Search Results (73)

Humans show neural specificity in processing animal-related information, especially regarding companion animals. However, the underlying cognitive mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study’s main objective is to investigate human neural specificity in processing companion animal-related information, compared to other animal types and inanimate objects. Forty participants viewed four image types (companion animals, neutral animals, positive objects, neutral objects) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and judged image categories. T-test results showed: 1. Processing companion animal-related information elicited specific brain activation in the right Inferior Parietal Lobe (right IPL), right Middle Occipital Gyrus (right MOG), left Superior Frontal Gyrus (left SFG), and left Precuneus (left PCu) (<0.05). 2. Generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (gPPI) analysis revealed specific functional connectivity changes between relevant brain regions during companion animal info processing (<0.05). 3. Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) analysis showed significant intrinsic connectivity differences between pet owners and non-pet owners: specifically, left IPL to left PCu and right ACC to right MOG (posterior probability, Pp > 0.95). The results of this study demonstrate that humans exhibit distinct neural specificity when processing information related to companion animals compared with livestock and inanimate objects. This neural specificity involves brain regions linked to higher-order cognitive functions (e.g., visual processing, emotion, and attachment), all of which are integral components of the human attachment network. These regions are part of the human attachment network, and their functional role likely relates to attachment mechanisms. These findings help clarify companion animals’ impact on human neural activity during human–animal interactions and guide applications like animal-assisted therapy. Full article

Most research on domestic dog (Canis familiaris) behavior has focused on pets with restricted movement. However, free-ranging dogs exist in diverse cultural contexts globally, and their interactions with humans are less understood. Tourists can facilitate unrestricted dog movement into wilderness areas, where they may negatively impact wildlife. This study investigated which stimuli—namely, voice, touch, or food—along with inherent factors (age, sex, sociability) motivate free-ranging dogs to follow a human stranger. We measured the distance (up to 600 m) of 129 free-ranging owned and stray dogs from three villages in southern Chile as they followed an experimenter who presented them one of the above stimuli or none (control). To evaluate the effect of dog sociability (i.e., positive versus stress-related or passive behaviors), we performed a 30 s socialization test (standing near the dog without interacting) before presenting a 10 s stimulus twice. We also tracked whether the dog was in the company of other dogs. Each focus dog was video-recorded and tested up to three times over five days. Generalized linear mixed-effects models revealed that the food stimulus significantly influenced dogs’ motivation to follow a stranger, as well as a high proportion of sociable behaviors directed towards humans and the company of other dogs present during the experiment. Juveniles tended to follow a stranger more than adults or seniors, but no effects were found for the dog’s sex, whether an owner was present, the repetition of trials, the location where the study was performed, or for individuals as a random variable. This research highlights that sociability as an inherent factor shapes dog–stranger interactions in free-ranging dogs when food is given. In the context of wildlife conservation, we recommend that managers promote awareness among local communities and tourists to avoid feeding dogs, especially in the context of outdoor activities close to wilderness. Full article

Pet ownership is the most common form of human–animal interaction (HAI), is prevalent worldwide and confers benefits for the health and wellbeing of humans. Here, we examined a large set of anonymised data from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to identify trends in the intake, adoption and relinquishment of companion animals in England and Wales before and during times of uncertainty, namely, the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis (COLC). We employed an interrupted time series (ITS) design which controls for pre-existing trends by comparing observed outcomes post-intervention with those expected if the intervention had not occurred. Nearly 200,000 animals were taken in by the RSPCA and over 140,000 animals were adopted or released over the four-year period from 2018 to 2022. When controlling for the brief closure of RSPCA sites, fewer dogs and cats were taken in and adopted during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic, and the intake and adoption of animals were lower during the COLC than before. A downward trend in the return of animals was observed, and the principal reasons for return were problem behaviours, owner unpreparedness and a change in circumstances. Our ITS analysis also permitted forecast predictions to be made which could prove helpful to the RSPCA. Full article

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious virus that infects humans, wildlife, domesticated and farmed animals. An increase in SARS-CoV-2 variants and human–animal interactions could have implications for the global maintenance and perpetuation of the virus. This study aimed to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection in dogs and cats living in households with and without SARS-CoV-2-positive owners by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in Grenada. This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to April 2022 from dogs (139) and cats (22) in households (96) in Grenada. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken from the dogs and cats to detect SARS-CoV-2. qRT-PCR tests were performed targeting the E and RdRP genes, respectively. Notably, 12% (17/139) of dogs and 23% (5/22) of cats tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The positive animals were found in 17 (18%) households, all with at least one positive individual. No positive cases of pets were detected in households without infected humans. A statistically significant association (p < 0.0001) was observed between humans with SARS-CoV2 and their pets. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed evidence of a relationship between the Grenadian SARS-CoV-2 E gene and other SARS-CoV-2 E gene sequences available in the NCBI database. This study confirmed the concurrent SARS-CoV-2 human/companion animal infection from households in Grenada. Humans and pet animals were positive synchronously; however, the direction of transmission from pets to humans or vice versa remains unknown. This study suggests that pets could play a role in the maintenance, transmission, and prolongation of infection of human-adapted pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. Full article

As societal perceptions of pet ownership shift, an increasing number of individuals are choosing to keep pets, leading to various challenges. In Taiwan, the growing population of stray dogs and cats is largely attributed to insufficient education and inadequate management practices among pet owners, posing public health and safety concerns. This issue primarily stems from a lack of understanding regarding proper pet care. In response, awareness of animal protection and life education has been gaining traction, drawing attention to these concerns. To address this, this study introduces an augmented reality (AR) pet care teaching system aimed at enhancing pet care knowledge through smartphones or tablets. Utilizing interactive AR technology, students are able to meet learning objectives related to pet care and foundational knowledge. This study adopts a quasi-experimental design and incorporates questionnaire surveys involving 61 college students and 8 teachers. The findings indicate that while both AR and traditional teaching methods are effective, the AR group exhibited superior learning outcomes. Furthermore, teacher feedback emphasized that the AR system fosters greater student engagement and significantly improves learning effectiveness. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges, including financial strains and mental health issues like depression and loneliness. Human–animal interaction (HAI) offers a potential buffer, as pet ownership has been linked to benefits such as improved psychological well-being, increased perceived social support, and reduced loneliness. Furthermore, attachment to pets appears to moderate these effects, with more attached owners experiencing greater benefits. However, most research has focused on female samples, leaving a gap in understanding HAI among men. This study aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and psychological well-being, loneliness, and perceived social support among Greek male pet owners ages 18 to 45. Between January and March 2021, a sample of 87 participants completed a demographics form and four self-reported questionnaires: LAPS for pet attachment, WHO-5 for well-being, a three-item loneliness scale, and MSPSS-Pets for perceived social support. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that pet attachment predicted increased perceived social support but showed no significant association with psychological well-being or loneliness. Age emerged as a predictor of well-being, with older men reporting higher levels, but no significant predictors of loneliness were found. These findings suggest that companion animals may provide emotional support but may not alleviate the broader psychological burdens intensified during crises like the pandemic. Full article

Background: The growth of the older adult population calls for innovative and cost-effective ways of promoting their physical, psychological, and cognitive health. Human–animal interaction, including pet ownership, is related to positive and negative aspects of human health. Not all pet owners respond in the same way. The levels of pet attachment and pets’ influence on their owners’ lives could moderate the relationship between psychological status and health outcomes. Purpose: We examined the moderating role of pet attachment in the relationships of psychological status (mental wellbeing, happiness, anxiety, depression) to physical function (physical wellbeing, usual- and rapid-gait speeds, physical performance battery) in community-residing older adult pet owners. Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of pet-owning older adult participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (n = 178). Results: In regression analyses, controlling for age, gender, and comorbidities, pet attachment and pet influence moderated the relationships of physical wellbeing to mental wellbeing and anxiety (p < 0.05). Pet influence also moderated the relationship between anxiety and usual gait speed (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Greater attachment and influence buffer the relationship of perceptions of poor mental function with perceptions of poor physical wellbeing suggesting one mechanism for health benefits of human-animal interaction. Full article

Numerous scales have been developed to assess pet–owner relationship quality. One commonly used measure is the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) and its various derivatives. Since this scale was published in 2006, many social changes have occurred, necessitating a review and, if necessary, refinement of this measure. We sought to investigate the internal consistency and structure of the existing instrument, as well as an expanded and modified version of the scale, in a contemporary adult sample of over 350 adults, recruited to be potentially less dog-centric than previous samples. The existing three-factor structure of the MDORS appeared reasonably sound, but a Principal Components Analysis with modified items resulted in identification of a four-component structure. Two of the components approximated existing MDORS measures: the Perceived Costs of Dog Ownership and the owner’s Emotional Reliance on their pet. Rather than replicating the existing Pet Owner Interaction subscale, however, we identified two different types of engagement: Affectionate Engagement and Active Engagement. The subscale scores and the total score were, as expected, intercorrelated with each other and with the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Perhaps surprisingly, however, they were statistically associated with very few demographic variables, such as owner gender, age, education, or residence location, and they were rarely associated with dog variables such as age, sex, or source. This may speak to the current near-universality of strong human–dog relationships, which we propose can now be assessed using two new measures: the Dog Owner Relationship Scale 28 (DORS28) and a shortened version, the Dog Owner Relationship Scale 12 (DORS12). Full article

The relationship between humans and their pets has long fascinated researchers, particularly in exploring how attachment varies according to the type of pet. Cats and dogs exhibit unique behavioral and social traits that influence the dynamics of human–pet relationships. Moreover, specific human characteristics have been found to affect this attachment. Our study examines the human factors that influence pet attachment among cat and dog owners in the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. By investigating these elements, our research aims to enhance the understanding of how human factors shape the human–animal bond. The study included a total of 202 participants, of whom 66.8% were dog owners, and 74.8% identified as women, with ages ranging from 18 to 74 years. Consistent with many previous studies, our results indicate that attachment is generally stronger with dogs compared to cats and that owner’s characteristics such as being female, younger, not living with children, and the amount of time spent with pets on weekends are linked to stronger attachments to pets. Full article

While the pet market is continuously rapidly increasing in Korea, pet dog owners feel uncomfortable in coping with pet dog’s health problems in time. In this paper, we propose a pre-diagnosis system based on neuro-fuzzy learning, enabling non-expert users to monitor their pets’ health by inputting observed symptoms. To develop such a system, we form a disease–symptom database based on several textbooks with veterinarians’ guidance and filtering. The system offers likely disease predictions and recommended coping strategies based on fuzzy inference. We evaluated three fuzzy inference algorithms—PFCM-R, FHAL, and MNFL. While PFCM-R achieved high accuracy with clean data, it struggled with noisy inputs. FHAL showed better noise tolerance but lower precision. PFCM-R is a variant of well-known fuzzy unsupervised learner FCM, and FHAL is the hybrid fuzzy inference engine based on Fuzzy Association Memory and a double-layered FCM we developed. To make the system more robust, we propose the multi-layered neuro-fuzzy learner (MNFL) in this paper, which effectively weakens the association strength between the disease and the observed symptoms, less related to the body part on which the abnormal symptoms are observed. In experiments that are designed to examine how the inference system reacts under increasing noisy input from the user, MNFL achieved 98% accuracy even with non-erroneous inputs, demonstrating superior robustness to other inference engines. This system empowers pet owners to detect health issues early, improving the quality of care and fostering more informed interactions with veterinarians, ultimately enhancing the well-being of companion animals. Full article

Many LGBTQ+ emerging adults experience rejection from their family of origin. Family rejection is a stressor that contributes to worsened mental health for LGBTQ+ emerging adults. Supportive relationships with others can be an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults as they cope with family rejection. The bond and interactions LGBTQ+ pet owners have with their pets may provide love, comfort, and support, similar to the relationship they may have with a human attachment figure. This quantitative study aimed to test pet attachment as a moderator of the association between family rejection and mental health in a sample of LGBTQ+ emerging adults. We collected survey data from 201 18–25-year-old LGBTQ+ pet owners living in the state of Virginia. After testing several moderation models using the PROCESS macro in SPSS, we found that pet attachment was not a significant moderator of the relation between family rejection and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, psychological distress). The findings suggest that pet attachment may not be a protective factor for LGBTQ+ emerging adults who experience family rejection, although these findings should be interpreted in light of the characteristics of our sample and limitations of the study. We recommend that future researchers explore alternative moderators or test these associations among LGBTQ+ individuals in other developmental periods. Full article

Dog and cat preference has been associated with a few factors, like owner personality traits, but data regarding other aspects of preference ontogeny and the impact of preferences on pet wellbeing have yet to be examined. In this exploratory study, several of these characteristics, such as exposure to pets when young and as adults and current pet interactions and diet were analyzed from internet survey data. We found that more people identified as dog people (63.3%) versus cat people (36.7%) and preference for dogs remained consistent from childhood to adulthood compared with cats. In individuals who changed species preference, a lack of childhood exposure to cats (47.2%) was significantly associated with the group that changed preferences from dogs to cats from childhood to adulthood, compared with dog ownership as a child in the group that changed preferences from cats to dogs (24.4%). The number of cats and dogs in the home directly correlated with species preference (p < 0.001). Dwelling location was also significantly associated with species preference, with cat people being more likely to live in an urban area and dog people in a rural area (p = 0.002). More time was spent in both active and passive interactions with pets of the preferred species. Cats owned by cat people were more likely to be fed prescription diets compared with cats owned by dog people (p < 0.001). Interestingly, dog people were more likely to feed both their cats (p = 0.012) and dogs (p < 0.001) a raw diet compared with cat people. Additional research is needed to understand the development and impact of owner species preferences on pets to identify risks of suboptimal wellbeing. Full article

Results of studies examining relations between human–animal interactions and human health and wellbeing have been inconsistent. This may be due, in part, to the scarcity of measures developed to assess levels of stress experienced when living with a pet (i.e., pet-related stress). This study developed and validated the Pet-Related Stress Scale (PRSS), a measure of general, multispecies pet-related stress among US pet owners. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis using the R software package to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PRSS and test competing model structures. We assessed validity through bivariate analyses between the PRSS and psychological stress, general stress, social support, and coping self-efficacy. Then, we conducted multiple group analysis to evaluate measurement invariance across age, race, Latine ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and gender modality. A three-factor model of pet-related stress (economic, psychological, and social stress) was the best fit for the data. Our results support convergent and divergent validity. However, the PRSS did not demonstrate measurement invariance across demographic groups. The PRSS is a promising measure of economic, psychological, and social stress related to owning pets that needs additional testing and refinement for use with marginalized populations most impacted by social disparities. Full article

The reported positive outcomes of animal-assisted services have led to an emerging interest in many different aspects of human–animal interactions. The influence of an assistance animal is thought to encompass several psychosocial domains in the life of a person with a significant health impairment. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the relationship between Hearing Dogs and their owners. A prospective study design using a written questionnaire method was utilized to survey 58 current and 23 prospective Australian Lions Hearing Dogs owners. The Pet Expectations Inventory (PEI) was used to investigate the anticipated role of Hearing Dogs in waitlisted persons with hearing loss/Deafness, whereas the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) was completed by current owners to assess emotional attachment. The results revealed a high mean PEI score (M = 73.1, SD = 10.9, Mdn = 73.0, range: 55–91), with prospective owners strongly expecting the role of Hearing Dogs to include companionship/love and security. Furthermore, strong attachment features were evident in the owners’ relationships with Hearing Dogs, as demonstrated by a high total LAPS score (M = 81.2, SD = 7.5, range: 63–91). Mean scores for statements within the “people substitution” category were highest (range = 3.6/4.00–3.9/4.00). In this demographically homogenous study cohort, it appeared that the high expectations of potential Hearing Dog owners for their animals to serve supportive roles beyond hearing assistance should be achievable, as evidenced by the strong attachment relationships displayed between Hearing Dogs and their owners. Full article

The sudden lockdown and social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected the physical and psychological aspects of our lives. This study used a sequential explanatory research design to explore how human–animal interactions (HAI) can reduce stress and improve quality of life (QOL) for employees working from home during the period. A total of 770 respondents took part in the quantitative portion of this study, comprised of 385 pet owners and 385 non-pet owners, with ten individuals randomly selected for the qualitative phase. The pet owners group was predominantly female, with 28.57% of the total sample with a mean age of 33.67 and a standard deviation (SD) of 9.46. In contrast, the majority of non-pet owners were male, making up 32.46% of the group with an average age of 29.57 and SD of 6.42. The HAI scale, work stress questionnaire, and the WHOQOL-BREF tests were utilized to evaluate the variables of this research. The results indicated significant differences in stress levels between the two independent groups. However, there were no significant differences in the overall QOL within the groups, except in the social domain. More importantly, our research showed that HAI had a buffering effect on stress and QOL among pet owners. Our research has important implications for understanding the importance of owning pets in enhancing personal welfare. These results are helpful for public health policies and endeavors to aid individuals and communities during periods of crises such as a pandemic. Full article