjusting for various confounding factors, dog-only owners were significantly more likely than non-pet owners to report subjective happiness (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.06-1.88, p = 0.017). Subgroup analysis of dog-only owners revealed significant associations with several factors: female gender (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.04-2.39, p = 0.030), age under 65 years (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.14-2.58, p = 0.009), non-obesity (OR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.14-2.28, p = 0.007), no history of smoking (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01-1.87, p = 0.039), no history of alcohol consumption (OR: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.27-3.09, p = 0.003), high school education (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.13-2.55, p = 0.011), and daily exercise for 30 min or more (OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.09-2.17, p = 0.014). Although the effect size is small, dog ownership was positively associated with subjective happiness, underscoring the potential emotional benefits of having a dog for overall wellbeing.
This study investigated whether pet ownership and the quality or structure of pet relationships were associated with self-harm and suicide risk among young people aged 16-24 years with lived experience of self-harm. In a cross-sectional online survey (n = 169), participants reported on pet ownership, strength of the pet-owner bond, and structural characteristics of ownership (number and diversity of pets). Standardized measures assessed anxiety, depression, and suicide risk. Participants also described their self-harm behaviors in open-text fields, which were coded to generate indices of severity (based on method and lethality), diversity of methods used, and time since last self-harm incident. Compared with non-owners, pet owners reported significantly lower anxiety, depression, and suicide risk, as well as less severe and diverse self-harming behaviors and longer periods since their last incident. Among pet owners, a stronger perceived bond was associated with decreased self-harm severity and method diversity, and with longer recovery durations. These associations remained significant after adjusting for demographic risk factors. In contrast, structural features of pet ownership, such as the number or variety of pets, were not associated with behavioral outcomes. These findings suggest that while pet ownership is associated with reduced psychological and behavioral risk among youth who self-harm, it is the perceived strength of the pet-owner bond, rather than structural features of ownership, that appears most predictive of these outcomes. In contexts where human support is limited, pets may function as stabilizing relational figures that support emotional regulation and recovery.
Animals and humans form complex, deep, and meaningful relationships. Throughout history, people have commemorated animals they were close to through various mortuary practices. But what about when humans die before their companion animal? Based on an analysis of Canadian obituaries from 1990 to 2024, this paper explores the ways that people describe human-animal relationships. The study sought to discover when animals began appearing in obituaries, the ways that they are featured in these texts, and if/how descriptions of human-animal bonds have changed over time. Though hardly appearing before the 2000s, the last 20 years have seen a gradual rise in obituaries that mention connections between the deceased and animals. The placement of animals across various sections of the obituary, and the array of ways in which they are described, reflect different understandings of how people are connected to other-than-human animals. This paper first argues that the simple inclusion of animals in obituaries speaks to the importance that people place on relationships with animals. The growing frequency of such references over time also suggests a gradual transformation in how people memorialize loved ones. Finally, this paper suggests that the changes observed in obituaries reveal a growing outlook of kinship with other-than-human animals.
An increasing number of children in the United States are growing up in multispecies families, a contemporary family structure where humans and companion animals form close bonds and share daily life, further fulfilling children's attachment needs, providing social support, and contributing to psychosocial wellbeing. A burgeoning body of work highlights the important role of companion animals in shaping developmental outcomes across diverse domains. Few studies examine how young children in multispecies families perceive and construct their relationships in the context of growing cultural sentimentalization of pets. Using interview and drawing methods, we explored children's perspectives on their relationships with their companion animals. We recruited 24 parent-child dyads in the US (children aged 3-7 years). We interviewed parents, asked children to draw and describe their favorite memories with their pets, and interviewed children about their relationships with companion animals. Our analyses revealed three themes: children constructed companion animals as family members, integrated them into daily activities, and attributed subjectivity to them. Our findings highlight how children navigate complex relationships with animals, providing implications for child development, empathy, and the human-animal bond within multispecies families.
Across millennia and geographies, humans and dogs have lived, worked, and played together. While play between dogs and humans may be a hallmark of the dog-human bond, empirical research on dog-human play is relatively limited. This scoping review examined academic research on dog-human play, mapping (1) theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of dog-human play; (2) how play is defined by researchers; and (3) the primary aims of research studies focused on play. Four databases were searched: Web of Science (via OVID), Psych Info, Agricultural Sciences, and Family and Society Studies. One hundred and nine articles describing dog-human play were identified, with 28 articles primarily focusing on the dog-human play encounter. Most research was localized within European and American contexts to focus on companion or "pet" dogs, and most studies were rooted in scientific disciplines, such as ethology and comparative psychology. Less than half of the identified articles provided a definition of dog-human play, and the most common definitions focused on relational components of play and/or on specific motor activity involved within the play encounter. Almost all articles provided an example of play, which primarily focused on social object play (e.g., fetch, tug). Researchers highlighted specific functions of dog-human play behaviors or focused more generally on implications of the play relationship. This scoping review identifies a need for more diverse cultural, theoretical, and methodological contributions to the landscape of dog-human play and reiterates concerns that definitional ambiguity may devalue the important work of play research. Ultimately, dog-human play tends to center the "human" within the dyad and would benefit from more diverse considerations around what it means to play with our canine companions.
Dogs are a significant part of people's lives, serving as companions, family members, and sources of support, which makes understanding factors that influence human interaction with them important. In the current research, we bridge the psychology of gender and the science of human-animal interactions; in doing so, we offer novel conclusions about how gender norms shape our possible intentions and interactions with dogs. Across three studies (n(total )= 1,175), we examined the relationship between dominance theory (i.e., the belief that people must become the "pack leader"), hegemonic masculinity (i.e., the idealized version of manhood), and gender typicality threats (i.e., threat to gender performance). We found that most people reported establishing dominance over dogs as a confrontational process (Study 1a). Though beliefs in hegemonic masculinity predicted the endorsement of aversive methods, the relationship between dominance theory and the use of aversive methods was partially mediated by beliefs in hegemonic masculinity (Study 1b). In a second experiment (Study 2), we found that manipulating information about dominance theory did not increase participants' endorsement of aversive methods; however, the relationship between dominance theory and the use of aversive methods was still partially mediated by hegemonic masculinity. Finally, we experimentally manipulated gender typicality threat with false feedback and found that regardless of participant gender, gender threat increased the endorsement of aversive methods (Study 3). We discuss the implications for the psychology of gender and human-canine interactions.
