While current evidence hints at improved health outcomes when animals and humans interact positively, we need more vigorous studies.  

Published July 24, 2023 on https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) describe the human-animal bond (HAB) as a “mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors essential to the health and well-being of both.”1,2

Various human and animal interactions can fall within the HAB purview. HABRI data suggest at least 85 million households in the U.S. benefit from the HAB annually.1,3 According to AVMA 2017-2018 data, about 60 percent of households have some type of pet. However, pet ownership only represents one aspect of the HAB.4 Human-animal connections can be almost endless and include:

Pet and pet parent

Zoo animal and zookeeper

Jockey and horse

Therapy pets and patients

Animals involved in animal-assisted interventions/activities/therapies

Read full article by EBVMA member Erica Tramuta-Drobnis, VMD, MPH, CPH