There is ever-increasing interest in the study of human-animal relationships, a relatively new field called anthrozoology. There are many books concerned with this topic and generally they call attention to the incredibly important role that nonhuman animals ("animals") play in our lives, especially those with whom we share our homes. Now, a recent survey conducted in Canada shows that "Canadian pet owners would rather deal with their furry friends than other people ..."
Some facts from the survey are:
- 73 per cent believe pets can sniff out illness.
- Women more likely to confide in pets (33 per cent) than men (18 per cent).
- 44 per cent would bring their pets to a hotel if allowed.
- 86 per cent believe pets can help lift a bad mood.
- 82 per cent of retirees (65 plus) feel less alone in their home because of pets.
- 67 per cent believe their pets help to keep them active.
Yes, pets are good for us.
Shiri Joshua, a psychotherapist who studies human-animal relationships, notes that we can learn a lot from our companion animals including how to be "kinder as human beings towards one another." I agree. In my recent book The Animal Manifesto: Six Reasons For Expanding Our Compassion Footprint I noted that "compassion begets compassion" and that we can look not only to our companion animals but also to wild animals to learn about compassion, kindness, empathy, and cooperation, for those are the predominant ways in which they interact. It's really not a dog eat dog world and we can learn a lot by studying our "best friends" and their wild relatives (see also and and) and appreciating who they really are.
So, as the new year approaches, perhaps we can all agree to work hard to add compassion to the world and to expand our own compassion footprint and make this the century of compassion and era of global empathy. And we can begin by looking at our companion animals and many of the other incredible animals with whom we share land, water, and air.
