Canine companionship as a resilience factor: a quantitative inquiry into the impact of pet ownership on burnout mitigation among radiologists and radiographers.

Background: The demanding nature of diagnostic imaging, coupled with the increasing workload and exposure to high-stress scenarios, underscores the pressing concern of burnout among radiologists and radiographers in modern healthcare settings. The objective was to investigate the interplay between family characteristics, workplace characteristics, pet ownership, and the occurrence of burnout. Methods: An online, quantitative, cross-sectional study with a non-random, purposive sampling method was carried out among Hungarian radiologists and radiographers from 1st of September to 1st of November 2022. Results: We examined the results of 406 responses predominantly from females (79.8%, n = 324), including 70.7% radiographers (n = 287). Cronbach's alpha values for depersonalization (DP), emotional exhaustion (EE), and personal accomplishment (PA) were 0.74, 0.88, and 0.85, respectively. Average burnout scores were 8.35 (SD = 6.62) for DP, 26.26 (SD = 12.74) for EE, and 32.86 (SD = 9.52) for PA. DP demonstrated a balanced distribution (low: 35.7%, moderate: 27.3%, high: 36.9%). Conversely, EE and PA skewed towards high levels, with 52.5% (n = 213) and 49.5% (n = 201). Significant associations were found between gender and DP (p = 0.006), age (31-40 years) and DP/PA (p < 0.001; p = 0.004), absence of children and all burnout dimensions (p < 0.05), and pet ownership (p = 0.004) with lower EE, particularly for dog owners (p = 0.009). Occupation lacked a significant effect on burnout dimensions (p > 0.05). Employees without a second job had higher EE (p = 0.002) and lower PA (p = 0.008). Increasing healthcare experience correlated with decreased DP values (p = 0.001), while working over 40 h weekly negatively impacted all burnout dimensions (p ≤ 0.05). 15.5% (n = 63) exhibited signs of high burnout, with the age group 31-40 demonstrating the highest proportion (25.4%, n = 27) and significant associations with marital status, absence of children, pet ownership, private healthcare, 10-19 years in healthcare, and working over 40 h weekly. Conclusions: There is a pressing need for evidence-based strategies to alleviate burnout among radiologists and radiographers. There is a growing importance of recognizing the role of pets, especially dogs, as valuable companions for emotional support and stress relief. Implementing pet-friendly policies or therapy programs can contribute to a positive and supportive workplace, potentially mitigating burnout among essential frontline healthcare professionals.

Culturally Responsive Care in Veterinary Medicine.

This article examines how culturally responsive care can enhance veterinary medicine by focusing on the interpersonal relationships between veterinarians, their teams, and pet owners. It begins by exploring the historical context of trust within veterinary practice and addresses stereotypes in pet ownership demographics, reinforcing the universal human-animal bond. The article outlines the components of culturally responsive care, noting the scarcity of research in veterinary settings and drawing extensively on the substantial research from human medicine, particularly nursing. It redefines veterinarians as trusted caregivers and details the benefits of culturally responsive care, advocating for more inclusive practices to inspire a more empathetic and culturally competent veterinary community.

Animal-assisted intervention for geriatric well-being: A comprehensive review.

Background: In recent years, the size of geriatric population seems to have grown larger than that of younger children and is expected to grow even larger in few years from now. As older individuals are more vulnerable to health concerns and loneliness, it is necessary to focus on providing them opportunities for healthy ageing. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has emerged as one of the simple yet effective approach to enhance physical, psychological, and social well-being in older adults. Methods: This review article presents collective information from various experiments on AAT's effectiveness in promoting healthy ageing. Results: The physiological impacts of AAT, on cardiovascular health, mobility, and day to day activities have been discussed. The psychological benefits of AAT, such as improvement of mood, cognition, and alleviation of anxiety, loneliness, and depression, are explored. This review also presents the possible mechanisms underlying the effective-ness of AAT, such as release of oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins, which contribute to emotional well-being along with reduction of stress. The human-animal bond established during AAT sessions is discussed as a significant factor in promoting positive outcomes. Challenges faced and limitations involved in employing therapy animals within ageing populations are also discussed. Conclusions: Avenues for future research and potential applications of AAT in diverse healthcare settings are proposed, emphasizing the need for further empirical investigation to fully elucidate the mechanisms and benefits of AAT for healthy ageing. Through this comprehensive review, we aim to highlight the potential of AAT as a holistic intervention to enhance the well-being of older adults, providing valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, researchers, and policymakers invested in promoting healthy ageing strategies.

Socio-economic evaluation of human-dog coexistence: A 40,000 years history.

The human-animal relationship and its benefits have been a popular issue in recent decades. This study focuses on the dog as a paradigmatic example of this complex bond. The relationship between human and dog evolved over thousands of years through the domestication process. During this period, climatic, cultural, geographical and social changes have had a direct impact on this bond. Dogs have a remarkable capacity to play a variety of roles that mirror the evolution of human societies. Subsequently, questions arise regarding the important and symbolic roles that canines played in ancient cultures, religions and mythological traditions. Specifically, how have these roles changed through history? This research aimed to explore the socio-economic aspects of the human-dog relationship, spanning from ancient civilizations to modern societies. Through a systematic search methodology, this investigation seeks to provide insights into the dynamics of the complex human-dog relationship, including historical backgrounds, socio-cultural dynamics, economic implications and associated challenges. Additionally, the present study addresses the environmental concerns that emerge alongside rising stray dog populations. This research emphasizes the importance of strategies to balance the benefits of this coexistence that promote human and animal welfare.

Exploring frailty in apparently healthy senior dogs: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: As dogs age, they face various health challenges, and preventive care may be overlooked, impacting their quality of life. Frailty, a concept established in human medicine, has recently been applied to dogs using validated tools like the frailty index and frailty phenotype. This study aims to characterize frailty in senior pet dogs and investigate associated factors. To achieve this goal, 88 apparently healthy dogs, as reported by their owners, voluntarily participated in thorough consultations. These consultations included supplementary examinations such as urinary analyses, hematological assessments, and blood biochemistry. Additionally, owners completed questionnaires addressing their dog's overall health, cognitive and locomotor status, as well as their own attachment to the dog and personality traits. Subsequently, each dog was classified as robust or frail based on the presence of multiple criteria out of a set of five. All collected data underwent preliminary screening by a multiple factorial analysis, followed by binomial logistic regression to model frailty. RESULTS: The final population consisted of 74 dogs, with a frailty prevalence of 41.9% (95% CI: 30.5 - 53.9). In the statistical analysis, older age of the dog, lower owner attachment score, lack of regular deworming, and a disparity in extraversion between owner and dog were identified as contributing factors to frailty. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the importance of regular deworming and strong owner-pet attachment in reducing frailty in dogs. It underscores the significance of proactive pet care and highlights the complex relationship between owner-dog personalities and canine frailty. This research advocates for a holistic approach that considers both human and canine traits to promote better health outcomes.

Influences of Animal-Assisted Intervention With Canine and Feline Pen Pals on Experiences of Living With Cancer and Blood Disorders in Children and Adolescents.

Background: Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) involving live visits with canines shows strong promise to improve quality of life (QOL) in hospitalized youth with cancer or blood disorders. The emerging field of virtual AAI allows access to AAI regardless of setting and extends to children at home. Youth and Pet Survivors™ (YAPS) is a novel form of virtual AAI with dog and cat pen pals who share a diagnosis of cancer or serious illness. Little is known about how exchanging letters with animals with a shared diagnosis influences perceived QOL, and how the human-animal bond (HAB) is expressed in letter narratives. Method: A thematic narrative analysis approach was used to analyze a secondary dataset consisting of letters and interviews from children in YAPS. The research team designed a conceptual framework to guide the analysis, integrating concepts of perceived QOL, the HAB, and emotional social support. Results: Collectively, the letter and interview texts illustrated cocreated stories of the HAB. Themes included the virtual HAB as a mirror, constructing identity in the context of the HAB, expressions of the mutuality of the HAB, happiness with having a pen pal, illness story, and connection to normalcy. Answers to research questions operationalize the influence of virtual AAI. Discussion: Having an animal pen pal improved perceived QOL and was a potent source of emotional social support across the illness trajectory, supporting YAPS as a nurse-led intervention for facilitating adjustment to illness. This study adds a conceptual framework and scientific evidence to the emerging field of virtual AAI.

Companion animals and child development outcomes: longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of a UK birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Research into the impact of social relationships on childhood and adolescent health and wellbeing has been largely limited to children's relationships with other humans, while studies into the impact of pet ownership are sparse and have generally not adjusted for potential confounders. This study aimed to investigate the association between pet ownership and a range of developmental outcomes in childhood and adolescence. METHODS: Data were self-reports and direct assessments of approx. 14,000 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Multivariable regression models adjusting for confounding factors examined associations between developmental outcome measures (emotional health, behavioural development, cognitive development, language development, educational attainment) and concurrent pet ownership, including species, and also longitudinal pet ownership history and pet-interaction where possible. Analyses model numbers using multiple imputation varied from n = 393-8963. RESULTS: In cross-sectional analyses, owning a dog (b = 0.24, [0.06-0.41], p = .004) and owning other/miscellaneous pets (b = 0.18, [0.03-0.33], p = .021) at age 3 were associated with higher prosocial behaviour score. Owning a pet was associated with a higher non-verbal communication score at age 2 (cross-sectional, b = 0.18, [0.04-0.32], p = .014), and a higher language development score at age 5 (cross-sectional, b = 1.01, [0.18-1.83], p = .017). However, pet ownership was associated with lower educational attainment across a number of academic subjects and timepoints, in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. It was also cross-sectionally linked to hyperactivity at age 3 and conduct problems at age 3 and 11. Furthermore, at age 8, cross-sectional analysis showed that children who owned any pets (OR [95% CI]: 0.85 [0.73-0.98], p= ·026) or cats (0.83, [0.73-0.95], p= ·006) had lower odds of high self-esteem (scholastic competence). CONCLUSIONS: Using a large, well-designed longitudinal study and adjusting for key confounders, we found little evidence of cross-sectional or longitudinal associations between pet ownership and emotional health or cognitive outcomes in children. There may, however, be some cross-sectional and longitudinal association with poorer educational attainment and a positive impact on social interactions as seen through associations with enhanced language development and prosocial behaviour. This study demonstrates the importance of adjustment for confounding variables and suggests that, contrary to popular belief, positive impacts of pet ownership on childhood development may be mainly limited to social behaviour and language development.

Animal companionship and psycho-social well-being: Findings from a national study of community-dwelling aging Canadians.

A growing body of evidence has provided support for the beneficial impact of human-animal interactions on a range of biological, social, and psychological outcomes for humans; however, less is conclusively known about the association between animal companionship and psycho-social health specifically among aging populations. In this study, we assessed the association between animal companionship and psycho-social well-being in a large sample (N = 30,865) of community dwelling Canadians aged 45 and older. Using cross-sectional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Healthy Aging, we conducted hierarchical multiple regression to assess the relationship between animal companionship and four domains of psycho-social well-being (satisfaction with life, loneliness, depression, and levels of social support) after controlling for socio-demographic factors and psycho-social measures. Results indicate that those with animal companionship report significantly higher levels of social support than aging Canadians without animal companionship; however, animal companionship was also associated with significantly lower levels of life satisfaction and higher levels of both loneliness and depression. These findings complicate the existing literature on human-animal interactions by suggesting the benefits associated with animal companionship may vary across distinct domains of psycho-social health. As such, results from this study highlight the need for more nuanced model specifications when assessing the relationship between animal companionship and psycho-social well-being. Implications of these findings for the provision of social services to older adults with pets are provided.

Human-animal interaction and One Health: establishment and validation of the Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale.

OBJECTIVE: To design and validate a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale, based on the existing Portuguese version. METHODS: Content validity assessment was performed by expert judges, and the adapted scale was administered to a sample of 386 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. RESULTS: The bifactorial profile of the scale remained consistent, comprising Empathic Concern for Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.75) and Emotional Attachment with Animals (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients: 0.79). Considering the One Health framework, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral approaches are essential for achieving optimal health conditions for people, animals, and the environment given their intricate interconnections. Empathy plays a crucial role in promoting proximity between humans and animals, fostering positive connections that encourage biodiversity conservation. CONCLUSION: The 13 statements were retained, confirming the validity of the animal empathy scale for use in Brazil, and a Brazilian version of the Animal Empathy Scale was established.

Dogs distinguish authentic human emotions without being empathic.

Several recent studies have investigated how dogs perceive human emotional expressions. They have measured the reactions of dogs when exposed to stimuli presented in different modalities, such as photographs, audio recordings or odor samples, or to humans simulating various emotional situations. In the current study, dog owners were manipulated to genuinely experience emotions of happiness, sadness, and neutrality. We measured how dogs responded to their owners' authentic emotions in two different natural situations: induction of the emotion through a video clip and training of a new task. Through a detailed analysis of dog behavior in these naturalistic settings, we investigated whether dogs show behavioral responses to genuine human emotions. We found that dogs behaved differently depending on the owner's emotional state: they gazed and jumped less at owners when they were sad, and their compliance with the 'sit' command was also diminished. When owners were happy, dogs performed better in the trained task. These results are discussed in light of how dogs perceive human emotional expressions and the adaptive value of this skill.

The Effects of Pets in Cancer Care: A Case Study.

Humans can form an intense bond with their pets through shared love, attachment, and amusement. Through this case study, nurses can develop an increased understanding of how companion pets affect the quality of life of patie.

Pet dogs succeed where human companions fail: The presence of pet dogs reduces pain.

Social support from family and friends, albeit associated with beneficial health effects, does not always help to cope with pain. This may be because humans elicit mixed expectations of social support and evaluative judgment. The present studies aimed to test whether pet dogs are a more beneficial source of support in a painful situation than human companions because they are not evaluative. For this, 74 (Study 1) and 50 (Study 2) women completed a cold-pressor task in the presence of either their own (S1) or an unfamiliar (S2) dog, a friend (S1), or an unknown human companion (S2), or alone. In both studies, participants reported less pain and exhibited less pain behavior in the presence of dogs compared to human companions. Reactions to pain were moderated by attitudes towards dogs in S2. This suggests that pet dogs may help individuals to cope with painful situations, especially if the individual in pain generally feels affectionate towards dogs.

Effects of human-animal interaction on salivary and urinary oxytocin in children and dogs.

Oxytocin pathways are hypothesized to play important roles in human-animal interactions and may contribute to some benefits of these interspecific social relationships. We explored the effects of naturalistic interactions between children and dogs on oxytocin release in both species, as well as associations between methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm), social behavior, and oxytocin response in this context. Children (N = 55) participated in a within-subjects design involving a) interaction with their pet dog, b) interaction with an unfamiliar dog, and c) a nonsocial control condition (solitary play). We used immunoassays to measure salivary and urinary oxytocin in both the children and dogs, behavioral coding to characterize dog-child interactions, and bisulfite sequencing to quantify methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (N = 32 children). Child salivary oxytocin decreased moderately across time in all conditions, but the extent of this effect varied between conditions, with greater oxytocin output during interactions with dogs than the control condition. In the pet dog condition, children's salivary oxytocin response was positively associated with the duration of visual co-orientation between the child and dog. Child urinary oxytocin did not deviate substantially from baseline in any condition. Children with higher levels of OXTRm had greater oxytocin output during interactions with their pet dogs, but lower oxytocin output in the control condition, and engaged in lower levels of affectionate interaction with dogs across conditions. Children's pet dogs exhibited increases in salivary oxytocin, but we observed the opposite pattern in the unfamiliar dog, who exhibited decreases in both urinary and salivary oxytocin on average. Collectively, our results support the hypothesis that oxytocin pathways may shape and respond to social interactions between children and dogs, highlighting an important role for companion animals in child development.

Guardians' perceptions of the benefits of dogs in family dynamics during the pandemic. / Perceções dos tutores sobre o papel do cão na dinâmica familiar durante a pandemia.

During the pandemic, there were a lot of lockdowns that brought changes to the population's daily routine, reducing social interactions, changing work and study methods, isolating the family at their home, which brought changes to family dynamics. These changes sparked the interest of nursing students in carrying out a research study. Starting from the question: What is the role of the dog in the family dynamics in times of pandemic? and the objective: identify the guardians' perceptions about the role of the dog in the family dynamics in a period of confinement, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study was carried out, collecting data through a focus group with six guardians from different families. Bardin's protocol was used to analyze and process the data. Three categories emerged in this study, highlighting the benefits in terms of mental health, physical and psychological well-being of the family with the presence of the dog, its importance in strengthening family ties and the lessons learned from adopting the dogs. We conclude that, in nursing, it is necessary to highlight the presence of the dog in the family since it brings benefits to its dynamics.

Com o confinamento imposto pelo SARS-CoV-2, houve mudanças na dinâmica familiar. Para os estudantes de enfermagem este foi um assunto que gerou interesse em investigar. Partindo da questão: Qual o papel do cão na dinâmica familiar em tempo de pandemia? e do objetivo: identificar as perceções dos tutores sobre o papel do cão na dinâmica familiar num período de confinamento, enveredámos por um estudo qualitativo, descritivo, com recurso a focus group e amostra de seis membros de famílias diferentes. O tratamento e análise de dados seguiu o protocolo de Bardin. Identificámos que a existência de cão numa família influencia a sua dinâmica através dos benefícios obtidos quer a nível da saúde mental e bem-estar psicológico, quer a nível da saúde física. Igualmente, destacaram-se vantagens, apesar de algumas desvantagens. O vínculo afetivo entre cão e família, advém da reflexão sobre legislação portuguesa, proteção dos direitos dos animais, responsabilidades dos tutores e configuração familiar. Concluímos que na enfermagem, é necessário relevar a presença do cão na família uma vez que traz benefícios para a sua dinâmica. Esta torna-se uma visão inovadora quando pretendemos contribuir para a manutenção da saúde familiar focada nas necessidades de cada indivíduo, família e comunidade.

Brain and heart activity during interactions with pet dogs: A portable electroencephalogram and heart rate variability study.

Dog ownership has been linked to numerous benefits to human health and wellbeing. However, due to the lack of previous research on changes to brain activity during interactions with pet dogs, the underlying psychophysiological mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine changes in heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and electroencephalogram (EEG) power during interactions between dog owners and their pet dog. Fifty healthy adult dog owners completed baseline psychological measures and pet attachment scales. Subjective units of relaxation (SUR) as well as continuous EEG, HR, and HRV via portable devices were measured during five experimental conditions (baseline resting, relaxation-induction exercise, patting a toy dog, real dog present, and patting a real dog) in participants' homes. SUR was higher in all experimental conditions than at baseline. SUR was also higher during dog interaction than when the dog was present with no interaction. However, SUR during dog interaction was not significantly different from the toy dog and relaxation induction condition. Higher delta, theta, alpha, beta power and HR were found during dog interaction than all other conditions. Higher HRV was found during dog interaction compared to baseline, patting a toy dog, and relaxation-induction exercise, but not significantly different from the real dog present only condition. Lastly, overall HR correlated with psychological measures. Overall, the results show that there are significant changes in brain and heart activity when humans interact with pet dogs, consistent with increases in relaxation and focussed attention. These findings are relevant to understanding the potential mechanisms for health benefits associated with pets.

Pet Attachment and Anxiety and Depression in Middle-Aged and Older Women.

Importance: Understanding how attachment to pets can alleviate depression and anxiety offers valuable insights for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies, particularly for those with insecure attachment styles from childhood trauma. Objective: To determine if a close bond with a pet is associated with reduced depression and anxiety, especially among women who experienced childhood abuse. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study involved women who voluntarily enrolled in the Mind Body Study (MBS), a substudy of the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS2) focusing on psychosocial factors. Women reporting childhood abuse were oversampled to capture their psychosocial distress in adulthood. MBS participants were invited to complete comprehensive online questionnaires, which were administered twice (March 2013 and February 2014). Exposure: Pet attachment measured by Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). Main Outcomes and Measures: Levels of depression and anxiety (10-item Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale [CESD-10]; Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K6]; 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale [GAD-7]; Crown Crisp Experiential Index phobic anxiety subscale [CCI]), considered individually and combined into an overall z-score measure of anxiety and depression symptoms. Results: A total of 214 women (mean [SD] age, 60.8 [3.9] years) were included; 156 women (72.6%) reported a history of childhood abuse. Of 688 invited MBS participants in 2013, 293 (42.6%) expressed interest; there were 228 completed questionnaires (response rate, 77.8%) in 2013 and 208 questionnaires (response rate, 71.0%) in 2014. LAPS scores were provided by 140 participants (65.4%), 78 (55.7%) for dogs and 46 (32.9%) for cats. Overall higher pet attachment on the LAPS score was significantly associated with lower GAD-7 scores (ß = -0.17; 95% CI, -0.29 to -0.06), but there was no association for phobic anxiety or depression. There were no statistically significant associations between cat attachment and depression or anxiety. Higher dog attachment was associated with significantly lower scores in depression (CESD-10: ß, -0.47; 95% CI, -0.68 to -0.26; K6: ß = -0.42; 95% CI, -0.54 to -0.31), generalized anxiety (GAD-7: ß = -0.47; 95% CI, -0.65 to -0.3), and the overall measure of anxiety and depression (z score: ß = -0.12; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.08), but there was no association between dog attachment and phobic anxiety (CCI: ß = -0.08; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.09). All effect sizes for associations were higher when analyses were restricted to women with a history of childhood abuse. Conclusions and relevance: In this explorative cross-sectional study, strong attachment to pets, especially dogs, was associated with lower anxiety and depression symptoms. The favorable association was particularly apparent in women with a history of childhood abuse.

Pet your cat, walk your dog: The spillover effects of morning quality time with pets on outcomes during and after the workday.

For decades, psychologists have explored dynamics within the realm of human-animal interaction. Organizational psychologists are no different; research has found that exchanges with pets and other animals have the potential to influence important work outcomes, such as performance, well-being, and satisfaction. Relatively little is understood, however, regarding the potential spillover effects of human-animal interaction from the non-work to work context. To address this gap in the literature, the present research-synthesising Broaden and Build Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory-explores the daily spillover effects of morning quality time with pets on affective, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes for employees, both during and after the workday. It is also suggested that openness to experience may act as a cross-level moderator for these daily relationships. An occupationally heterogenous daily diary sample of employed pet owners from the United Kingdom (NLevel 1 = 405, NLevel 2 = 81) was used to test these relationships. Using a mixed effects modelling approach, it was revealed that morning quality time with pets was associated with reduced Negative Affect (NA) during the workday, and reduced incivility and withdrawal upon returning home from work. Moreover, higher levels of trait openness to experience strengthened the negative relationships between daily morning quality time with pets and daily workday NA and afterwork incivility. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

A comparative evaluation of the role of olfaction in attachment.

Olfactory information plays an important role in the attachment and bonding processes for both humans and non-human animals. Odor cues obtained via individual body odor facilitate attachment and bonding processes across species with regard to both mate selection and mother-infant bonding. The purpose of the present paper is to summarize the role of odor as it pertains to bond formation and maintenance in the mother-infant bond for human infants and non-human animal infants, and for mate selection among human adults and non-human animals. We then synthesize this summary with literature on attachment and existing evidence for the relationships between olfaction and attachment processes. Finally, we suggest avenues for areas of future research.

Pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings based on the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)".

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. METHODS/DESIGN: Data from the "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study were used, a large, nationwide representative study covering both individuals living at home and individuals in nursing homes aged 80 years and above (n = 2867 individuals). The telephone interviews were conducted from May to October 2021. Established tools (e.g., "Short Form of the Depression in Old Age Scale", DIA-S4) were used to quantify the outcomes. Five groups were generated: (1) no pet ownership, (2) having at least one dog (but no other pets), (3) having at least one cat (but no other pets), (4) having at least one other pet (but neither dogs nor cats), (5) having at least two different types of pets (in any combination). RESULTS: Multiple linear regressions showed that compared to individuals without a pet, individuals having at least one dog had significantly lower loneliness levels (ß = -0.21, p < 0.01). In the fully-adjusted models, other forms of pet ownership were not significantly associated with the outcomes examined. CONCLUSION: Particularly living with a dog was associated with lower loneliness among the oldest old people in Germany. If living with a dog is in line with the preferences and attitudes of the very old, this could be a strategy for reducing loneliness in this age group.

An incredible journey from veterinary nursing to human-animal bond researcher.

Sandra McCune volunteered at her local animal shelter aged 13 and, fascinated by dog and cat behaviour, she went on to become an RVN and then a leading researcher in the field of human-animal interactions.