Did pets improve owners’ well-being during the pandemic?

Research found that pet ownership was not reliably associated with well-being. Photo: AFP

Many households adopted or bought a pet during the Covid-19 pandemic to help counter loneliness and isolation. While the benefits of interaction with dogs, cats and other small companions are well known, US researchers claim that people who interacted with an animal during the pandemic were no happier than others.

Researchers at Michigan State University came to this conclusion after assessing the well-being of 767 volunteers on three occasions in May 2020. They took into account various indicators of well-being and asked study participants to reflect on the role pets play in their lives. Most of those questioned said that animals contributed to their happiness, providing affection and companionship. They also helped them to feel more positive emotions, the respondents said.