The human-animal bond benefits human mental health, but the welfare of animals in households where owners experience mental health challenges requires attention.
Human mental health and companion animal welfare are closely linked — each affects the other in both directions. Healthy human-animal relationships benefit both parties. Compromised owner mental health can reduce the quality of animal care — not necessarily through neglect but through reduced attention, stimulation, and veterinary access. Recognising this connection means supporting human mental health as an animal welfare intervention, and ensuring animal welfare services recognise and respond to human mental health contexts. Safe pet fostering during crises, animal-inclusive domestic violence support, and community support for isolated animal owners are all human-animal welfare bridge programs.