Health Benefits of Pet Ownership

            When talking to people before heading home for break, I discovered that most students were really excited to see their pets at home.  This got me thinking about what having pets does for us.  The health benefits of pet ownership have been shown as contradictory in previous studies (Utz, 2014).  These studies have used inconsistent methods and biased samples, so the results have been inconclusive.  Utz reported on a study done to address the previous studies problems (2014).  This recent study showed that pet ownership does appear to have a positive effect on health.  Owners of pets are less likely to be diagnosed with congestive heart failure, report arthritis, or be obese.  People with pets also report and are physician assessed to have excellent or very good health ratings.  This is true for overall health except for allergies and asthma.  Pet owners have been documented to having more prevalence of allergies and asthma than non-pet owners.  This could be an artificial increase because pet owners have more contact with animals and are more likely to be aware of asthma and allergies (Utz, 2014).

            A further study done in China proved that dogs have some benefits on their owner’s health.  Owning a dog is positively associated with feeling healthier.  Dog owners in this Chinese demographic are also less likely to miss work and have fewer nights of bad sleep.  This means that it is possible for pet dogs to contribute to considerable health care savings (Headey et al., 2008).  Other studies have also been done in the United States, Australia, and Great Britain on pet cat and dog ownership and health benefits.  The results of these studies showed that having a cat or dog relieves feelings of loneliness.  The presence of a pet in home is also good for a friendly atmosphere and putting people at ease.  The results of these studies make me happy and appreciate my pets even more.

·         Headey, B. (1999). Health benefits and health cost savings due to pets: Preliminary

estimates from an australian national survey. Social Indicators Research, 47(2), 233-243. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/docview/197667607?accountid=13360

·         Headey, B., Na, F., & Zheng, R. (2008). Pet dogs benefit owners' health: A 'natural

experiment' in china. Social Indicators Research, 87(3), 481-493. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/10.1007/s11205-007-9142-2

·         Utz, R. L. (2014). Walking the dog: The effect of pet ownership on human health and

health behaviors. Social Indicators Research, 116(2), 327-339.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.lib.purdue.edu/10.1007/s11205-013-0299-6