The Concerns, Difficulties, and Stressors of Caring for Pets during COVID-19: Results from a Large Survey of U.S. Pet Owners

The Concerns, Difficulties, and Stressors of Caring for Pets during COVID-19: Results from a Large Survey of U.S. Pet Owners

Relationships between pets and their owners vary greatly. The popular media portrayal of the human benefits of pet ownership is often biased and overstated, oftentimes creating unrealistic expectations for pet owners. There is evidence that pets can be beneficial to the health and well-being of thei...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2020-10, Vol.10 (10), p.1882
Main Authors: Applebaum, Jennifer W, Tomlinson, Camie A, Matijczak, Angela, McDonald, Shelby E, Zsembik, Barbara A
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Animal shelters
animal welfare
companion animals
coronavirus
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disease spread
Dogs
Euthanasia
Health aspects
human-animal interaction
Human-animal relationships
Mental health
pet owners
Pets
Polls & surveys
Shelters
Viral diseases
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Summary:Relationships between pets and their owners vary greatly. The popular media portrayal of the human benefits of pet ownership is often biased and overstated, oftentimes creating unrealistic expectations for pet owners. There is evidence that pets can be beneficial to the health and well-being of their owners in certain circumstances; however, there is also evidence that negative or ambivalent relationships between owners and pets can be a detriment to owner well-being, as well as a risk for shelter relinquishment (i.e., surrender) of the pet. Relinquishment due to adverse scenarios like the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may increase rates of shelter euthanasia of adoptable pets. In this study we identify the unique difficulties related to caring for pets during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pet owners reported concerns related to pets, humans, and the entire household or family, inclusive of people and pets. Data from this study indicate that strength of the owner's attachment to their pet, as well as their economic resources, and the characteristics of their household are associated with the types of concerns expressed. We discuss implications for human well-being and pet welfare, and the need to address these issues in order to prevent shelter relinquishment.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615