Benefits of Being a Pet Owner

Canada is home to approximately 5.9 million dogs and 7.9 million cats, with 35% of households owning a dog, and 38% owning a cat (CVMA, 2011). A pet comes with a mountain of responsibilities and expenses, so why do so many people own one? Well, other than the obvious reason of companionship, studies show that owning a pet leads to numerous mental and physical health benefits.

Growing up with a pet can reduce the chances of developing a pet allergy and strengthen the immune system. A study by Clinical and Experimental Allergy focused on the correlation between allergic sensitization and pet ownership. Out of the 566 participants, the children who had an indoor cat as an infant were about 50% less likely to develop a cat allergy than those who didn’t (Warner, 2011). Having a pet in the household during infancy provides other health benefits as well. Finnish researchers followed 397 children from conception to one year after birth. Results showed that infants who were exposed to dogs had fewer respiratory illnesses, lower chances of developing an ear infection, and required fewer antibiotics than children who were not (Carollo, 2012).

In addition to health benefits, growing up with a pet helps children learn responsibility and empathy. A pet can also bolster a child’s self esteem and even spur cognitive development. According to the Pet Health Council, children are “often more confident in performing tasks they find difficult with an animal simply because the animal does not care if mistakes are made, nor will the child be afraid of looking silly in front of the animal” (Long, 2017). A 2011 study also showed that second graders who read aloud to their dog improved faster than those who read aloud to a parent or other adult (Long, 2017).

Personally, I didn’t grow up with my dog. My family adopted mine over summer vacation when I was in sixth grade. But I do remember spending hours with her, watching her try to eat tissues while I spoke about my day. To eleven year old me, my dog was like the sibling I never had. Verbalizing everything that upset me really helped me cope with the stress of changing schools every other year.

However, the benefits of owning a pet don’t stop at childhood. According to research conducted by Miami University, adult pet owners “exhibited greater self-esteem, were more physically fit, were less lonely, were more conscientious, were more socially outgoing, and had healthier relationship styles than non owners” (McConnell, 2011). In fact, 74% of pet owners claimed that their mental health improved due to owning a pet (Feldman, 2017). A pet can impact their owner’s mental health in countless positive ways. For instance, companion animals can help alleviate stress after just a few minutes of interaction, decreasing cortisol levels and causing a spike in oxytocin levels (Grimm, 2015). Owning a pet has also been proven to help people fight depression. According to an analysis of 17 academic studies,“having a pet helped the people to keep a strong sense of identity, self-worth, and existential meaning” (Sandoiu, 2018). For instance, one pet owner said, "when I was so depressed, I was kind of suicidal. [...] The thing that made me stop was wondering what the rabbits would do. That was the first thing I thought of and I thought, oh yeah, I can't leave because the rabbits need me” (Sandoiu, 2018). Companion animals are capable of improving their owners’ physical health as well. For example, owning a dog increases physical activity by approximately 69%, and “dog owners are 34 percent more likely to fit in 150 minutes of walking per week than non-dog owners” (Marcheggiani, n.d.). Another health benefit to owning a pet--not just a dog--is that pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and a generally healthier cardiovascular system (Sturt, n.d.).

Overall, my dog has positively impacted my life in so many ways: listening to my problems even though she doesn’t understand a single word, making me run by stealing my socks in the morning, and putting a smile on my face by getting stuck on the kitchen counters. Though I’ve listed a bunch of statistics in my article, the biggest benefit of pet ownership cannot be pinpointed through studies or explained with numbers. A companion animal can provide you with so many precious memories-- all of which are unique to you and your pet.