Research on the human-animal bond reveals significant mental health benefits from companion animals, with welfare implications for how we support both animals and their owners during difficult periods.
The human-animal bond has bidirectional welfare implications. Companion animals benefit from the care, food, and shelter that owners provide; owners benefit from the emotional support, routine, and sense of purpose that animals provide. When this bond is healthy, both parties thrive. When it is disrupted -- through owner mental health crisis, financial hardship, housing instability, or bereavement -- both the animal and the owner are at welfare risk. Supporting the human-animal bond as a welfare intervention requires attending to owner welfare as well as animal welfare: helping owners in crisis keep their animals, preventing surrender, and supporting the grief of pet loss all serve both human and animal welfare simultaneously.