People and Pets... Better Together!
Donate Now

The Human-Animal Bond

Timeline
14,000 years ago:
According to archaeological evidence, domestic wolves (ancestors of dogs) began to live in settlements with humans.
9,000 years ago:
  • Both dogs and cats assisted in developing agricultural communities. Dogs assisted in herding and farming, cats eliminated rodents that brought diseases.
5,000 years ago:
  • Ancient Egyptians treated both dogs and cats with respect. Cats were honored and worshiped. Dogs were considered loyal companions and guides in the afterlife.
1,500 years ago:
  • In pre-Columbian Peru, the Chiribaya people were buried alongside their dogs.
1,000 years ago:
  • St. Francis of Assisi named patron saint of the animals. Begins annual tradition of “Blessing of the Pets” at the door of Catholic churches around the world.
700 years ago:
  • Cats praised for their role in destroying rats that carried the Black Plague.
300 years ago:
  • Japanese Royal Family kept dogs and other pets in their private residents to help warn them of intruders and to warm them in winter. The Emperor’s Samurai warriors were also to keep a breed similar to the modern-day Akita.
150 years ago:
  • Queen Victoria begins and popularizes modern “proper breeding” practices, and family pets became central to family life across Europe and the United States.
Today:
  • 74 millions American households have one or more pets. Americans spent $58 billion in 2014 on their 397 million pets.

The significance of the human-animal
bond can be traced back thousands of
years, across cultures, and is still being
studied in research conducted today.

Patients with AIDS reported that their pets provided
companionship and support, reduced stress, and
provided a sense of purpose.

Patients with AIDS reported that cats were an important
part of a support system to prevent loneliness.

Patients with AIDS who owned pets, especially those
with few confidants, reported less depression and other
benefits compared to those who did not have pets.
In bereaved elderly subjects with few social confidants,
pet ownership and strong attachment were associated
with less depression.

Recently widowed women who owned pets experienced
significantly fewer symptoms of physical and psychological
disease and reported lower medication use than
widows who did not own pets.

Elderly dog owners require fewer doctor visits
per year compared to non-owners.

Elderly people with pets experience decreased pulse rate,
increased skin temperature, and decreased muscle tension.
"We can no longer ignore the medical significance of the bond
people have with their pets. Our pets create a balance between our minds and our bodies.”
- Dr. Edward Creagan, Mayo Clinic