Animal Welfare and Mental Health

The relationship between animal welfare and human mental health is bidirectional — animal-assisted interventions benefit human wellbeing, while human mental health struggles can affect how animals in human care are treated.

Key Facts

Animal-assisted therapy using dogs, horses and other species is used in clinical mental health settings globally
Research demonstrates that interacting with animals reduces cortisol levels and increases oxytocin in humans
Pet ownership is associated with reduced loneliness, lower blood pressure and improved mood in multiple studies
Mental health crises in animal owners can create serious welfare risks for animals in their care
The human-animal bond is recognised as a significant factor in one health approaches to wellbeing

Welfare Considerations

The link between human and animal welfare is both practical and profound. Animals that serve as emotional support for humans in distress may themselves be experiencing welfare compromise if their owner cannot meet their needs during a crisis. Veterinary practices increasingly recognise that owner mental health is a welfare risk factor for companion animals, and some work with social services to provide welfare checks alongside human support. Animal-assisted interventions that benefit human mental health must ensure that the animals involved have their own welfare needs fully met — a requirement that is not always rigorously applied in therapeutic animal programmes.

What You Can Do

Support animal-assisted therapy programmes that have rigorous welfare standards for participating animals
Advocate for welfare assessment of animals used in therapeutic settings to be required as standard
If facing mental health challenges, seek support early to protect both your own and your animals wellbeing
Engage with veterinary practices that take a one health approach to animal and owner wellbeing together
Support research into the mutual wellbeing benefits of human-animal relationships