Having pets 'improves strength of local community'

Owning a pet can be a complete joy but it seems as though it’s not just the dog or cat owner that benefits from their furry friends.

In fact, a recent study has found that pets can help build the strength of local communities, developing trust and social support between neighbours and the wider neighbourhood.

A survey of four cities – San Diego, Nashville and Portland in the United States and Perth in Australia – looked into the relationship between pets and ‘social capital’.

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It found that this social capital was not simply confined to dog owners who interact with each other while out walking their animals, but to owners of other pets as well.

The study claimed dog owners were five times more likely to have got to know their neighbours, while pets in general acted as a “social lubricant” that are owned and loved by people across the age, race and class divide.

The researchers note: “This suggests companion animals can be a catalyst for several dimensions of human social relationships in neighbourhood settings, ranging from incidental social interaction and getting to know people, through to formation of new friendships. For many pet owners, their pets also facilitated relationships from which they derived tangible forms of social support, both of a practical and emotionally supportive nature.

“Given growing evidence for social isolation as a risk factor for mental health, and, conversely, friendships and social support as protective factors for individual and community well-being, pets may be an important factor in developing healthy neighbourhoods

And the fact they’re so cuddly and cute also helps.

Top pic: Rex