The Heart Healing Power of the Human-Animal Bond

A healthy heart is important for people of all ages, and a significant body of research shows that pet ownership can play a role in supporting a healthy lifestyle and good heart health. February is Heart Health Month, and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is sharing some of the key scientific evidence behind the cardiovascular health benefits of the human-animal bond.

Any dog owner can tell you that their dog knows when it’s time for a walk. Researchers have studied the role of pets to encourage exercise and found that people who walk their dog regularly have lower average rates of obesity compared to people who don’t walk dogs[i]. New dog owners also report that their dogs provide strong motivation and social support which encourages them to walk more often. Researchers theorize that, in addition to dogs providing an increased opportunity to go on walks, the social support dogs provide can motivate people to maintain lasting changes in their routine and shed weight[ii].

Pets can also help manage stress[iii] and boost happiness[iv], which is considered integral to the recovery process following a cardiac event such as a heart attack[v] and can even prevent heart problems from occurring in the first place. Pooling the data of over 3.8 million participants, a systematic review of studies found dog ownership was associated with a 24% risk reduction for all-cause mortality as compared to non-ownership. In analyses of studies evaluating cardiovascular mortality, dog ownership conferred a 31% risk reduction for cardiovascular death[vi]. It’s not just dogs that can protect our hearts. A similar decreased risk for death due to heart attack and stroke was also observed among cat owners[vii]. 

This Heart Health Month, I encourage you to talk to your staff, clients and customers about this research and remember that your work is important to helping people enjoy long, healthy lives with their pets. In providing the essential products, services and information pet owners need to care for their pets, the pet care community is playing an integral role in supporting the human-animal bond and the health of pets and their owners.

[i] Coleman, K. J., Rosenberg, D. E., Conway, T. L., Sallis, J. F., Saelens, B. E., Frank, L. D., & Cain, K. (2008). Physical activity, weight status, and neighborhood characteristics of dog walkers. Preventive medicine, 47(3), 309-312.

[ii] Cutt, H. E., Giles‐Corti, B., Wood, L. J., Knuiman, M. W., & Burke, V. (2008). Barriers and motivators for owners walking their dog: results from qualitative research. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 19(2), 118-124.

[iii] Siegel, J. M. (1990). Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: the moderating role of pet ownership. Journal of personality and social psychology, 58(6), 1081.

[iv] Kalenkoski, C. M., & Korankye, T. (2021). Enriching lives: how spending time with pets is related to the experiential well-being of older Americans. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1-22.

[v] Balady, G. J., Williams, M. A., Ades, P. A., Bittner, V., Comoss, P., Foody, J. M., ... & Southard, D. (2007). Core components of cardiac rehabilitation/secondary prevention programs: 2007 update: A scientific statement from the american heart association exercise, cardiac rehabilitation, and prevention committee, the council on clinical cardiology; the councils on cardiovascular nursing, epidemiology and prevention, and nutrition, physical activity, and metabolism; and the american association of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation. Circulation, 115(20), 2675-2682.

[vi] Kramer, C. K., Mehmood, S., & Suen, R. S. (2019). Dog ownership and survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 12(10), e005554.

[vii] Qureshi, A. I., Memon, M. Z., Vazquez, G., & Suri, M. F. K. (2009). Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study. Journal of vascular and interventional neurology, 2(1), 132.