Abstract
Simple SummaryRelationships 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.Pets may be a positive presence for their owners during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, it is pertinent to identify the hardships associated with pet ownership. We conducted a large-scale survey of U.S. pet owners (n = 2254) in spring and summer 2020 to assess the ways that relationships with pets impacted life during COVID-19. We used thematic analysis to analyze 3671 open-ended responses to three prompts. Reported concerns fell into three major categories: (1) pet-focused (meeting needs of pets; procuring supplies; accessing veterinary care; new and emerging behavioral issues; fate of the pet if owner becomes ill; general safety and well-being), (2) human-focused (issues with working from home; well-being and mental health; balancing responsibilities), and (3) household-focused (disease spread; economic issues). Quantitative analyses showed that the owner’s strength of attachment to their pet, economic resources, and relationship status were associated with the types of concerns expressed. Results from this study indicate that pet owners experienced unique hardships related to changes in everyday life from the COVID-19 pandemic. These hardships should be considered alongside the potential benefits found in other studies in order to manage pet owner expectations, prevent pet relinquishment, and more fully understand multifaceted human-companion animal relationships.
Highlights
Pet ownership is very popular in the United States: recent estimates show that over 60% of U.S.households have at least one pet [1]
News outlets reported a growing popularity in pet adoptions and purchases in late spring and early summer 2020, as the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic spread across the U.S and stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders were temporarily issued across most states [2]
Criticisms of the biased media reporting of research pertaining to the impact of pet ownership on human health and well-being, during the COVID-19 pandemic, point out the danger of setting pet owners up for failure and disappointment, increasing the risk of shelter relinquishment [3]
Summary
Pet ownership is very popular in the United States: recent estimates show that over 60% of U.S.households have at least one pet [1]. New pet owners may have underestimated the amount of work required to care for a pet or could have unrealistic expectations for their health and well-being benefits. Those who already had pets found themselves spending increased time with them while working from home or due to loss of employment. Both new and continuing pet owners may have unmet expectations for their pets to mitigate loneliness and fulfill the social needs usually met by other people. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic may compromise the human-animal relationship and could instigate or accelerate other issues
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