Benefits of pets in improving human health and social cohesion

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The health and social benefits
of the human-animal bond
Dr. Sandra McCune
Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
SCAS conference 2018
Pets in Housing:
Promoting Health and Wellbeing
17th March

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way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016
WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition
Providing fundamental pet science

3. People & Pets: An enduring and important relationship…
10,000 years ago
• 7.5 M cats
• 8.5 M dogsUK
• 60+ M cats
• 66+ M dogsEU
• 2/3 of all homes
include a petUS
Pompeii Mosaic 79 AD
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Incorporated. They may not in any way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by
Mars Inc. ©Mars 2015
1. Melson G. 2004 Why the wild things are: Animals in the lives of children. Harvard Univ Press

4. What is the Human-Animal Bond?
…a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and
other animals that is influenced by behaviours that are essential to the
health and well-being of both
– Definition of the Human-Companion
Animal Bond (HCAB) taken from the
American Veterinary Medical Association
(AVMA) 2006
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Incorporated. They may not in any way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by
Mars Inc. ©Mars 2015

5. The benefits of pets on human health and well-being
• Increasing evidence of health benefits
from pets in human studies of health
• Pet ownership comes with responsibilities
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way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016

6. Benefits of pets: Physical health & Mobility
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way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016

7. Pet owners experience
a
significant reduction in
minor health problems
Vs. non-pet owners
(Serpell, 2011)

8. Children are less likely
to suffer allergies,
asthma or eczema
If they are exposed to pets
at an early age
(Hesselmar 1999)

9. Benefits of pets: Social and emotional health
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10. Cat owners have fewer bad moods
Than those who don’t have pets (Turner et.al
2003)

11. Pet ownership
is associated
with lower
depression
Following spousal
bereavement
(Garrity et. Al
1989)

12. Reduced levels
of loneliness
and improved
mental
functioning in
older adults
When they have contact with
dogs
(Banks & Banks, 2002;
Kawamura et al., 2007)

13. Improved children’s
performance and
attention to the teacher
(Kotrschal et al. 2003; (Gee et al. 2007, 2009, 2010)

14. Economic Benefits of Pets
• Pet owners make about 15% fewer visits to the
doctor each year
• Estimated national health care savings
– Germany = €3 billion (2014)
– UK = £2.45 billion (2016)
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way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016

15. Individual Case study of economic benefit
Jackie Kennedy & Kingston
• Kingston carries out over 200 tasks
including epilepsy alerting and
detecting high or low blood sugar
• Recognised as Jackie’s Personal
Assistant and funded £3,000 per year
by local authority
• Estimated to have saved the NHS at
least £250,000 last year alone
Jackie’s story features on the
NHS England Website

16. Pet Friendly Cities promote health and connection
• WALTHAM studies show pet owners
– Make better neighbours
– Have stronger community connections
– Feel safer when walking with a dog
• Generate local economic benefits
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way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016

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Awarded November 2017

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What we did in Melton Mowbray

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Success so far
Data from Pet Friendly Town resident survey (pre and post campaign).
(Pre-Survey. 61 responses / Post-survey, 89 responses)

20. What next?
• Visit www.melton.gov.uk for
information on how to make
your town or city more pet
friendly
• If you would like to talk about
the role pets can play in
tackling loneliness, contact
kat.horrocks@effem.com’
This document and the information it contains are confidential and the property of Mars Incorporated. They may not in any
way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016

21. This document and the information it contains are confidential and the property of Mars Incorporated. They may not in any
way be disclosed, copied or used by anyone except when expressly authorised by Mars Inc. ©Mars 2016