Nowadays the pet industry is putting lot of efforts and spending more to work out relationships , benefits and services for Human-Animal Bond. In USA about 70 percent of households keep pets. The demand for pets is growing and there are three main reasons for this. One is the Millennial Owners have increased and now 35% of Millennial own a pet. Second is the density of nuclear families which has increased the probability of owning a pet for companionship. Third is the rising aging population in USA.
Many researchers now have started studying animals. The studies have shown that pets reduce the stress in humans , makes them healthier and also help in living longer life. Pets offer unconditional love, loyalty, emotional support and companionship. They also help us gain a sense of responsibility. This is the upside, the downside is that it increases expenses and can cause arguments within the family.
In 1990 Bradshaw with a small group of other researchers who studied pets ownership came up with new term and a subject in their field and termed it as Anthrozoology. Today few University students study this subject initiated by Bradshaw.
The Pet Industry market size in US is above 110 Billion Dollars and its increasing. The factors which constitute towards this figure are pet food and treats , live animals supplies , medicine , vet care products and animal boarding. The pet care spending has also increased in products and services aimed at upscale pet owners.
Top Ten Pets in USA :
1)Dogs 2)Cats 3)Fish 4)Birds 5)Reptiles
6)Rabbits 7)Poultry 8)Hamsters 9)Guinea Pig
10)Ferrets
Wyoming is the top state in pet ownership at 72% . Millennial age group is the largest number of pet owners at 32%. The future of pet keeping continues to spread. Younger generation brings home dogs and treats them just like family members. There is one worrying factor both dogs and cats are strictly carnivore. Thus we need lot of farms for meat so that they provide enough for pets as well as humans.
The most Popular Pet Dog Breed
1)Labrador Retriever 2)French Bulldog 3)German Shepherd
4)Golden Retriever 5)Bulldog 6)Poodle 7)Beagle
8)Rottweiler 9)Pointer 10)Dachshund
10 Most Luxurious Pet Dog Boarding & Hotels in US
- D Pet Hotels ( Chelsea )
- Fit Dog Sports Club ( Santa Monica )
- Olde Towne Pet Resort ( Washington DC )
- Best Friends Pet Care ( Themes Park )
- The Barkley ( West Lake Village, California )
- Chateau Poochie ( Pampano Beach florida )
- Wag Hotels ( Northern California )
- Paradise Ranch ( Los Angeles)
- Posh Pet Hotel ( West Palm Beach Florida )
- Pooch Hotel ( California , Connecticut )
5 Best Pet Adoption Agencies
- Pet Finder ( North America )
- Best Friends Animal Society ( Kanab Utah )
- North Shore Animal League ( Washington )
- Paws Chicago ( Chicago )
- Wags and Walks ( Los Angeles )
5 Best Pet Veterinary Hospitals
- Best Care Pet Hospital ( Omaha )
- Heartland Pet Hospital ( Bellevue )
- All City Pet Care Veterinary ( Minnesota )
- Family Pet Hospital ( St. Louis )
- All Pets Animal Hospital ( Bentonville )
Benefits Of The Human Bond with Animals
People consider pets as part of their family and think themselves as their parents and have anxiety when pets are apart. Pets are comforting companions and keep people from being lonely. They also keep the owner healthy and relieve stress. Why do people all over the World like watching videos on Dogs and Cats?. This is because animals brighten up peoples lives and make them gentle. They bring out pure feeling of love & togetherness. The human-animal bond is like a friendship which provides emotional support and companionship which people may not find with other counterpart.
Animals do sense the illness and depression a person is going through. Pets will always show their extra care and love in these times. People always like to talk to their pets and even if they don’t speak they will show with their eyes that they do understand, You can hear them in their silent response. Pets can divert negative thinking and helps in promoting exercise. Care for pets helps owners to get into daily routines like playing, walking and community interactions. Pets are also valued as a person to speak to, because a person may speak to them of not being judged or a burden. Pets listen without response, without criticism, without interruption and without any advice. A pet accepts their owner as is and make them feel good about themselves resulting in reasons to live.
Types Of Animals Services & Support
The most common types are:
- Emotional Support Animals ( ESA’s)
- Service Animals
- Therapy Animals.
ESA’s
ESAs provide comfort and emotional support to their owners on a daily basis. These include dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, hamsters and horses. For your pet to be considered an ESA legally, you must have a prescription letter, which is renewed yearly from a licensed therapist or doctor, that states you have a mental disability and that an ESA is necessary for the treatment. ESA’s are considered a reasonable accommodation which allows tenants to reside with an ESA with no additional fee. Airlines after review of your prescription letter must allow ESA’s to accompany their handlers in the cabin of the aircraft at no cost. Unusual animals for example snakes and rodents are not allowed to be ESA’s.
Service Animals
The most common service animal is Dog. There are other animals who can be trained to perform tasks. These are pigs , cats , horses , monkeys and birds. The American with Disabilities Act ( ADA) defines service dog as a dog that has been trained to perform tasks that assist individuals with disabilities to detect the start of their psychiatric episodes and lesson their effect. Tasks may include reminding the handler to take medicine, providing safety checks , room searches, turning on lights for a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD), keeping disoriented individual away from danger and stopping a person with dissociative identity disorder to take any drastic step. Service animals are not pets and considered a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. An Employer may be required to allow a service dog in a place of employment to work along their handler. The employer can ask if the dog is required because of a disability and what has dog been trained to do.
Therapy Animals
Trained therapy animals are certified dogs that accompany handlers in visits to hospitals, including psychiatric units, nursing homes and other medical facilities. They can offer structured therapy or simply provide comfort to patients. Pet Partners is a leading therapy animal non-profit program. Volunteers can have their dogs certified as therapy dogs by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Other than dogs the other therapy animals are cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and horses. Psychiatric daytime and residential programs have also included farm animals with daily living activities. Farm animals also enjoy some of the similar benefits of pet ownership. The program includes Fountain House Farm , Gould Farm and Hopewell
If you don’t have a pet, there are ways you can interact with animals up close. These include volunteering at a local shelter or even visiting animal sanctuaries. Human bond with animals mostly focuses on animal benefits to human companionship, health and well being but it is important that we should also think about animal welfare needs. A strong human bond with animal may benefit animal welfare by motivating an owner to spend time and funds for necessary veterinary medical treatment. The challenge for the veterinary profession is to translate this human bond into a human behavior and action that is conducive and good for Animal Welfare.
Few quotes on Animals ……..
- Anatole France : “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains un awakened”
- Martin Buber: “An animal eyes have the power to speak a great language”
