Research into the human-animal bond reveals its benefits for human health while raising welfare obligations toward the animals who provide those benefits.
The science of the human-animal bond is both a celebration of the depth of relationships between humans and animals and an ethical framework for the obligations those relationships create. Animals who reduce human loneliness, lower blood pressure, and provide emotional support deserve welfare provision commensurate with their contribution. The bidirectional nature of the bond — where animal welfare affects owner wellbeing and vice versa — provides additional motivation for high-quality animal care grounded in scientific understanding of animal needs.