Abstract Background: Pets play an important role in the lives of pet families, yet their impacts within low-income communities remain largely underexamined. Guided by a One Health framework, this mixed-methods study examined how living with pets influences quality of life (QoL) and loneliness among residents in three income-restricted, multifamily housing communities in the Southeastern United States, two of which primarily serve older adults and individuals with disabilities. Methods: Quantitative survey data (n = 282) were integrated with qualitative focus groups (n = 69) to assess standardized QoL and loneliness measures along with residents’ lived experiences. Results: Quantitative analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in QoL or loneliness scores between residents with and without pets. However, those with pets who had experienced a barrier to veterinary care had lower overall QoL scores than those who had not experienced a barrier. Residents with pets reported more days of poor mental health in the past month, even after adjusting for education, building, age group, and gender. In contrast, the qualitative findings highlighted profound perceived benefits of pets, including emotional support and stability, companionship, purpose, safety, motivation for physical activity, and mitigation of loneliness and isolation. While pets provided substantial support, residents also reported difficulties affording and accessing veterinary care and making trade-offs between their own basic needs and caring for their pets. Conclusions: These mixed results reveal a potential disconnect between standardized well-being measures and lived experiences, suggesting that existing instruments may not fully capture pet-related benefits. Furthermore, the benefits associated with pets cannot mitigate the structural and social drivers of health faced by residents; in fact, these factors also hinder pet care. Results underscore the interconnectedness of human and animal well-being, the importance of treating the pet as part of the household, and the need to develop context-sensitive measures within human-animal interaction research.
Abstract Background: Prior research in human-animal interaction has documented associations between human anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors in pet dogs. However, this literature has rarely accounted for dogs’ prior adverse experiences or related contextual human factors that may influence this association. Aim: This study examined the association between caregiver anxiety and caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, while accounting for dogs’ adverse experiences, caregivers’ trauma history, anxiety medication use by caregivers, veterinarian-prescribed behavioral medication use in dogs, and dog acquisition source. Methods: An online survey was administered to a national sample of US adults who were the primary caregivers of at least one dog (n = 655), recruited via Prolific, an online participant recruitment platform. Caregiver anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs were measured using selected items from the shortened Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ(S)). Respondents reported any history of perceived adverse experiences for their dogs (e.g., abuse, neglect), any caregiver trauma history (e.g., serious accident, abuse), caregiver and/or canine medication use, and dog acquisition source. Moderation models were estimated to test whether these factors altered the association between caregiver anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors in dogs. Results: Higher caregiver anxiety was significantly associated with higher caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs (β = 0.14, SE = 0.07, p = 0.04). This association remained significant after adjusting for dogs’ adverse experiences, caregiver trauma history, caregiver or dog medication use, and dog acquisition source. None of the tested moderators significantly altered the strength of the association. Dog behavioral medication use was independently associated with higher anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, whereas neutered dogs had lower anxiety scores than intact dogs. Conclusions: These findings indicate that caregiver anxiety is positively associated with anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, even after adjustment for measured contextual factors. The results underscore the importance of incorporating caregiver mental health into research and practice focused on canine behavior and welfare. Caregiver-inclusive approaches may strengthen both future research and intervention development within human-animal relationships.
Abstract Background: Understanding the socio-demographic, psychological, and environmental drivers that shape ecological knowledge and conservation attitudes is critical for effective wetland management. We investigated the drivers of ecological knowledge and conservation attitudes toward waterbirds in the Lake Tana sub-basin wetlands, Ethiopia, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve facing escalating anthropogenic pressures. Methods: Data were collected from 384 residents across a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance (agricultural-impacted, urban-impacted, and least-disturbed wetlands). Using household survey, photo recognition test, and standardized robust regression model, we investigated the impact of socio-demographic, spatial, and psychological variables on ecological knowledge and conservation attitude toward waterbirds. Results: Species identification knowledge was low, with respondents correctly identifying only 15% of the focal species. However, respondents demonstrated substantial experiential awareness, accurately perceiving declining population trends for culturally salient species. Generalized linear models (GLMs) revealed that ecological knowledge was primarily driven by experiential and spatial factor, including active conservation participation (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), spatial proximity (β = −0.52, p < 0.001), nature connectedness (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), and age (β = 0.35, p < 0.001). Conversely, conservation attitudes were strongly positive and shaped by psychological drivers, particularly active conservation participation (β = 0.55, p < 0.001), interest in birds (β = 0.27, p < 0.001), and perception of ecosystem services (β = 0.19, p < 0.001). Respondents identified agricultural encroachment, overgrazing, and urban expansion as the most critical threats to wetland ecosystems. Respondents showed strongest support for incentive-based and community-based conservation approaches reflecting strong local livelihood and conservation linkages. Conclusion: Our findings reveal a pronounced “knowledge-perception paradox,” whereby local communities exhibit positive conservation attitudes and strong concern for ecological declines despite limited taxonomic knowledge. These findings highlight integrating experiential local knowledge, enhancing nature connectedness, and promoting participatory management frameworks to support synergistic frameworks that enhance ecological integrity while also contributing to the long-term well-being of local communities in Afro-tropical landscapes.
Abstract Research on the human–animal bond (HAB) has increasingly explored the role of companion animals in supporting psychological well-being and social connectedness. However, much of this work has been conducted in Western contexts, with limited insight into how these relationships operate in culturally and socioeconomically diverse settings, such as South Africa (SA). This study addresses this gap by examining the interrelationships between pet attachment, adult attachment styles, and psychological well-being among South African pet owners. This study is grounded in Attachment Theory, with contributions from the Biophilia Hypothesis and Social Support Theory. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed using an online survey. Measures included the Pet Attachment and Life Impact Scale (PALS), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (R-AAS), and Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC–SF-14). Data were analysed using Pearson’s correlation and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Among 1119 South African dog and/or cat owners, pet attachment was positively associated with psychological well-being, although the association was small in magnitude (r = 0.11, p < 0.001). Human attachment dimensions demonstrated substantially stronger associations, with higher levels of closeness (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), and dependence (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) associated with greater well-being and higher attachment-related anxiety associated with poorer well-being (r = −0.46, p < 0.001). Notably, while the association was small in magnitude, individuals with higher attachment-related anxiety reported stronger emotional attachments to their pets (r = 0.16, p < 0.001). In the final regression model, human attachment styles emerged as the most robust predictor of well-being, whereas pet attachment had a smaller but significant effect. Demographic variables, including older age, being employed, and larger household size were also positively associated with well-being. Conclusions: These findings suggest that companion animals may provide meaningful emotional support, but their contribution to psychological well-being is modest compared to that of secure human attachment styles. Pet relationships appeared to function as supplementary rather than substitutive sources of emotional support. Overall, the results highlight the importance of understanding HABs within broader relational and sociocultural contexts.
Abstract Background: Approximately half of people with HIV (PWH) in the United States own pets. While pets may support physical and mental health, they also require socioeconomic resources that may exacerbate existing barriers to healthcare among PWH, as these resources can compete with those needed for healthcare. This study examined whether a cohort of PWH in Florida felt that receiving various free pet-related services would better enable them to access their own healthcare and whether endorsement was associated with HIV care engagement and clinical outcomes. Methods: Data were drawn from Wave 3 of the Florida Cohort (2021–2023) and included 206 pet-owning PWH. Participants reported whether access to free pet food, veterinary care, or pet boarding services would improve their ability to access their own healthcare. Survey data were linked to Florida Department of Health HIV surveillance records, including viral load measures from the prior year. HIV care outcomes included missed HIV care visits in the past year, missed antiretroviral therapy (ART) doses in the past month, and viral non-suppression (>200 copies/ml). Open-ended responses were analyzed thematically to identify additional pet-related services. Results: Most participants (79%) reported that access to free pet-related services would help them better engage with their own healthcare. Participants with poorer HIV care outcomes were more likely to report that pet-related supports would be helpful for their healthcare access. Missed ART doses were significantly associated with the endorsement of free pet food and pet boarding services, and viral non-suppression was significantly associated with endorsement of free pet food. Open-ended responses identified additional pet-related services, including pet insurance, grooming services, behavioral support, pet medications, emergency veterinary care, and pet-friendly housing. Conclusions: The helpfulness of pet-related services for participants’ access to healthcare was commonly reported among pet-owning PWH and was more frequently endorsed by individuals with poorer HIV care outcomes. These findings suggest that the economic cost of pet caregiving may interfere with healthcare engagement among PWH. Integrating pet-related support into programs serving PWH may help reduce barriers to care and support both human and animal wellness.
Abstract Background: Gestures are widely used in everyday human–dog interactions and are often understood in terms of directing behaviour towards tasks or outcomes. However, less attention has been given to how such gestures may function outside task-oriented or trained behavioural contexts. This article examines the open palm prone gesture (OPPG) as it occurs in everyday interactions, with a focus on its potential role beyond directive use and its implications for how interspecies communication is conceptualised. Methods: This article draws on qualitative analysis of naturalistic video observations of everyday human–dog encounters, including interactions involving both companion and free-living dogs across a few different cultural contexts. The analysis is informed by and interpreted through existing research on animal behaviour and cognition, human gesture use, and human–dog relationships. Selected interactional sequences are presented within the manuscript, alongside detailed observational descriptions in supplementary material, to enable close examination of gesture use, timing, and contextual dynamics. This approach is intentionally designed to foreground analytic transparency by presenting interactional material in a form that invites direct engagement, enabling readers to examine how interpretations dynamically arise from context and history. Results: The analysis identifies a range of interactional factors that appear to shape how this gesture is taken up in context, including multimodal coordination, relational history, situational dynamics, shared attention, and the dog’s internal state. Rather than establishing a fixed function, the article catalogues these factors and situates the observed interactions in relation to existing knowledge, positioning this mode of gesture use as a candidate for further systematic examination. Conclusions: The study argues that gestures in interspecies communication may warrant examination beyond task-oriented and directive frameworks to include the possibility of affect-modulatory roles. By outlining key factors for consideration, it provides a foundation for future enquiry into how such gestures may function in context-dependent and relationally situated ways. More broadly, it highlights the potential significance of such forms of communication in shaping longer-term human–dog relationships and supporting canine welfare, suggesting that gestures may influence not only immediate interactions but also the quality and stability of the dyad over time.
Abstract Background: While assistance dogs in Denmark (AiDs) can provide support for individuals with mental health conditions, the reciprocal nature of this relationship remains underexplored. Unlike traditional companion animal relationships, AiD-partnerships involve unique stressors including public access work, task performance expectations, and the AiD-recipients’ reliance on the AiD for disability management. These factors may create distinct welfare considerations for both partners. Aim: To explore how AiD-recipients experience and navigate the mutual welfare implications of their AiD-partnership in daily life, including potential tensions between the AiD’s welfare needs and the AiD-recipient’s mental health disability-related needs. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with 16 AiD-recipients in Denmark were conducted and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis within a One Welfare framework. Results: Four themes were identified. “Navigating welfare” describes the reciprocal care between AiDs and AiD-recipients, where AiDs detect AiD-recipients’ distress and AiD-recipients prioritize their AiD’s well-being though this mutual attunement can also burden the AiD. “Navigating public access” captures how AiDs enable AiD-recipients to enter public spaces while encounters with the social environment potentially create stress for both partners. “Navigating the AiD-system” reflects recipients’ experiences of navigating an unstandardized system with variable training quality, unclear procedures, and limited support. “Navigating transitions” addresses critical transitions into and out of partnerships. Conclusions: AiD-recipients actively navigate mutual welfare in their partnerships, demonstrating care for their AiDs while managing their own needs. However, achieving One Welfare is complicated by systemic gaps including lack of standardization, limited recipient preparation in canine welfare, and absent support structures. The findings highlight that vulnerability exists at both ends of the leash and underscore the need for national standards that support the welfare in AiD-partnerships.
Abstract Background: Research into pet caregiver burden (PCB) has commonly focused on dog owners, with limited research on cat caregiving experiences. Existing studies comparing PCB between dog and cat owners have produced mixed findings. The aim of this work was to provide an in-depth exploration of cat owners providing care for a cat with chronic illness, with a particular focus on their experiences managing their cat’s illness, how they navigate caregiving challenges, and the role of the human-cat bond in PCB. Methods: Adult participants currently caring for a cat diagnosed with osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease, or cancer were recruited. Interviews followed a semi-structured format, lasted up to 60 minutes, and were completed using Microsoft Teams. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach with a combined deductive-inductive framework. Results: Participants (n = 10) reported being female (100%), mean age 40.6 years (range 29–65), white (90%) and non-Hispanic (90%), with their cats having comorbidities with the targeted conditions of osteoarthritis (n = 7), chronic kidney disease (n = 9), and cancer (n = 1). Caregiving demands were complex, involving emotional, social, financial, and practical challenges that included hypervigilant monitoring, uncertainty, and disruptions to daily life. Participants invoked several strategies to manage these challenges through problem solving, adapting routines, and relying on support systems. The human-cat bond played a dual role, both motivating sustained caregiving (e.g., caregiver and cat receiving care are bonded) and being reshaped by caregiving tasks (e.g., cat avoiding caregiver) and illness-related changes (e.g., osteoarthritic behavioral changes). Conclusions: Caring for a cat with chronic illness involved caregiving responsibilities that may not be fully captured by existing measures for PCB. These findings highlight the need for assessment tools that better reflect cat caregiving experiences and for interventions to support owners managing long-term caregiving demands.
Abstract Background: It is thought that pets have positive effects on psychosocial factors and physical activity. However, earlier findings are inconsistent. In this study, we investigated the link between dog/cat ownership and social integration, mental and physical health and physical activity. Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 4604 people, aged 50–64, from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS). Questionnaire data were used to assess dog/cat ownership. Social integration was self-reported and collected by the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction. Mental health was investigated with the SF-12 questionnaire, and physical activity was self-reported. Multiple linear regressions and ordinal regressions were used to investigate the relationships with dog/cat ownership. The analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: Dog owners (n = 745) reported less social integration than non-dog owners, both regarding number of social contacts (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69, 0.92) and availability of close relationships (aOR 0.79, CI 0.67, 0.94). No differences in mental health status regarding dog/cat ownership were detected. Dog owners reported 2 hours more weekly walking time on average (p < 0.001) and 2 hours less sitting time (p = 0.016) compared to non-dog owners. A dose-response relationship was found regarding the dog owners’ responsibility for the dogs’ exercise and the reported amount of walking (p < 0.001). Cat owners (n = 1032) walked approximately 20 minutes less per week than non-cat owners (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Dog ownership was associated with less social integration and no differences in mental health were found between dog/cat owners compared to non-owners. Dog owners were more physically active, and there was a dose-response relationship between the proportion of the engagement in the dog’s daily exercise and the time spent walking. The relationship between dog ownership and physical activity is relevant in relation to cardiovascular health.
Abstract Background: While research on dog sports has traditionally focused on canine physiology, there is a growing need to understand the human psychological factors that drive these activities. This study examines how dog sport participation influences the dog-owner bond, dog-directed parenting styles, and owner physical activity levels. By comparing Hungarian dog sport participants with non-participants, this research explores how cross-species cooperation fosters unique relationship dynamics and healthier human lifestyles. Methods: A total of 715 Hungarian dog owners were recruited via an online survey hosted on social media platforms. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire alongside two instruments validated for the Hungarian language: the Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (DORS) and the Dog-Directed Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (DD-PSDQ). The sample was predominantly female (90.4%, n = 648; male: 9.4%, n = 67), with 41% (n = 294) actively participating in dog sports (mean experience = 5.96 years, SD = 6.04). Statistical analyses, including independent samples t-tests and Chi-square tests, were conducted to compare the profiles of sport participants and non-participants. Results: Dog sport participants scored significantly lower (M = 4.93, SD = 0.97) on the DORS’s Pet-Owner Interaction scale than non-participants (M = 5.34, SD = 1.02). Owners participating in dog sports scored significantly higher (M = 13.07, SD = 2.49) on the DD-PSDQ’s Authoritative training-oriented parenting style scale than owners who do not participate in dog sports (M = 11.82, SD = 3.23). However, non-participants scored significantly higher (M = 9.93, SD = 3.39) for the Authoritative intrinsic value-oriented scale than dog sport participants (M = 7.45, SD = 3.6). No significant difference was found between dog sport participants (56.8%) and non-participants (54.5%) regarding participation in human-only forms of exercise. Conclusions: While dog sports did not influence relationship quality or owner lifestyle factors, participation significantly promoted a training-oriented parenting style characterized by high demands and responsiveness. Rather than a lifestyle intervention, dog sports primarily function as a framework for structured, responsive cross-species management.
Abstract Background: Research on human-animal relations in homelessness is abundant. However, studies that focus on humans and companion animals on an equal basis are limited. Prior research has examined the phenomena from either an anthropocentric or a purely veterinary perspective. Methods: Using an ethnographic research design and the analysis methods of the constructivist grounded theory and situational analysis, this study aimed to address the research gap and examined the shared lives of humans and their companion animals experiencing homelessness, the conflicting moments and barriers that they encounter in their shared everyday life, the manner in which they affect the well-being of either one or both, and the coping strategies used to overcome these issues. Results: In the iterative research process, three main lines of conflict and key issues were identified that had a major influence on the shared everyday lives of humans and their companion animals experiencing homelessness and well-being: (1) restricted access to support services, healthcare, and daily necessities; (2) reciprocal dependences of human and animal well-being and health; and (3) discourses on adequate animal care within the field. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of looking at both sides of the human-animal bond and recognising this interdependence in the spirit of the One Health and One Welfare models in terms of establishing support and healthcare services for both humans and companion animals. Power structures and the availability of various forms of capital play an important role in this context. This requires future research to adapt a power-sensitive approach that recognises the interconnectedness of humans and their companion animals experiencing homelessness in a holistic manner.
Abstract Background: Black Americans’ relationships with animals are shaped by intertwined histories of enslavement, racialized violence, and cultural resilience, yet these dynamics remain largely unexamined in human–animal interaction research. This qualitative study explored how Black Americans understand, experience, and interpret human–animal relationships within historical, cultural, and structural contexts. Methods: Thirty-one adults identifying as Black or African American participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory and reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns across participants’ narratives. Results: Five interrelated themes emerged from the analysis: (1) empathy for animals grounded in shared experiences of oppression, stigma, and reclamation, particularly in relation to breeds historically weaponized against Black communities; (2) the social and emotional benefits of pet-keeping as sources of safety, companionship, and resilience amid racism; (3) intergenerational family narratives that sustain positive connections to animals historically associated with control or violence; (4) perceptions of animals and pet-keeping as privilege or luxury shaped by structural inequities and racialized norms of “responsible ownership”; and (5) pervasive racism and exclusion within animal advocacy, welfare, and animal-related academic spaces. Conclusion: Together, these findings demonstrate that anti-Blackness shapes access, legitimacy, and belonging within spaces involving human–animal interaction and that Black Americans enact care, creativity, and resistance in navigating these inequities. These results challenge dominant human–animal interaction frameworks that treat the bond as universal or apolitical, and add to calls for anti-racist and decolonizing approaches that link animal-related advocacy to racial and social justice.
Abstract Background: Livery yards are important in UK equine management, catering for over 60% of the UK’s horses. Decisions made by the managers of livery establishments shape the lives of horses and their owners; livery yard owners and managers (LYO/Ms) are therefore a highly important stakeholder in equine welfare. This study aimed to explore the experiences of LYO/Ms around yard set-up and management, and how yard managers make decisions around horse wellbeing within the context of their ongoing business. Methods: This study used qualitative research methods to bring together 52 semi-structured interviews with yard managers from over 45 diverse yards, 2 focus groups, and 20 forum discussion threads. Data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Results: Our research highlights the complexity of livery yard management, with each yard functioning as a unique ecosystem based on a balance of interdependent factors, including the management of the horses, clients, land, business, and facility management. Livery yards in this study were frequently run from a desire to work with horses, and this shaped the yard manager’s provision of services and care. While yards were organised around the physical tasks of looking after horses, participants suggested that the core of their workload was, in fact, related to the organisational and emotional work of managing clients and horses. This included negotiating around interspecies individual needs, managing disagreements, and building relationships. Collectively, this required complex organisation and emotional labour. Much of LYO/Ms work is under-recognised; for example, negotiating preventive health measures between vets and clients, managing horse neglect, and supporting clients with euthanasia decision making. Conclusions: This study has highlighted the complexity of the LYO/M’s role, and the lack of support available, which culminate in slow changes to practice and frequent clashes between clients and LYO/Ms. Understanding these factors will enable equestrians to support and facilitate LYO/Ms work, and collaborate with LYO/Ms to better improve equine welfare.
Abstract This commentary advocates for a paradigm shift in animal-assisted services (AAS) human-centric model to a sentience-centered practice. Grounded in the 2025 Global Declaration of Animal Sentience in Animal-Assisted Services and bolstered by scientific consensus on animal consciousness, we argue that ethical AAS must formally recognize animals as sentient participants, not tools. Current legal frameworks, particularly in the United States, which treat animals as property, are inadequate. We propose a justice-oriented framework to operationalize sentience-centered ethics, ensuring animals can flourish within AAS. This entails prioritizing well-being, honoring animal agency, and respecting core entitlements. By centering sentience, AAS professionals can deepen therapeutic outcomes and ethical obligations by advocating for robust legal protections that reflect contemporary understanding of animals as sentient beings.
Abstract Background: Advances in veterinary medicine have extended companion animal lifespans, shifting end-of-life (EOL) care toward longer periods of caregiving. Although euthanasia remains the most common EOL pathway, caregivers’ experiences are shaped not only by clinical factors but also by the timing, content, and quality of veterinary communication. Objectives: This study examined (1) predictors of caregiver satisfaction with EOL care and veterinary team support, and caregiver burden; (2) associations among perceived pet quality of life, EOL pathway, and prior EOL experiences on decision timing; and (3) the relationship between veterinary communication quality and decisional regret. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was completed by US dog and cat owners/caregivers (N = 802) who had participated in EOL decision-making for a pet within the prior 2 years. Measures assessed demographics; religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs; prior EOL experiences; primary veterinary team type; hospice enrollment; EOL pathway and alignment with expectations; EOL conversation timing, frequency, duration, and content; access to quality-of-life tools; caregiver confidence and perceived pet quality of life; veterinary team support; caregiver burden; satisfaction with EOL care and veterinary team support; decisional regret; post-loss relationship outcomes; and pet acquisition following loss. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, general linear models, and ordinal logistic regression. Results: Most pets died via euthanasia (94.4%), most commonly through in-home euthanasia without hospice support (47.8%). Earlier EOL conversations were rated as appropriately timed by 86–100% of caregivers, compared to 78.4% of those whose first conversation occurred during a crisis. Higher-quality veterinary communication was significantly associated with greater satisfaction (p < 0.001) and lower decisional regret (p < 0.001). Communication quality was not significantly associated with caregiver burden; burden was instead associated with rushed (p = 0.024) or drawn-out decisions (p = 0.003), and euthanasia at home without hospice support (p < 0.001). Caregivers who perceived better pet quality of life near death reported longer decision windows (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Veterinary communication quality, more than EOL pathway, demographic characteristics, or prior EOL experience, was found to be a primary determinant of satisfaction and decisional regret, with each one-unit increase in communication quality associated with a 44% reduction in the odds of reporting greater decisional regret. These results suggest that EOL communication training encompassing proactive initiation, emotional validation, and shared decision making should be established as a core veterinary clinical competency, embedded longitudinally across veterinary curricula, and treated with the same rigor as technical clinical skills.
Abstract Background: Animal shelter and rescue workers and volunteers frequently experience compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral stress due to ongoing exposure to animal suffering, neglect, and euthanasia. Despite their essential contributions to public health and animal welfare, their mental health needs are often overlooked. This study addresses the gap in research and intervention by evaluating the impact of a structured, virtual support group tailored to this population. Method: A mixed-methods design was used to assess the effectiveness of a 10-week, 90-minute weekly virtual support group facilitated by licensed mental health clinicians and a certified professional coach. Participants (N = 18) from nine US states and one international location completed pre- and post-intervention assessments using validated instruments: the Adult Attitude to Grief Scale (AAG), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), and Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5). Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used to evaluate changes over time. Qualitative data were also collected through open-ended questions and thematically analyzed. Results: Quantitative analysis revealed statistically significant improvements in grief vulnerability (AAG), perceived stress (PSS-10), burnout and secondary traumatic stress (ProQOL subscales), and overall mental health (MHI-5). Increases in compassion satisfaction and resilience were observed but did not reach significance. Qualitative findings supported these results, highlighting themes such as increased peer connection, increased connection to purpose, enhanced empathy, validation of grief, improved self-care strategies, and a reduction in emotional isolation. Conclusion: The virtual support group demonstrated measurable benefits in reducing psychological distress among animal welfare workers and volunteers. Participants found the group format valuable and all indicated they would recommend it to peers. This model offers a scalable, low-cost, and accessible intervention for addressing unmet mental health needs in this high-risk, under-resourced population. Future research should explore longitudinal effects, a control group model, expand demographic diversity and sample size, and further examine the role of empathy in animal welfare burnout.
Abstract Background: In Ontario, Canada, intimate partner violence (IPV) shelters often prohibit multispecies families (close social groupings that include humans and nonhuman animals, often cohabitating), creating a significant barrier for women fleeing abuse. This lack of co-sheltering is despite the documented link between concurrent human and animal abuse and the kin-like relationships and strong bonds these women have with companion (CAs), emotional support (ESAs), and service animals (SAs). Methods: This article, through critical animal studies and moral entrepreneurial lens, begins to unpack how the categories of SA, ESA, and CA show up in practice in IPV shelters. Our semi-structured interviews with IPV shelter workers reveal that co-sheltering of CAs is occurring covertly and overtly in the province, though most shelters remain human-only. Results: Noted is how the current SA exception (they must be allowed in-shelter, by law) challenges the exclusion of nonhuman animals from shelters, as well as how successful co-sheltering of CAs in the few co-shelters in this study does the same; ESAs are found to inhabit a grey area of inclusion and purpose. We examine relevant housing, disability, and human rights laws and policies, as they impact how clients living with SAs, ESAs, and CAs access and stay in IPV shelters. Conclusions: We conclude with specific law, policy, and procedural recommendations, including recognizing nonhuman animals not as property but as family members, while naming, recognizing, and funding the Homeless Companion Animal Care Sector (HCACS) as an essential social service, to encourage and support co-sheltering and advocate for a more inclusive and less speciesist approach to emergency sheltering and housing.
Abstract Background: Companion animals are often vital sources of emotional and psychological stability, particularly for individuals facing systemic disadvantage. Yet, the ability to maintain these bonds is frequently challenged by socioeconomic and health-related crises. Understanding how people navigate these pressures, and the role of charitable interventions, is essential to inform inclusive health and welfare policy. Methods: Guided by the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Australian participants who had accessed support from human and animal charitable services. A thematic analysis approach was used to identify patterns and relationships within participant narratives, focusing on how structural conditions shaped their capacity to care for companion animals. Results: A total of 11 interrelated themes were identified, highlighting how financial insecurity, housing instability, limited access to health care, and trauma intersect to influence animal care capacity. Participants described their companion animals as emotional “lifelines” during periods of grief, mental illness, and chronic hardship. However, maintaining these relationships often carried a cumulative emotional toll due to systemic neglect and inadequate safety nets. Charitable supports that recognized the significance of the human-animal relationship were described not only as practical lifelines but as sources of dignity, validation and emotional stability. Conclusions: Findings underscore the urgent need for health and social policy frameworks that integrate companion animals into conceptions of human wellbeing. Embedding consideration of animals within public health discourse through an SDH lens enables a more relational understanding of resilience and recovery, one that recognizes animals not as peripheral, but as integral to household stability and social inclusion.
Abstract Transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth are at heightened risk for anxiety, depression, and suicidality; these risks are exacerbated by stigma and rejection by peers and in greater society. Integration of animals into therapy has an emerging body of literature supporting its potential impact on anxiety and depression; Animal Assisted Play Therapy® (AAPT) is one such intervention. Researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial to determine the effects of an 8-week AAPT group on standardized measures of anxiety, depression, and perceived parental support. TGNC youth (N = 40) referred by a hospital-based gender clinic were assigned to either an experimental (n = 20) or waitlist-control condition (n = 20). Standardized measures were administered before and after the experimental group participated in the group intervention. Youth who participated in the 8-week intervention group in the experimental condition had lower post-test measures of functional problems associated with depression, and higher measures of separation anxiety, as compared to children in the waitlist-control condition. There were significant negative correlations in the experimental group between post-test measures of parental support and panic disorder, and posttest measures of parental support and social anxiety; these correlations did not exist at pretest, or at any data point for the waitlist-control group.
Abstract Background: Veterans living with syndemic pain often experience intersecting physical, psychological, and social challenges that can include post-traumatic stress disorder, isolation, and a diminished sense of purpose. While service dogs are increasingly recognized for their functional and psychosocial benefits for Veterans, the relational mechanisms underlying these benefits remain underexplored. Methods: This qualitative, exploratory study examines the concept of mattering as a lens for better understanding the social significance of veteran–service dog partnerships. Drawing on 28 in-depth interviews conducted with four of Canadian military Veterans living with syndemic pain working alongside a service dog, this secondary analysis utilizing thematic coding observes how experiences of mattering can exist through a human-animal connection. Results: Findings suggest that mattering can be experienced within a human-canine relationship, with this sense of mattering assisting to mediate aspects of syndemic pain by supporting emotional regulation, social engagement, and daily functioning. Further, it assists with countering experiences of isolation and anti-mattering reported by Veterans, which can contribute to suicidality, following the end of active service. By demonstrating that mattering can extend beyond human-human relationships, this work offers the first study conducted to provide empirical evidence of mattering’s presence within a human-animal connection. However, future studies are needed as a sense of mutuality and bidirectionality is suggested in the findings, which should be explored further. Conclusions: These findings contribute to human-animal interaction scholarship by introducing mattering as a novel conceptual and analytic framework for assessing relational outcomes of service dog partnerships. Implications are discussed for veteran support programs, pain management, and suicide prevention initiatives, emphasizing the importance of centering relational and psychosocial outcomes in service dog research and practice.
