Pets can help us fight social isolation – and we’re helping them do just that

Last year, I wrote about a topic very close to my heart: how animals can help us connect with others and make a difference in our lives.  I am thrilled to have another chance to do so – and that is because today, researchers, veterinarians and experts in human and animal health are taking an important step in supporting the role companion animals can play in addressing one of our biggest societal challenges: social isolation.

It’s exciting to see leaders across so many different fields and organisations meeting up in Washington DC for the first-ever summit on this issue. With loneliness and social isolation figures on the rise, this event couldn’t be more timely.

One of the conversation triggers will be recent figures showing a general belief that animal interventions could be a real solution.

Research has also shown that animal interactions can benefit children’s development and can positively impact adults’ mental and physical health.  We’ve also seen how animal-assisted therapy can help children suffering from autism communicate better.  

But despite all this, there are still many hurdles to overcome, so that more people – especially our elderly, often struggling with loneliness and social isolation – have access to the benefits of animal-assisted interventions, or simply to a life with pets. The question everyone will be asking today is: How can we fundamentally shift our society so that we can make it easier and more efficient for those suffering from loneliness to interact with animals? Animal welfare is also a big part of the equation.

That’s why today is so important, and we’re honoured to have partnered with the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) on this journey. Discussing the best ways to integrate companion animals in schools, hospitals or other therapy settings is crucial to this entire effort. Spreading awareness of how powerful well-run animal-interaction programs can be, and sharing best practices with healthcare professionals are vital steps forward. Besides, we, as pet owners, can also get involved and speak up for our pets.

We also need research to advance, so both scientists and human health professionals understand the human-animal bond better and build more efficient, tailored animal-assisted programs. At Mars Petcare, we’re supporting robust animal-interaction science because we believe evidence-based solutions are the way forward in fighting this public health epidemic. And these solutions will only come through close collaboration. Seeing specialists from so many different fields coming together this week to share their vision gives me confidence that we’re on the right track to bringing animal-assisted interventions into the mainstream.

I do look forward to writing about the next milestone on this journey in the near future.