New Study to Measure Stress and Predict Success in Guide Dogs

The Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) announced today that Regency, a leading national provider of pet aftercare services, has become an official supporter of HABRI and its research on the health benefits of companion animals. “Regency’s mission of compassion and respect for the human-animal bond aligns very strongly with HABRI and its mission,” said Scott Buttz, Chief Operating Officer at Regency. “Animals bring unconditional love into this world, and part of honoring their lives includes investing in the human-animal bond at every stage.” “When pet owners lose their beloved family members, their pets, Regency helps to make the process easier for all involved,” said Steven Feldman, Executive Director of HABRI. “Supporting pet owners and veterinarians at these difficult times is so important, which is why HABRI is proud to partner with Regency on research and education around this critical aspect of the human-animal bond.” Regency works directly with pet owners and partners with veterinarians to provide nationally recognized, individualized aftercare services to clients, recognizing the loss of a pet can be one of the most difficult experiences for families. The Regency Family is recognized as “partners of choice” in their local communities for adhering to a stringent code of ethics and industry standards. Scientific evidence increasingly shows that pets improve humans’ heart health; alleviate depression; increase well-being; support child health and educational development; and contribute to healthy aging. The benefits of the human-animal bond impact more than just human health. Findings from a HABRI survey of 2,000 pet owners demonstrate that knowledge of the scientific research supporting the health benefits of the human-animal bond motivates pet owners to take better care of their pets. Knowledge of the health benefits of pets also helps encourage pet ownership, as 81 percent of pet owners surveyed stated that they are more like...

The PAWS Act Coalition, a group of nonprofit and for-profit organizations, lauded the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which, for the first time, will provide $2 million in USDA grants to enable more domestic violence shelters to become pet-friendly so that victims of domestic violence and their pets may shelter and heal together. The grants come one year after the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act was authorized as part of the 2019 Farm Bill, which received bipartisan support in its passage. “These new grants will help expand the network of domestic violence shelters which allow pets to accompany their families seeking safe shelter,” said Nina Leigh Krueger, president of Purina. “This is an important milestone in the coalition’s collective efforts to create safer communities for pets and pet owners, and Purina will remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the bond between domestic abuse survivors and their pets by ensuring they can safely heal together.” The PAWS Act Coalition would like to thank the original co-sponsors of the Pet and Women Safety Act for their leadership and commitment to its passage, especially the lead sponsors Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA-5), Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and former Senator Dean Heller (R-NV). The Coalition is also particularly grateful for Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) for spearheading the effort to pass the bill by including its language in the Farm Bill. “No one should have to make the choice between finding safety and staying in a violent situation to protect their pet,” said Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA-5). “This law and the newly appropriated federal dollars will empower survivors with the resources to leave a dangerous situation while being able to continue to care for their pet. I’m grateful for the partnerships we’ve formed between organizations working to end both domestic violence and animal abuse. Together, we will help save lives.” The USDA will now be able...

The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation today announced the findings of a new economic study on the healthcare cost savings associated with pet ownership. The economic analysis, conducted by two researchers from George Mason University, calculated an $11.7 billion savings in U.S. healthcare costs as a result of pet ownership. “There was abundant research to show that pets have a positive effect on our health, but this is the first time that anyone has looked at the impact on the U.S. healthcare system,” said study co-author Terry L. Clower, PhD Northern Virginia Chair and Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University’s School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs and Director of its Center on Regional Analysis. “Our analysis shows that pet ownership produces meaningful savings for total health care costs in the United States.” “Thinking about things that people should do to maintain their health, ‘get a pet’ belongs on that list,” said HABRI Executive Director, Steven Feldman. “When health insurance companies are looking at wellness incentives to keep costs down, pet ownership provides another way for people to stay healthy and save money.” The largest savings was determined based on a lower incidence of physician office visits by pet owners as compared to non-owners. According to the study, 132.8 million pet owners in the United States visit a doctor 0.6 times less than the average non-pet owners. The average cost of a physician office visit is $139. Pet owners, in this way, were responsible for saving $11.37 billion in U.S. healthcare costs. Additional savings were calculated for dog owners who walk their dog five or more times a week. This group, totaling more than 20 million people, shows a lower incidence of obesity, and were responsible for saving $419 million in related healthcare costs. While additional health benefits associated with pet ownership have been documented by scientific research, the economists...